Extending the internal/external frame of reference model to social studies: Self-concept and achievement in history and politics

Abstract

Two studies with German secondary school students extend the internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model to multiple school subjects, by including history and politics as social studies subjects. Study 1 assessed students' self-concepts and achievements related to math, German, history, English (students' first foreign language), and physics. The cross-paths leading from history self-concept to math and verbal achievements and those leading from math and verbal achievements to history self-concept were non-significant arguing against the operation of dimensional comparison processes between math and verbal achievements in the formation of history selfconcept. Study 2 included measures for students' self-concepts and achievements in math, English, physics, and politics as well as a history achievement. Politics achievement and self-concept were unrelated to math, English, and physics achievements and self-concepts. History achievement was positively related with politics self-concept. This finding indicates dimensional comparison processes leading to assimilation effects within the domain of social studies.

The internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model: Extension to five school subjects and invariance across German secondary school ability tracks

“…In this case, the achievement-selfconcept relations across domains [i.e., between math (verbal) achievement and verbal (math) self-concept] are negative. A prominent extension of the original I/E model based on the GI/E model refers to its extension to multiple school subjects (Arens et al, 2016;Jansen et al, 2015;Marsh et al, 2014;Marsh, Lüdtke et al, 2015;Marsh & Yeung, 2001;Möller, Streblow, Pohlmann, & Köller, 2006;Niepel et al, 2014). In this case, the original I/E model including math and verbal achievements and self-concept was consistently replicated.…”

“…In addition, contrast effects have been observed between math-like and verbal-like achievement and self-concept measures, that is, between achievement and self-concept measures which are conceptually related to the math and verbal domains. For example, German students have been found to show negative relations (i.e., contrast effects) between English (a verbal-like domain related to German students' foreign language) and physics (a math-like domain) achievement and self-concept measures (Arens et al, 2016;Marsh, Lüdtke et al, 2015;Möller, Streblow, Pohlmann, & Köller, 2006). Therefore, contrast effects emerge between conceptually dissimilar subject domains (Helm, Müller-Kalthoff, Nagy, & Möller, 2016;).…”

“…Assimilation effects are assumed to exist between domains which are located close to each other on this continuum (Marsh, Lüdtke et al, 2015), and between domains that are perceived to be conceptually similar to each other (Helm et al, 2016;. Correspondingly, assimilation effects have consistently been demonstrated between math and physics achievements and self-concepts as two conceptually related (i.e., math-like) domains closely located near the math endpoint (Arens et al, 2016;Jansen et al, 2015;Marsh, Lüdtke et al, 2015;Möller, Streblow, Pohlmann, & Köller, 2006). Assimilation effects would also be expected between achievements and self-concepts related to different languages (e.g., native and non-native languages) as both domains are verbal-like and placed close to each other in the vicinity of the verbal endpoint of the academic self-concept continuum.…”

“…Recently, many studies have tested the generalizability of the I/E model across student characteristics (e.g., Marsh, Abduljabbar et al, 2015;. Another prominent line of research targets the extension of the I/E model to multiple school subjects (Arens et al, 2016;Jansen et al, Marsh et al, 2014;Marsh, Lüdtke et al, 2015;Marsh & Yeung, 2001;Möller, Streblow, Pohlmann, & Köller, 2006;Niepel et al, 2014). Combining these two contemporary lines of research, the present study examined whether the original I/E model and its extension to five school subjects are applicable to students attending different secondary school ability tracks.…”

“…While the original I/E model only involves math and verbal achievement and selfconcept measures, recent studies have extended the I/E model to multiple school subjects (Arens, Möller, & Watermann, 2016;Jansen, Schroeders, Lüdtke, & Marsh, 2015;Marsh et al, 2014;Marsh, Lüdtke et al, 2015;Marsh & Yeung, 2001;Möller, Streblow, Pohlmann, & Köller, 2006;Niepel, Brunner, & Preckel, 2014). Here, dimensional comparison processes were not only found to lead to negative cross-domain achievement-self-concept relations (i.e., contrast effects), but to also invoke positive cross-domain achievement-self-concept relations (i.e., assimilation effects).…”