The Structure of Academic Self-Concepts Revisited The Nested Marsh/Shavelson Model

The nested Marsh/Shavelson (NMS) model integrates structural characteristics of academic self-concepts that have proved empirically incompatible in previous studies Specifically It conceives of academic self concepts to be subject specific strongly separated across domains and hierarchically organized with general academic self-concept at the top of the hierarchy In Part 1 of the present study data from a representative sample of eighth graders (N = 4 847) from Luxembourg showed that the NMS model captures the structure of self-concepts in six core subjects In Part 2 the NMS model was integrated into a longitudinal extended internal/external frame of reference model The developmental dynamics between general and subject specific achievement as measured in Grade 6 and the corresponding academic self concepts in Grade 8 were examined with data from a subsample of students (N = 3 045) Given its theoretical and empirical bases the NMS model has clear potential to guide future research on academic self-concepts