Academic self-concept and school performance: children's representations of being and doing in preschool in Zacatecas, Mexico

Abstract

This research analyzes the representations that the students of a preschool group in Zacatecas, Mexico, made of themselves around their academic performance in the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school year. An important finding was the construction of a self-knowledge an academic concept differentiated according to the formative environment of this school level. Self-concept is a dynamic socio-emotional skill and sociocultural construct that children learn and manifest at an early age. In the school environment these representations are molded through the curricular contents of the area of socio-emotional skills and life project, to the extent that it is the axis that contributes to the achievement of the profile of preschool graduation, that is, to the healthy personal, academic, social and emotional growth of the Infants. Based on qualitative techniques such as observation and surveys applied based on the Child Self-Concept Perception Scale (EPAI) and the Graphic Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Children at Early Ages (PSCA) identified and analyzed the ways in which the students of this group visualized, understood and valued their needs, knowledge, thoughts, emotions, feelings and ideals of themselves and others, and learned to make decisions, recognize and qualify their school performance.