SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF LOW-V AND HIGH-ABILITY ADOLESCENTS IN A CARIBBEANCONTEXT

This study investigated the self-perceptions of low- and high-ability adolescents in a rural community of Jamaica, West Indies. The particip ants were 95 low-ability and 100 high-ability students who were rigidl y tracked into two separate schools. The survey, How I See Myself and Feel About Myself was specifically designed for this investigation bec ause a review of instruments revealed that the content of previously p ublished surveys was not compatible with the Jamaican culture. Student responses from the developed survey were compared to the subscales of Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (Harter, 1988) and t o categories developed by the researchers. The effects of ability leve l and sex were also considered.