The Subtle Sound of Learning: What Are the Roles of the Self-esteem, Decision-Making, and Social Skills in Adolescents' Academic Performance?

Many researchers have analyzed the relationship among self-esteem, decision-making, and interpersonal behavior in Italian adolescents. However, the purpose of those studies was to determine if adolescents with high or low academic performance present different levels of self-esteem, decision-making, and interpersonal behavior. One hundred students, equally divided into two groups (high vs. low academic performance), were selected. They were asked to fill out self-analyzing questionnaires in order to estimate their perceptions of their self-esteem, decision-making styles, and social abilities. As expected, low academic performance was associated with lower self-esteem and lower decision-making abilities, while students with high academic performance showed higher self-esteem and more functional decision-making styles. Sample characteristics did not allow to generalize the results; however, data analysis confirmed the necessity to organize education training for teachers that could be useful to increase not only academic competences but also individual competences, which seem to be closely linked together.