Adolescent self-esteem

Reported are the results of a 6 year study of adolescent self-esteem. This study observed a group of students from Year 10 to their third year after leaving the secondary school system. In that 6 year period, the subjects were tested 3 times using the Coopersmith Self -Esteem Inventory (1975). Both the Adult and School Forms were used. The students attended both single sex and coeducational schools in their junior secondary years and then attended a common coeducational college for the Years 11 and 12. Their self-esteem levels showed no gender effect in Year 10, but when tested in Year 12, the self-esteem of the whole group had declined noticeably.

In 1993, the group of 81 students was recontacted for the final testing with the SEI. Only 20 responded. The SEI of those 20 students over the three testings indicated that the group of 20 had not changed its self-esteem level from 1988. It is possible that the use of questionnaires and written surveys as opposed to face to face contact resulted in an atypical group as its self-esteem levels and Tertiary Entrance Score was higher than average.

The group showed no relationship between its academic ability and self-esteem, there was no gender effect in any area including subject choice in Years 11 and 12 and in choice of university course and generally the subjects' estimates of their self-esteem was in accord with the score on the SEI. The question of the reason for the decline of self-esteem of the 81 students in Year 12 remains and may not be observable in the light of significant changes in school environments. It is possible that gender differences if they were significant at any time may have diminished because of programs and general interest in the issue.