Self-Concept and Middle School Students with Learning Disabilities: A Comparison of Scholastic Competence Subgroups

Three subgroups of middle school-age students with learning disabilities were formed on the basis of their self-reported ratings on the Scholastic Competence subscale of Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Children. Findings indicated significant differences between the low and both the medium and the high subgroup on three measures: internal locus of control for positive events, school attitudes, and global self-worth. Notably, the subgroups did not differ in the areas of socioeconomic status, intelligence, achievement, grades, age at classification, and extent of participation in special education. Hence, the most commonly regarded markers of school success were not found to be associated with differing scholastic competence subgroups for students with learning disabilities. Findings are interpreted as supporting the compensatory hypothesis for positive self-concept development among students with learning disabilities.