SELF ESTEEM, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

There is a wide body of opinion that suggests that a lack of self-esteem in an individual can be a major barrier to their success as a learner. In the experience of the researcher some students and apprentices have low self-esteem. Experience in the home or in primary and secondary school may have left some with lasting negative impression of their learning ability. Teaching and assessment methods in higher education may reinforce this. This study involved carrying out a survey to determine levels of self-esteem among students and apprentices. The instrument used was the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale which is a ten item self-report measure of global self-esteem. The study set out to determine if there are differences in the levels of self esteem among students and apprentices in different disciplines. The study also explored how the self-esteem of a learner can affect his/her learning ability and assessment performance. The influence of different learning, teaching and assessment methods on self-esteem of students and apprentices was examined.