Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Project Self-Esteem Program on the student self-esteem of regular fifth-grade elementary students in several southern California classrooms. The Reasoner/Gilberts Student Self-Esteem Inventory was used to measure the change in self-esteem within the five sub-scale areas of security, identity, belonging, purpose, and competence. Research design. The research design was a pre/post quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group study. Heterogeneously grouped regular fifth grade classrooms were used as treatment and control replicate groups. Data from each group were analyzed separately and then compared. One hundred and ninety-nine students participated from ten classrooms in three districts. The treatment program was the "Project Self-Esteem." This Program consists of twelve classroom lessons given by a parent volunteer team during one school semester. Activities are left in class for the students to do between lessons. Findings. Results from the seven control groups and three treatment groups were analyzed. A significant difference in pre and post assessment scores was reported in self-esteem components in two of the three treatment groups. Five of the seven control groups reported no significant difference in pre and post assessment scores. Post experiment investigation revealed that one control group reporting increased assessment scores in three components proved to have a teacher made self-esteem program, although it was not a published program. Analyzed data supported the hypothesis that student self-esteem can be raised through the Project Self-Esteem program. Conclusions. This study concluded that student participation in Project Self-Esteem can improve student self-esteem. Students who do not participate in Project Self-Esteem usually do not show a change in self-esteem during the school year. Recommendations. (1) Teachers should utilize Project Self-Esteem; (2) educational managers and policy makers should include a formalized self-esteem program in curricula; (3) teacher training in self-esteem should be required for credentialing; and (4) replicate studies are needed at other grade levels and with other programs used for classroom self-esteem instruction.