Effects of the Learning Environment of Higher Education on Developing Students’ Self-Concept

The purpose of the presented study was to examine the effects of the learning environment of higher education on developing students’ self-concept. It was an experimental study and the experiment was done in a master level class of a public sector university. A pre-test post-test non-equivalent design was adopted. For this purpose the experiment was carried out in the Master’s degree course in education. The students were pre-tested and post-tested on self-concept questionnaires. Findings showed that there were differences in the students’ mean scores in pre-test and post-test. We can observe that in all dimensions of self-concept questionnaires, e.g. likability, morality, task accomplishment, giftedness, power and vulnerability, the students had lower mean scores when they entered the classroom on the very first day, as pre-test was administered on the very first day of the students’ entrance in the classroom. It is again obvious that students get higher mean scores in each dimension of the self-concept scale in posttest. It means that as posttest was administered at the end of semester, it was found that various classroom activities, like group discussions, oral presentations, buzz sessions, library research, and writing assignments, are helpful for developing self-concepts in students of the higher education level. Findings showed that there were gender differences in some dimensions of self-concept, i.e. females had higher mean scores in morality, task accomplishment and giftedness. Therefore, it was concluded that gender differences were found in the development of self-concept among students where females were found competent in morality, task accomplishment, and giftedness. As the sampling was purposive and convenient and the students already registered in the class were observed in the study and students of other semesters of the Master Sufiana K. Malik, Allah Bakhsh Malik Pakistan level were not involved in the presented study. As there is no hard rule for seats of males and females, rather whoever wants can seek admission in Master level programs, if he/she fulfills the basic criteria of admission, e.g. basic qualifications, qualifying written test and qualifying interview. By chance in the year 2010, there were enrolled only two males in the Master’s degree in education. It is obvious that students of the 3rd and especially 4th birth order have very low mean scores in each dimension of self-concept as compared to students of the 1st and 2ⁿd birth order. Students of the 1st birth order have higher mean scores in the dimension of likability, task accomplishment, power and giftedness. Whereas students of the 2ⁿd birth order have the same mean scores in morality task accomplishment as students of the 1st birth order, but they have higher mean scores in the vulnerability dimension. Students of the 2ⁿd and 3rd order have the same mean scores in power. On the whole, we can say that students’ birth order also affects the development of self-concept among them. Generally, it has been observed that parents give more importance to their first born children. Therefore, it was concluded that students’ birth order has an effect on the development of self-concept in them. However, the education process has its importance as we observe in the presented study, students of the 2ⁿd and 3rd birth order have higher mean scores in the vulnerability dimension and students having the 2ⁿd and 3rd birth order have higher mean scores in morality as compared to first birth order students.