Revisiting the Relationship Between Students' Achievement and their Self-perceptions: A cross-national analysis based on TIMSS 1999 data

Using the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 data, this study investigates the relationship between 8th graders' mathematics and science achievement and their self-perceptions. For within-country data, there is generally a positive relationship between students' achievement and three measures of their self-perception: how much they like the two subjects, their self-perceived competence in the subjects and their perceived easiness of the subjects. However, on a between-country analysis (the unit of analysis being the country) the findings are the opposite, i.e. there is a negative relationship between self-perceptions and achievement. These findings are consistent with the findings from a previous study based on TIMSS 1995 data, even though the sample of countries is different and an additional measure of self-perception is applied. Among several possible explanations, the author suggests that this pattern may reflect high academic standards in high performing countries and low academic standards in low performing countries.