-->

Does Grade Retention of Primary Students at Grade 3 affect their self-esteem?

Introduction

Before the year 1860, there was no formal grouping of students in the elementary schools in the United States. It was only around the year 1860 that the elementary schools in the United States have begun grouping the children in the primary level. Promotion of the students to the next grade level is “dependent on mastery of a quota of content” (Magliaro, S. & Owings, W., 1998). Grade retention aims to improve the students’ academic skills and at the same time, provide them with adequate academic knowledge and skills required of their grade level. However, researches done during as early as the years between 1924 and 1948 related to grade retention shows that there is no considerable positive effect of grade retention to the students’ academic skills and / or status. Furthermore, during the mid-20th century, several researches were done in order to investigate on the relationship between students’ retention and dropouts. In fact in a study by Berlman in 1949 (Magliaro, S. & Owings, W., 1998) findings show that the retained students are more likely to drop out of school than those who were not retained or promoted.

But in spite of that, grade retention in schools is still practiced today. In fact, it is observed that the rate of grade retention in schools have increased (Nottis, 2004 cited NASE 2003). “Teachers and schools might recommend retention for some of the following reasons: poor academic skills, immaturity, small size, frequent moves or absences, or limited English language skills “ (Barton, Campbell & Saffell, n.d. cited “Should My Child,” 1996). Aside from the fact that student grade retention has no positive effect on the students academically, recent researches show that it also affects the students mentally and emotionally.

Literature Review

Several research literatures have been done with regards to grade retention and its effects on the students. Between the years 1990 – 1997, sixty-six articles were written, and only one article from those number of articles favor grade retention. According to Roderick (1993), grade retention may be harmful to students especially if they are not in the high school level yet. Students who are retained in their grade do more poorly in school and suffer a lower self-esteem. In fact, Roderick (1993) noted that students who are retained in their grade are most likely to drop out, since they become overage for their grade level. Being overage for their grade level causes an effect in the student’s behavior. Grade retention has a dramatic effect on their self-esteem and attitudes towards school. Students feel different because they are older than their classmates. Since they are older than their classmates, they can feel isolated from them. Furthermore, “students who were retained in grade were more than three times more likely than students who were never retained” Roderick (1993). In fact, in a study done in Fall River, seventy-seven percent of the students who were retained at least one grade left school and only 27 percent students who never repeated leave school. Furthermore, students who have repeated once have a higher percentage of dropping out and those who repeat two or more times “were almost exclusively dropouts” (Roderick, 1993). According to the research paper by Barton, Campbell & Saffell (n.d) entitled “How does retention impact children?”, they have noted that grade retention has no clear benefit to the students and on the other hand, it might actually have multiple negative effects to the students. In fact, a study was done to see whether grade retention has a positive effect on their studies. The study showed that students who were retained achieve higher scores during the year following retention but after that, their scores have “leveled out” (Barton, Campbell & Saffell, n.d). Thus, retention does not show any benefit to the students. According to Barton, Campbell & Saffell (n.d), the learning problems that caused the retention of the student actually went on because after two or three years, the students are again back at the bottom of the class. Furthermore, the retained students do not exhibit any considerable signs of progress during their retained year. Aside from the non-existence any academic progress, students who are retained are found to be “more likely to experience measurable mental health problems” (Barton, Campbell & Saffell, n.d). Furthermore, grade retention to students has a dramatic impact on their behavior and attitudes towards school. It damages the student’s self-concept, since they are left behind by their classmates who have been promoted. Thus, the retained students might develop a negative attitude towards school. Aside from that Barton, Campbell & Saffell (n.d) noted that students who are retained once are 21 to 27 percent more likely to drop out of school. Furthermore, there is an increased risk to the adolescents who are older their classmates in their grade to experience and / or suffer behavioral problems, emotional distress, earlier sexual activity, and substance abuse. “Therefore, based on the research, it is evident that, in most cases, retention works to the detriment of the child ” (Barton, Campbell & Saffell, n.d). A famous research was done by William A. Owings and Susan Magliaro in 1998 on grade retention, which was entitled” Grade Retention: A History of Failure”. According to William A. Owings and Susan Magliaro (1998), student retention not only has negative effects on their academic skills, but at the same time, retention also produces negative social implications. In fact the kindergarten students who were retained show a slightly more negative attitude toward school than did those who are not retained or students who arte promoted (Magliaro & Owings, 1998 cited Shepard & Smith, 1987). Furthermore, researches also show that students who are retained have the greater tendency to have more behavioral problems than those who are not retained (Magliaro & Owings, 1998 cited Meisels, 1993). At the same time, Rumberger (1987,cited by Magliaro & Owings, 1998) proposed the idea that retention contributes to a permanent disengagement from school. A rather alarming finding of the research by Magliaro & Owings (1998) is that retention may eventually have negative effects on the retained students’ long-term achievement. In fact, Holmes (1989) made a meta-analysis on the progress of retained students with that of lower-achieving promoted students. According to Holmes (1989, cited by Magliaro & Owings, 1998), fifty-four studies showed negative achievement results for the retained students. After which Holmes analyzed studies with the greatest statistical control. The results, however are the same, retained students demonstrate a rather negative academic achievements. Furthermore, it has been observed that retained students continue to decline in their academic achievement compared to the promoted students.

