The construction of academic self-concept: Parents and grades as sources of information

The present study examined the construction of students' academic self-concepts in math and German language. Effects of parental competence perceptions above and beyond grade effects are expected. Based on a longitudinal sample (time lag 1.5 years) of 1,019 German fifth-graders and their parents, structural equation models showed within- and cross-domain effects of grades and parental competence perceptions on students' mathematical academic self-concept. The verbal academic self-concept was shown to be based on German language grades only. Parental competence perceptions in both academic domains were mainly predicted by the students' grades in the academic subject. The domain-specific roles of the parental competence perceptions as independent sources of information for the construction of the students' academic self-concept are discussed. Moreover, the differential use of achievement-related information for the competence construction by students and parents is also discussed.