How Do Learners Form Their Self-Concepts?

Abstract

This chapter examines the existent literature to consider the extent to which self-concept is believed to be dynamic and which factors may affect its development. In particular, it considers the role of cognitive developmental process, demographic factors, as well as four key additional factors: environment, past achievements, feedback and social comparisons. The chapter also outlines the influential Internal and External Frame of Reference Model (Marsh 1986a, American Educational Research Journal 23(1): 129–149) which is used in psychology to explain the processes by which learners form their domain-specific self-concepts and which serves as the framework underlying the analysis in the following two chapters.