Aims and Objectives

The main aim of this research study is to determine whether grade retention of primary students (especially at grade 3) affects the students’ self esteem. This research will focus on the mental and / or emotional effects of grade retention to the primary students. This research aims to show that it is not only the students’ academic skills and / or achievements that are affected but their mental, emotional or possible social aspects as well. Furthermore, this research wants to emphasize the fact grade retention does not show any significant benefit to the students’ academic skills and / or achievements. Thus, this research aims to suggest possible alternatives to improve the students’ skills and achievements other than grade retention.

Statement of the Problem

There are already several researches done to determine the positive and / or negative effects of grade retention on the students’ academic skills and / or achievements. Most of these researches (in fact, only one research does not support the general findings) show that grade retention does not have a positive effect on the students but rather may have a negative effect on them. In all of these researches on the effects of grade retention on students, only few focus on the possible effects of grade retention on the students’ mental or emotional state. Furthermore, none of those researches highlighted the effect of grade retention on the students’ self esteem. For primary students, grade retention may have a rather dramatic effect on them.

Significance of the Study

This study will be significant, first and foremost, to the primary schools that use and / or implement grade retention in order to improve the students’ academic skills and / or achievements. This research study will provide a better understanding on the effects of grade retention on the primary students. Furthermore, this research will suggest specifically to the primary school’s administration that instead of grade retention, other ways can be used to improve the students’ academic skills and / or achievements. This research will also be significant to the primary school teachers. This research study will give them a better understanding on how the students’ self-esteem are affected by grade retention, since the teachers are the one who decide whether a student will be promoted or retained. This research will suggest to the primary school teachers to carefully think over if a student really deserves to be retained or not. Since that grade retention has a rather negative effect on the students. Most importantly, this research will be of significance to the primary students; since this research aims to suggest that other ways as alternative to improve their academic skills rather than using grade retention.

Research Questions

This research will conduct a study on the effects of grade retention on the primary students’ (specifically, grade 3 students) self-esteem. Specifically, the following queries will be answered:

• What are effects of the grade retention to the primary students?
• How does grade retention affects the students’ behavior and / or attitude towards school?
• What are effects of grade retention to the students’ emotional state or emotions?

Overview of the Methodology

Primary and secondary data will be used in this study. The primary data that will be used are the data gathered on the observation on the retained primary (grade 3) students. Secondary data that will be used are the academic materials and research publications on grade retention and its effects on the primary students. Secondary data also includes data gathered from the responses gathered from the teachers, guidance counselors and parents of the students. Quantitative method will be used in the study. Structured survey questionnaire will be used in this investigation. The questionnaire will contain a set of attitude statements. The purpose of the set of attitude statements is to determine the level of agreement or disagreement using a five-point Likert Scale. In the Likert technique, the degree of agreement or disagreement is given an equivalent numerical value ranging from one to five, thus a total numerical value can be calculated from all the responses. The equivalent weights for the answers will be:

Range Interpretation

4.5 – 5.0 Highest

3.5 – 4.0 Higher

2.5 – 3.49 Middle

1.5 – 2.49 Lower

0.0 – 1.49 Lowest

In the proposed study, 60 Grade 3 primary students will be observed. Half of that number will be the students that are promoted and the other half will be the students that are retained. Aside from that, 60 primary students’ teachers, guidance counselors and parents of the students will be surveyed. Half of that number will be those who have retained students and the other half will be those who have students that are promoted. The result will be sought through three sets of structured questionnaires. The first set of questionnaire will specifically determine effects of grade retention to the Grade 3 primary students. The second set of questionnaire will determine the background of grade retention on the students, i.e. when it was implemented, and the rate of retention every school year, etc. Finally, the third set of questionnaire will specifically determine the advantages and disadvantages of grade retention on the students. Then, the responses of the two sets of respondents will be analyzed and compared in terms of the effects of grade retention on the students. In the structured questionnaires, the Likert Scale will be used. Likert Scale is a rating scale that requires the subject to indicate his or her degree of agreement or disagreement with a statement. By rating scale, we mean the scales that are usually used to measure attitudes towards an object, the degree to which an object contains a particular attribute, (like or dislike) toward some attribute, or the importance attached to an attribute. The results of the study will be computed by a statistician, and then through the statistical results, the researcher will try to determine the effects grade retention on the students.

Scope and Limitation

The proposed study will focus only on the effects of grade retention on the self-esteem of the primary students. The answers in the questionnaires will be analyzed based on the responses of the two set of respondents on the two sets of questionnaires that will be presented to them. The research will be limited only to a quantitative research because the aim is to present a result in a very specific set of terms.

References:

Barton, N., Campbell, N. & Saffel, B. (n.d.).How does retention impact children. Website http://www.arches.uga.edu/~bpayne/NanBrandyweb.html

Hoffman, L.M. , Nottis, K.E. & Witmer, S.M.(2004, 22 December). Elementary teachers’ beliefs and knowledge about grade retention: how do we know what they know?. Education.

Magliaro, S. & Owings, W.(1998). Grade Retention: A History of Failure.Educational Leader. 56 (1), 86 - 88.

Roderick, M. (1993). The Path to Dropping Out: Evidence for Intervention. Westport, CT. : Auburn House.