Abstract
The work reported in this Thesis investigates relationships between academic achievement, emotion and self-concept among Arabic-speaking Kuwaiti children. The literature (based mainly on English language cohorts) has argued for the existence of a link between learning disabilities and negative emotion. The present research sought to discover whether similar relationships occur within an Arabic cultural/language context and if they are mediated by self-concept. Two Studies were conducted testing children drawn from grades 4 to 7 of Kuwaiti Government schools (over 200 children in each Study). Educational achievement was measured by literacy and mathematics ability. Emotion and self-concept were assessed by Arabic language questionnaires focusing on self-esteem, self-efficacy, anxiety and locus of control. Evidence supported the existence of a relationship between poor academic achievement and negative affect. In Study 1, achievement levels, particularly spelling, were related to self-esteem, but not anxiety or locus of control; although the negative emotion/low achievement association was influenced by locus of control in that only those with neither a high internal nor high external locus showed this relationship. Additionally, those weak in more than one curriculum area were likely to show lower self-esteem than those weak in one area only. In Study 2, the relationship between self-esteem and spelling was again identified, though this focused on academic and, particularly, social aspects of self-esteem, not physical self-esteem. These relationships were not moderated by self-efficacy or short-term and longterm memory. Conclusions derived from this Arabic cohort were similar to those identified from studies of Western background children, though differences in locus of control and social self-esteem effects suggest an Arabic cultural influence. The findings have implications for the consequences of poor educational outcome and should inform the field about the potential effects for children across different cultural/language backgrounds.