Identity, Self-Concept & Motivation

Self-Concept and Motivation

During middle school, children begin to develop a more complex and differentiated sense of self. This leads to the ability to think about self in contradictory ways. For example, a middle school student may say Im pretty intelligent and then also say sometimes Im really stupid. In middle school, students become aware of the contradictions in their selves. If children arent able to harmonize these seemingly different selves, they begin to ask Who is the real me? Middle school is the time when children become concerned with the opinions of peers. They also, become more self-aware and are able to differentiate between their real and ideal selves. Some children have difficulty coping when and if they realize there is a large difference between their real and ideal self. Many things motivate middle school children: positive rewards, public recognition, acceptance by peers and adults, autonomy, inclusion in decisions, and assignments based student interests. Just like with younger children, middle school children, are motivated to work harder if they know they will be rewarded and recognized for their efforts, and they feel that their efforts will lead to success. With that being said, it is also important that the tasks students are asked to complete are relevant to their life and interests. During this time, children are searching for ways to show they are more mature. Providing middle school children the freedom to choose between different assignments is a great way to motivate them. They feel as if they have control over the assignment and they are invested in the completion of the assignment because it is what they choose. For more information on how schools can help see the Life in School section to the right.

Life in School
Many middle school children experience a decline in self-esteem as a result of increased attention to grades and comparison to peers. At this time in a childs development they are most self-conscious and self-critical. Children in middle school are searching for more privacy and autonomy. It is important for children of this age to feel attached or connected to their school.
Advice for Schools
Downplay the comparison of children, especially social comparisons Be supportive and firm Maintain high, well-defined standards for behavior and academic work Involve students in developing rules, classroom seating arrangements, and so on Encourage students to speak up for themselves and be assertive Set up after-school sports, clubs, or activities to support students with different interests Help students identify/create a reliable & close relationship with at least one adult in the school.

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Identity
Gender Identity There are two domains in which gender identity is associated with identity. The first is physical appearance. Middle school boys give themselves higher ratings in the physical appearance domain than girls. One reason for this is because the media portrays an unrealistic image for girls to live up to. This results in 85% of girls worried about how they look and 50-88% of girls being dissatisfied with their body. The second domain is academic and career aspirations. Stereotypes have been developed over time that boys are better at math and science than girls. As a result, boys are often encouraged to pursue careers in those fields while girls tend to be steered into other fields. Achievement data indicates that girls perform just as well as boys in math and science, but because of stereotypes girls express less interest.

Sexual Orientation

Sexual attractions tend to emerge around the age of 10. During middle school, sexual minorities start the progression of awareness of same-sex attractions to a period of testing and exploration, and finally identifying as a homosexual. This process is more common in boys than girls.
Many people hide try to hide their sexual orientation for fear of being rejected, ostracized, and or victimized. This is an even bigger issue for middle school children because they are highly self-conscious and affected by the opinions of others. It is important to remember that children with same-sex attractions have the same needs and concerns as all adolescents.