Healthy self-esteem leads to confidence in one’s abilities and worth, making it easier to learn and explore new ideas. It also motivates students to set goals and engage in school activities, while low self-esteem can lead to poor time management and social problems.
While definitions of self-esteem vary, many people agree that this term describes a person’s level of confidence. It also includes a person’s overall view on life. An individual with healthy self-esteem, therefore, has confidence in their own abilities and worth, and may feel they can achieve realistic goals. Psychologists and educational professionals believe that one of the most important effects of healthy self-esteem on education is that it makes it easier for a person to learn about new ideas and new perspectives. A person with healthy self-esteem is often less afraid of new ideas and perspectives, and is therefore more likely to explore new concepts.
Discussions are common practice in the classroom and provide another opportunity to observe the effects of self-esteem on education. When students discuss topics in class, they learn to express complex ideas and respond to different topics. A person with healthy self-esteem is more likely to participate in discussions. Similarly, a person with low self-esteem is more likely to ignore the validity of their viewpoints. As a result, he is less likely to contribute a potentially valuable point of view to a discussion.
Another effect of self-esteem on education is evident when looking at student motivation levels. The students who tend to excel in school are the ones who have goals and aspirations. A high school student with healthy self-esteem might aim to get into a prestigious university while a person with low self-esteem might not believe they are smart enough to go to college. Students with low self-esteem, therefore, are less likely to study and engage in school and extracurricular activities.
An individual may have other problems that are symptomatic of low self-esteem. The effect of self-esteem on education, therefore, could also manifest itself in poor time management skills and social problems. For example, a student with unhealthy self-esteem might feel like he never has enough time to finish his homework. Instead of coming up with a sensible schedule, he may decide he’s simply unable to meet deadlines.
When a student has social problems, they may feel that a community is not welcoming. Many schools combat this by requiring students to work with peers. In fact, sharing knowledge and ideas is considered an important tenet of much education. Students who feel unwanted are unlikely to fit into groups of equal benefit.
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