Achievement and Self-Concept Relation: An Evidence of the Adequacy of the I/E Model with a Short Version of the Self-Description Questionnaire-II among School Students in Oman

Due to the segregated nature of schools in Arab countries and the differential socialization of boys and girls, the Arab culture presents interesting aspects to explore. In the current research, we tested the generalizability of the social comparison and dimensional comparison theory among school boys and girls in Oman. A sample of 700 students (334 boys and 366 girls) with ages between 13 and 20 years old participated. Two subscales of the Self-Description Questionnaire-II (SDQII, short form) were used: Arabic and math self-concepts. Statistical procedures included confirmatory factor analysis, invariance tests, and path analysis using AMOS (v.23) and MANOVA. The results revealed positive paths between achievement and respective self-concept domains (external comparison), and negative paths between achievement and non-matching domain (internal comparison). Differences in achievement were observed for girls, although boys presented higher math self-concept. Overall, the propositions of the internal/external (I/E) frame of reference model were valid in the Omani society, although more studies, especially longitudinal and using nationally representative wide samples of Arab countries are recommended.