ERIC Number: EJ1470793
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0007-0998
EISSN: EISSN-2044-8279
Available Date: 2024-02-22
Neural and Behavioural Correlates of Adolescents Changing Academic Self-Concept
Julia Rodriguez Buritica1,2,3; Stella Berboth4,5; Frances Hoferichter4; Diana Raufelder4
British Journal of Educational Psychology, v95 n2 p234-248 2025
Background: Mid-adolescence is an important phase of self-development in various domains including academics as well as for changes in the neural mechanisms underlying the self-concept. Students' academic self-concept (ASC) is affected by educational achievements and social others (such as teachers and peers). To what extent these external influences relate to neural dynamics during adolescents' self- and other-evaluations (i.e. of friends and teachers) which affect ASC over time is currently unclear. Aims: The current study aimed to address the question of to what extent the developing ASC is influenced by developmental changes in self- and other-evaluations (friends, teachers) and their underlying neural mechanisms as well as academic achievement. Methods: In this interdisciplinary longitudinal fMRI study, forty-seven 13-year-olds (at T1) were instructed to indicate whether positive and negative trait adjectives described themselves (self-evaluations), their teachers, or peers (other-evaluations) at two time points. We investigated how adolescents' academic self-concept is influenced by changes in their academic achievement and self- and other-evaluations (teachers and peers) 1.5-years later. Results: Behaviourally, both, academic achievement and positive teacher evaluations were important to prevent the observed decline in ASC during mid-adolescence. Our fMRI results showed that cortical midline structures were linked to self-evaluation, whereas the precuneus and occipital regions were related to friends- and teacher-evaluation. Here, ASC was predicted by activity changes in the precuneus during friends-evaluations for students with better academic achievement. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that academic achievement and positive teacher-evaluations could prevent the decline in ASC observed in mid-adolescents and that the neural correlates of evaluating close others within the precuneus present an important link to ASC. The current study highlights the importance of educational neuroscience studies to understand the changing ASC during adolescence.
Descriptors: Adolescent Attitudes, Attitude Change, Self Concept, Adolescent Development, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Academic Achievement, Early Adolescents
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; 2Berlin School of Mind and Brain & Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 3Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 4Institute of Educational Science, Philosophical Faculty, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; 5Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany