Longitudinal analysis of the impact of middle school students' self-concept on creativity and learning motivation using the latent growth model (LGM)

Abstract

Objectives This study sought to find ways to improve policies through a longitudinal analysis of the impact of middle school students' self-concept on creativity and learning motivation using the latent growth model (LGM). Methods For this purpose, data on middle school students from the 2nd to 4th years (2019-2021, Panel 2) of the Jeonnam Education Longitudinal Study (JELS) were used for analysis, and self-concept was selected as an independent variable and creativity and learning motivation were selected as dependent variables in the potential growth model. This panel data (JELS) is a 10-year follow-up survey targeting 2,199 students (Panel 1) in 4th grade elementary school from 2018 and 2,549 students in 1st middle school (Panel 2) from 2019. Among the data (Panel 2) for a total of 75 schools, including 58 general middle school schools and 13 innovative schools, starting in 2019, 1,625 students, excluding missing values, were analyzed as final data. Results The main research results are as follows. First, the average self-concept, creativity, and learning motivation of middle school students was around 3 points for self-concept and creativity, and around 2 points for learning motivation, with learning motivation being the lowest. Second, there was a positive correlation between each variable. Third, middle school students' self-concept, creativity, and learning motivation showed a gradual decrease in change over time, and there were individual differences in the initial values of each variable. Fourth, self-concept and creativity showed group differences in initial values depending on gender, but the differences disappeared over time. It is predicted that there will be individual and group differences in learning motivation both at the initial value and over time. Fifth, the initial value and rate of change of self-concept only had a direct effect on the initial value and rate of change of creativity, and the initial value and rate of change of creativity only had a direct effect on the rate of change of learning motivation. Sixth, the initial value and rate of change of creativity had a positive mediating effect on the initial value and rate of change of self-concept and the initial value and rate of change of learning motivation. Learning motivation, which is essential for academic achievement, is highly correlated with and greatly influenced by self-concept and creativity, and the pattern of change shows a trajectory of gradual decline over time. Conclusions Therefore, it is believed that creativity and learning motivation will improve if self-concept is established and improved.