| Summary: | The main purpose of this research was to determine whether the self-esteem and school performance (academic grades, scores in effort and conduct, attendance) of sixth grade students could be improved through exposure to ten weeks, 45 minutes per week, of a group guidance program. The curriculum was composed and designed by the researcher drawing from several sources (Simon, Howe, and Kirshenbaum, 1972; Simon, 1973; Anderson and Henner, 1972; Canfield and Wells, 1976). The emphasis of this treatment program was on improving students' self-esteem through the reflected appraisal of a significant other (guidance counselor) while engaging in activities that foster self-awareness. The data presented was collected using a sample of 96 sixth grade students (46 experimental and 50 control) from an upper middle class community in central New England. Subjects were randomly assigned by the school principal to either of the two treatment conditions. The control group participated in ten weeks, 90 minutes per week, of an introductory foreign language (French) program aimed at providing an enjoyable and successful foreign language experience to sixth grade students. All subjects were pretested and posttested using the Coopersmith (1967) Self Esteem Inventory. Performance scores were also collected for both groups before and after treatment. The results indicated that the measured level of self-esteem and school performance were not significantly enhanced as a result of the group guidance activities. Other relevant information gleaned from the results found that female students obtained a significantly lower level of measured self-esteem on the pretest and that their school performance scores were higher in every area and significantly higher (p < .05) in science, social studies and conduct on the posttest. Also female students in the experimental group showed a greater increase (more than 2 times greater) than the males in the experimental group or the male or female students in the control group. Finally, there were significant differences in the measured level of self-esteem and school performance associated with the students' level of instruction. Students in the top level obtained a significantly higher measured level of self-esteem and school performance than students in the lower levels.
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