Reasons of low self-esteem.

Researches had managed to identify various causes of low self-esteem among second language
learners. There are some experienced and factors that one goes through during their phase of life
which may affect their development of self-esteem. Whitesell, Mitchell and Spicer in The Voices
of Indian Teens Project Team (2009) stated that self-esteem is an essential element that every
graduates must possessed in their quest in obtaining a good academic achievement and it is
proven related to students performance as cited in Alfred Chan (2014). According to California
State Department of Education, 1990; Purkey, 1970, when children enter school, their selfconcept is already substantially formed, based on the influence of family as cited in Scott and
Murray (2001)
Every single person in this world has their own childhood experience. The experienced may be
both positive and negative but both of it could be the reason in determining their self-worth.
Several reasons may be the factors that can lead to a low self-esteem in one self. One of the
factors that cause low self-esteem is that children are affected by the punishment of the adults
during their childhood. The effect of such punishment from the adults is established and
tremendously hard to treat when they grow up. Hence, it will eventually affect their study and
how they deal with the people around them which also may result in bad achievement in their
study.
Another reason of low self-esteem is related to family structure. Andrea (2011) stated that
students in two parent families have a higher self-esteem compared to the students in single
parent families. Therefore, it is said in her finding that students that been raised up in two
parents families received more support as opposed to students from single parent families. Such
students will eventually have difficulties in socializing with the environment and develop greater
difficulty in their academic performance. As the result, students will experience the development
of lower self-esteem. This findings is also supported by a research conducted by McLanahan and
Sandefur, children who are reared in single-parent families do not fare as well as those reared in
two parent families, on average, regardless of race, education, or parental remarriage and they
are more likely to experience increased academic difficulties and higher levels of emotional,
psychological, and behavioural problems as cited in Carlson & Corcoran (2001).

The other factor which may cause low self-esteem is parents education background. In the study
conducted by Andrea, there is significant correlation between parents education and students
self-esteem (as cited in Andrea, 2011). She found out that there is positive correlation between
parents education and students self-esteem. Thus, the higher level of parents education, the
higher is the result of students self-esteem. In my point of view, when the parents have a higher
level of education, they become more concern and more thoughtful in their childrens academic.
Thus, they tend to give more support which will result in higher self-esteem. In short, parents
perception towards childrens education is important in determining students success.
How to measure?
This research is first conducted through Quantitative approach. Its principle is based on the
measurement of quantity or amount. In this research, one of the survey methods (questionnaire)
is used in order to gain information from the respondents. Precisely, Rosenberg Self-Esteem
Scale is used. It was basically designed to measure students overall self-esteem. 100 set of
questionnaires will be administered to the students and once the results is collected, the
researcher will segregate the students to three different areas of self-esteem which include low,
general and high.
Secondly, the interview will be conducted to 5 participants from every area so that the last result
will be even more solid and convincing.
The data used in this research will first be gathered and quantified to make it easy for the
researcher to manipulate and analyze. The data that has been gathered will then be edited, coded,
classified, tabulated and presented in frequency and percentages. This chapter will present an
analysis of data collected from the secondary schools. The information gathered will then be
presented in frequency tables and percentages
This research is conducted in three secondary schools in Selangor which enclosed from rural
area, middle area and urban area. One classroom will be selected enclosing 30 numbers of
students. All the participants are selected from the same class to enable the researcher to monitor
the progress so that the results of the finding will be consistent as the students are from the same
level of proficiency. The subjects of participants are mainly from SMK Sungai Burong, Tanjung
Karang as the researcher is undergoing her practical in that school.

Why only self-esteem?

This research is mainly focus to investigate the reason and the effects of low self-esteem faced
by students. From this research, it is hope that it will provide a better insight for the teacher to
understand the source of low self-esteem and practice a suitable approach on how to tackle low
self-esteem in students, thus, assist their learning.

Questionnaire administered to the participants (Adapted from Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale,

1965)
Statement

Strongly
Agree

On the whole, I am satisfied

with myself.
At times, I think I am no good
at all.
I feel that I have a number of
good qualities.
I am able to do things as well
as most other people.
I feel I do not have much to be
proud of.
I certainly feel useless at
times.

Agree

Disagree

Strongly
Disagree

I feel that Im a person of

worth, at least on an equal
basis with others.

I wish I could have more

respects for myself.
All in all, I am inclined to feel
that I am a failure.
I take a positive attitude
towards myself.