Self-Esteem and Anxiety Level of Students at the Technological Educational Institute of Athens–Planning of Interventions

Abstract

Objectives: The identification of self-esteem and anxiety levels experienced by the students of the Technological Educational Institute (ΤΕΙ) of Athens, as well as the investigation of the potential correlations of these two parameters to each other and to other demographic variables. Method: Data collection was performed during the academic year 2015-2016, in a sample of 763 students from all Schools and Faculties of the Institute, using a questionnaire which contained: (a) Rosenberg’s Self- Esteem Scale (RSES) (Rosenberg, 1965), in order to identify the self-esteem level of the participants (b) State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to assess the students’ anxiety level and (c) a series of questions about the demographic characteristics and the academic performance of the participants. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 21.0 software (SPSS v. 21.0). Results: According to the research results, the female students of the sample displayed statistically significantly higher anxiety levels and lower self-esteem than male students, whereas both genders showed a statistically significant negative correlation between self-esteem and the number of failed courses (the more the failed courses, the lower the score on self-esteem scale). Moreover, a statistically significant negative correlation was found between anxiety level and self-esteem, with students who scored higher on anxiety tending to also have lower selfesteem. Furthermore, the results appeared to be considerably different in each faculty, with the students of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design displaying significantly lower self-esteem levels and higher anxiety levels compared to the students of other Faculties. Conclusion: The research findings highlight the need for planning interventions that will help students develop healthy self-esteem, acquire control over their educational achievements and gain anxiety management techniques to enhance their psychosocial identity development.