Self concept and academic achievement of Kashmiri and Pakthooni ...

Educational Research and Essays Vol. 1(5), pp. 074 - 078, November 2012
Available online at http://www.wudpeckerresearchjournals.org
2012 Wudpecker Research Journals
ISSN 2315-7267
Review
Self concept and academic achievement of Kashmiri
and Pakthooni students
Shabir Ahmad Bhat
Faculty of Education, University of Kashmir, India. showkat80ahmad@gmail.com. Tel: +919906442010.
Accepted 14 September 2012
The study was conducted to examine the self concept and academic achievement of two ethnic groups
viz; Kashmiri and Pakhtooni. The sample for the study consisted of 100 secondary school students (50
Kashmiri and 50 Pakhtooni). The investigator used Sagar Sharma Self Concept Inventory to collect the
data. The data collected was subjected to various statistical treatments like mean, S.D. and t-test. After
analyzing the data it has been found that Kashmiri students possessed better self concept and
academic achievement than the Pakhtooni students.
Key words: Self concept, academic achievement, Kashmiri, Pakhtooni, students.
INTRODUCTION
The world has entered in a phase of history of which
changes are an essential feature, but change that is
radically different from that experienced in the past.
Beyond the geopolitical and political upheavals of the last
ten years or so which have profoundly altered the
international political seen, this change is civilizational in
scope. Everything is changing. The very nature of work is
changing with the intellectual element continuously
increasing while the manual element decreases. This
change leads to a change in the need for skills in the
different categories of the working population, and
creates a need for occupational and social mobility and
lifelong education and training
The evaluation of society has been amazing and has
proceeded by many steps. From the agricultural society
to industrialization, the post industrial society, the
information society, and last the knowledge society. The
interacting control for people has changed dramatically.
From the village to the nation, to the continent, to the
whole world, that characterizes the knowledge society.
Education has assumed a place of paramount
importance in modem society which is becoming more
scientific and technological. It is now regarded as a
potent instrument of rapid and effective development
through which the standard of a people, their prosperity
and security can be considerably improved.
Light is to darkness and knowledge is to ignorance.
Education brings knowledge and it is a necessary part of
human development. A society is known for development
by the level of education of the people. Social order is
possible through understanding the dynamics of sociopolitical
frame of a society that can be reflected by
education. Economic growth due to scientific and
technological advancements and industrial development
and agricultural abundance is possible with education.
Self-concept also called self-construction, selfidentity
or self-Perspective is a multi-dimensional
construct that refers to an individual's perception of "self"
in relation to any number of characteristics, such as
academics (and nonacademic’s), gender roles and
sexuality, racial identity, and many others. Each of these
characteristics is a research domain (i.e. Academic Self-
Concept) within the larger spectrum of self-concept
although no characteristics exist in isolation as one’s selfconcept
is a collection of beliefs about oneself. While
closely related with self-concept clarity (which "refers to
the extent to which self-knowledge is clearly and
confidently defined, internally consistent, and temporally
stable"), it presupposes but is distinguishable from selfawareness,
which is simply an individual's awareness of
their self. It is also more general than self-esteem, which
is the purely evaluative element of the self-concept.
The self-concept is an internal model which comprises
self-assessments. Features assessed include but are not
limited to: personality, skills and abilities, occupation(s)
and hobbies, physical characteristics, etc. For example,

