Understanding Self-concept Development in Student Learning

Introduction to Self-Concept

Self-concept is the totality of one’s knowledge and understanding of his or her own self. It is the process of knowing oneself, one’s traits, feelings, behaviors, and limitations. Self-concept represents truthfulness towards one's own self. It maintains objectivity, recognizes fatigue, worry, tensions, and frustrations, and helps in effective communication and the maintenance of interpersonal relations with others. A person with a clear self-concept can have a clear vision about oneself; they can understand the way people see them and can see themselves. For example, beliefs such as 'I am a kind-hearted person,' or 'I am helpful' are part of an overall self-concept. It is a process of self-discovery and identity formation.

Development of Self-Concept in Students' Learning

Self-concept can be understood from different dimensions. One is Open Self, where one is aware of their own attitudes, behaviors, and values. Here the individual is aware of their own self and their self is also known to others. The person does not mind discussing with others the different parts of their life. The undiscovered or Unknown Self is the self that neither they nor others can see. In this category, there might be good or bad things that are not within the awareness of others or the person. Some of us have a Blind Self where there are some things about ourselves that we do not know, but others can see more clearly. One may see themselves as an open-minded person but, in reality, people around them may consider them closed-minded. Some of us have a Hidden Self that cannot be known by others unless we disclose it. It is that which we freely keep within ourselves and that which we retain within ourselves. Here, a person hides things that are very private about themselves. The person does not want the information to be disclosed.

Knowing self-concept can systematically observe, analyze, and value our own professional actions and help in leading a stable and controlled life. Understanding the self-concept helps in finding ways to explore and evaluate one’s own professional work. The greatest advantage of knowing oneself is that it prepares a person to focus on practice for improving their particular area of work. Clear knowledge about oneself helps a person keep track of their own thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The Role of Teachers in Developing Self-Concept

It is important to develop a self-concept in students’ minds. Teachers can take major initiatives in this direction. Simple Math problems can be solved by developing self-awareness in students’ minds. For example, “You have seven mangoes more than Rumpi” improves both the speed and accuracy of children’s responses. Some practical classroom strategies can be undertaken to enhance students’ self-concept. In schools, children can be encouraged to draw. In these drawings, the teacher can find the projections of what is in the child’s mind. Students can be encouraged to make some educational videos and can be instructed to present their own videos in the classroom. By doing this, the self-esteem of the student will grow and they can reflect better on their own situation.

Self-confidence is a very important element of self-concept. The teacher should not correct every single thing the student says wrong. The teacher should not interrupt self-learning, as this may harm the child’s self-confidence. Students can be motivated to know themselves better. They can be given a project called “Know Yourself”. In that project, students can be instructed to draw or paste a picture of themselves in the middle of a piece of paper. After that, they can be asked to write or draw all of the things they like about themselves around their picture. Moreover, the teacher can encourage the same students to add to the picture every time they think of something new they like about themselves.

Encouraging Self-Improvement and Reflection

The teacher can develop a competitive spirit in students’ minds. Very often, it is seen that some students feel less capable than those students who are academically bright in their class. The teacher should remind students that they compete with themselves, not with their peers. The teacher can challenge students to choose one thing they feel they are good at and give them a stipulated time to accomplish their challenge. Open-up discussion is needed in the classroom for motivating the students to study. The teacher can offer students time to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses after each lesson. Students can be encouraged to share their responses with the class. They can speak freely in the classroom about what they think went right and what they think caused them stress. This technique will help students know and develop their own self better.

Conclusion

One can understand the positive and negative consequences of their own actions. This will help them in setting their own standards. Knowing oneself can guide a student towards desirable responses. A clear self-concept helps in developing the strength and energy needed to control our impulses. Knowing about oneself develops the capacity for self-control and relates to better thinking. The positive impact of self-concept can be used to help children channelize their negative impulses towards desirable behavior in a positive direction.

References

Smith, J. (2020). Understanding Self-Concept. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(3), 234-245.

Johnson, L. & Lee, K. (2019). The Role of Self-Concept in Student Learning. Educational Research Quarterly, 42(2), 120-135.

Brown, T. (2018). Enhancing Self-Esteem in the Classroom. Teaching Strategies Today, 15(4), 56-70.

Williams, R. (2021). Building Self-Confidence in Students. International Journal of Education, 17(1), 87-99.