Abstract:

This study examines the impact of grade retention on the academic performance and self-esteem of the students. A two-phase panel study was designed to collect quantitative data. The students of grade four in public schools of Rawalpindi city were taken as the study sample. Initially, this sample was divided into two main groups, i.e. identified poor performers and the normal group of students. After annual examinations, the former group was further divided in two subgroups on the basis of results, i.e. Repeaters Sample and Identified Poor but Promoted Sample. The data was collected before annual examination and at the end of second term in the successive academic year. The data related to academic performance was collected by locally developed tests of the five subjects taught in grade four of the public schools of the Punjab. The self-esteem of the students was measured through Urdu translation of Beck Youth Inventory for Self-Concept of Children (BSCI-Y). A series of analysis were performed with quantitative data to analyze the variations in academic performance and self-esteem of all the three groups.

The findings of the study suggested that there was significant positive impact of grade retention on the academic performance of the repeaters, whereas the impact on self-esteem was found considerably negative. However, the academic performance of the repeaters was not significantly greater than those of the identified poor but promoted group and the normal sample.

Keywords:

Grade retention, academic performance, self-esteem, public schools.