75 Wudpecker J. Edu. Res.
the statement "I am lazy" is a self-assessment that
contributes to the self-concept. However, the statement "I
am tired" would not be part of someone's self-concept,
since being tired is a temporary state and a more
objective judgment. A person's self-concept may change
with time as reassessment occurs, which in extreme
cases can lead to identity crises.
The Afghans came to the valley of Kashmir 200 - 250
years ago. A sizeable number of them came to India
before and during the Mughal rule and entered Kashmir
during time of Ahmad Shah Durrani, around A. D. 1753.
They belong to various clans and had settled in different
parts of the valley. The prominent Afghan clans of the
present day, Kashmir are Yousuf Zai, Khankal, Afridi,
Swati Malik, Durrani and Qais. They are popularly known
as Khans by the local population, but they prefer to be
known as Pakhtoons. Over a period of time, various
batches of Immigrant Afghans settled in the upper
reaches of the valley of Kashmir with a view to occupy
the virgin lands with abundance of water. Now the Afghan
settlements have grown in size and have become fullfledged
state subjects since 1947. The Afghans
(Pakhtoons), especially in rural areas, still maintain their
indigenous identity.
The Afghans (Pakhtoons) initially came to Kashmir
during the time of Ahmad Shah Durraini, and thereafter
in batches due to intertribal feudes in their home land
creating insecure conditions. Later on it was Maharaja
Gulab Singh, the Ruler of Kashmir, who offered them
employment, opportunities, especially for guarding the
frontiers and granted them land and Jagirs and allowed
them to settle in colonies of their choice.
Objectives of the study
The following objectives has been formulated for the
present investigation.
1. To study Self-Concept of Kashmiri and Pakhtooni
students.
2. To study the Academic Achievement of Kashmiri
and Pakhtooni Students.
3. To Compare Kashmiri and Pakhtooni Students
on self concept.
4. To compare Kashmiri and Pakhtooni Students on
academic achievement.
Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were formulated for the present
investigation.
1. There is significant difference between Kashmiri
and Pakhtooni Students on Self-Concept.
2. There is significant difference between Kashmiri
and Pakhtooni Students on Academic Achievement.
Sample
The sample for the present study consisted of 100 secondary
school students (50 Kashmiri and 50 Pakhtooni) selected
randomly from the different schools of district Ganderbal (Table
1).
TOOLS USED
The data for the present study was collected with the help
of the self concept inventory (Real Self and Ideal Self) by
Sagar and Sharma.
PROCEDURE
In order to collect the information the investigator visited
various secondary school students of district Ganderbal. The
investigator administered mental health battery to 100
students (50 Kashmiri and 50 Pakhtooni students) pursuing
their education in different schools of district Ganderbal to
assess their self concept and academic achievement.
The academic achievement of previous two years of the
sample subjects were collected from the official
records of the respective schools.
Statistical treatment
The data collected was subjected to the following
statistical treatment.
Mean, S.D, t-test.
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA
The table 1.1 shows the mean comparison of Kashmiri
and Pakhtooni school students on Ideal self dimension of
self concept inventory. The calculated t-value (3.37) is
greater than the tabulated t-value at 0.01 level of
significance, which depicts that there is significance
difference between Kashmiri and Pakhtooni students on
Ideal self of Self concept inventory. The above result
clarifies that Kashmiri students have better Ideal self
than Pakhtooni Students
The table 1.2 shows the mean comparison of Kashmiri
and Pakhtooni school students on real self dimension of
self concept inventory. The calculated t-value (4.5) is
greater than the tabulated t-value at 0.01 level of
significance, which depicts that there is significance
difference between Kashmiri and Pakhtooni students on
Real self of Self concept inventory. The above result
clarifies that Kashmiri students have better Real self than
Pakhtooni Students.
Table 1.3 shows the mean comparison of Kashmiri and
Pakhtooni school students on Self Concept inventory.
The calculated t-value (3.94) is greater than the tabulated

169
168
167
166
165
164
163
162
Table 1:The breakup of the sample are as under:
Group N Total
Kashmiri Students 50 50
Pakhtooni Students 50 50
Total 100
Table 1.1: Showing the mean comparison of Kashmiri and Pakhtooni
Students on Ideal Self Dimension of Self concept (N= 50 in each group).
Group
Kashmiri
Pakhtooni
N
50
50
Mean
165
162
S.D
5.4
3.2
t- value
3.37
Level of Significance
Significant at 0.01 Level
Table 1.2: Showing the mean comparison of Kashmiri and Pakhtooni
Students on Real Self Dimension of Self concept Inventory (N= 50 in each
group).
Group
Kashmiri
Pakhtooni
N
50
50
Mean
167
163
S.D
4.47
4.40
t- value
4.5
Level of Significance
Significant at 0.01 Level
Table 1.3: Showing the mean comparison of Kashmiri and Pakhtooni
Students on Self concept (N= 50 in each group).
Group
Kashmiri
Pakhtooni
N
50
50
168
Mean
168
164.5
S.D
4.816
4.024
Figure 1. Mean comparison on self concept.
t- value
3.94
Level of Significance
Significant at 0.01 Level
164.5
Kashmiri Pakhtooni
Mean
Bhat 76

