Extension of the Internal/External Frame of Reference Model of Self-Concept Formation: Importance of Native and Nonnative Languages for Chinese Students.

The internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model of self-concept formation was extended by relating Chinese, English, and mathematics achievement to Chinese, English, and mathematics self-concepts in a 5-year longitudinal study based on a large (N=9,482) representative sample of Hong Kong high school students. Tests of the I/E model are typically based on mathematics and English constructs for a single wave of data in Western countries. The research is extended to a non-Western country, testing its cross cultural generalizability and including native and nonnative languages as well as mathematics. Results supported the I/E model. Mathematics, English, and Chinese achievement were highly correlated, but mathematics, English, and Chinese self-concepts were nearly uncorrelated. Mathematics, English, and Chinese achievements each had positive effects on the matching of self-concept domain, but negative effects on non-matching domains. For example, English achievement had a positive effect on English self-concept, but negative effects on mathematics and Chinese self-concepts. These results were stable over time. (Contains 1 figure, 4 tables, and 35 references.) (Author/SLD)