Relationship Between Academic Self-Concept and School Disengagement among Primary School Pupils in Liberia

Abstract

In the psychological literature, there has been a lot of discussion on elementary school pupils who are disengaged at school. The student's perception of his or her academic ability is key at the primary school level. This study aimed at establishing a relationship between academic self-concept and school disengagement among primary schools pupils in Liberia. Correlational design was used in the study. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the sample, which included 246 pupils from five primary schools in Liberia. A modified version of the Academic Self-concept Scale (ASCS) was used as a tool to measure students' perceptions of their own academic abilities. The information was gathered, put into an analytical format, and significance tests were run using the Statistical Software for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The gathered information was analysed and given a personality using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found a significant but positive correlation (r = .174, p = .01) between academic self-concept and school disengagement. The study may be important to educational authorities and school counselors who might use the findings to create supportive programmes which stimulate the academic abilities of the students and improve academic outcomes. The study might also support students in creating a positive academic self-concept that will motivate them to stay in school, thus avoiding school disengagement.