77 Wudpecker J. Edu. Res.
Table 1.4: Showing the mean comparison of Kashmiri and Pakhtooni
students on academic Achievement (N= 50 in each group).
Group
Kashmiri
Pakhtooni
N
50
50
Mean
57.06
46.01
S.D
7.8
6.25
t-value
7.81
Figure 2. Mean comparison on academic achivement.
t-value at 0.01 level of significance, which depicts that
there is significance difference between Kashmiri and
Pakhtooni students on Self Concept Inventory. The
above result clarifies that Kashmiri students have better
Self Concept than Pakhtooni Students.
In the light of above results, the hypotheses No. 1
which reads as “There is significant difference between
Kashmiri and Pakhtooni students on self concept” stands
accepted. (Figure 1)
The table 1.4 shows the mean comparison of Kashmiri
and Pakhtooni students on academic achievement. The
calculated t- value (7.81) is greater than the tabulated t-
value and the difference was found to be significant at
0.01 level. The above table revels that the Kashmiri
students show better academic achievement than the
Pakhtooni Students.
In light of the above discussion, the hypotheses No.2
which reads as, “There is a significant difference between
Kashmiri and Pakhtooni students on Academic
achievement” stands accepted. (Figure 2).
MAJOR FINDINGS
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
57.06
The following are some of the conclusions drawn from the
present study.
Level of significance
0.01 Level
46.01
Kashmiri Pakhtooni
1. It has been found that Kashmiri and Pakhtooni
students differ significantly on ideal self dimension of Self
Concept inventory. The Kashmiri students were found to have
better ideal self than the Pakhtooni students.
2. It has been found that Kashmiri and Pakhtooni
students differ significantly on real self dimension of Self
Concept Inventory. The Kashmiri students were found to have
better real self than Pakhtooni students.
3. It has been found that Kashmiri and Pakhtooni
students differ significantly on overall dimensions of Self
Concept Inventory. The Kashmiri students were found have
better self concept than the Pakhtooni students.
4. It has been found that Kashmiri and Pakhtooni
students differ significant on academic achievement.
Kashmiri secondary students were found to have better
academic achievement than Pakhtooni students.
REFERENCES
Mean
Agarwal A (2002). Study of Relationship of Academic Achievements of
Boys and Girls with Self-Concept and Level of Aspiration, Indian J.
Edu. Res., 21: 75-76.
Anderson (2004). Psychology of Physically Handicapped children, Lond
MacMilan.
Bala M (1995). A Comparative Study of self concept of Deaf Children.
Cited in Fourth Survey of Research in Education, New Delhi, NCERT.
Banui Kuotsu (1992). A study of the Value’s of College Students in

Nagaland in Relation to their Self-concept, fifth survey of Educational
Research; New Delhi, NCERT.
Bhargava M, Shah MA (1971). Manual for Level of Aspiration, National
Psychological Corporation – Agra.
Borg WR, Call MD (1979). Study of Self-concept and Level of Aspiration
of Handicapped Children Educational Research – An Introduction:
New York. Longman Co. 444-470.
Kumthekar M (2004). A Comparative Analysis of Physically Challenged
and Normal College going Students on Self-concept and Mental
Health, Journal of Health Management, Vol. 7, No. 424.
Metha, (2007) Academic Achievement. In Neil Davison (Ed). General
Psychology (6 th Edition), New Delhi: Tata McGrawhill pp 538-39.
Nirmani Mohammad, Tavakko Mousazadeh Comparative study of Selfesteem
and Self-concept of Handicapped and Normal Students. J.
Behaioural Psychol., 9: 308.
Peterson R (2001). A Study of Self Concept, Stress and Level of
Aspiration of Handicapped and Normal Teenagers in Newzealand. J.
Behavoural Psychol., 3: 325.
R. K. & Sharma, S. (2004) A Study of Level of Aspiration Academic
Achievement and Self-concept of Secondary School Students in
Eastern Zone of Nagaland, Current Research Journal, Vol. 18, No.
414.
Rainer, S. & Martin, P. (2000) A Study of Self-Concept, Stress and
Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in West Zone
of Assam, Journal of International Psychology, Vol. 2, No. 168.
Rakish Chandra & Kabire Koul (2006) Comparative Analysis of Visually
Impaired and Orthopedically Handicapped Children on Academic
Performance, Level of Education, Level of Aspiration in Northern
Assam. Cited in 3 rd Survey of Research on Education, New Delhi
NCERT.
Bhat 78
Ratan, Lal Munpreet, Koul (2001) Comparative Study of Self Concept,
Level of Aspiration and Mental Health of Hearing Impaired and
Visually Impaired Youth in Eastern Punjab. National. Journal of
Psychology, Vol. 7, No. 305.
Reyes, O. (1999) Career Aspirations of Urban, Mexican American
Adolescent Females. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, Vol.
21, No.3, 366-382, DOI: 10.1177/0738913010, SAGE Publications.
Rohiee Jan, (2001) Parentally Accepted and Rejected Girls Children in
relation to their Adjustment, Self Concept and Academic
Achievement. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Education university
of Kashmir.
Shukla, S. & Ausman, M. (2003) Comparative Analysis of Hearing
Impaired and Visually Impaired Children in Academic Potential and
its Relation with Self Concept in U. P. Journal of Applied Research in
Education, Vol. 35, No., 22.
Trow, (2004) Academic Achievement. In Dandapani (Ed.). A Text Book
of Advanced Educational Psychology (2 nd Edition), New Delhi:
Atlantic Publishers pp 434.
Verma, B. P. (1998) Personality Traits and need as Correlates of
Academic Achievement. Indian, Journal of Psychology and Education
1998, 29 (1).
Virginice Maclaren Murry Haight (2007) Level of Aspiration in Relation
to Physical Self, Real Self and Ideal Self Among Lame and Visually
Impaired Students in Vietnam. International Journal of Psychology,
Vol. 6 th , No. 5.