Dynamic growth models of academic achievement and self-esteem in South Korean adolescents

In this study I examined the developmental trajectories over time of relationships between academic achievement and self-esteem in South Korean adolescents. The participants were 3,449 adolescents (1,725 boys, 1,724 girls) who were annually assessed from grade 8 (Mage = 13.78, SD = 0.42 at wave 1) in 2003 to grade 12 in 2007. Latent growth models were quadratic for trajectories of change in academic achievement from grade 8 to grade 12 and linear for self-esteem. Higher initial levels of academic achievement predicted accelerated rates of change in self-esteem over time. Additionally, the slope of academic achievement was positively related to the growth rate of self-esteem. The findings are discussed in a cultural context.