Self-Image and Educational Aspirations in the Development Town and Its Rural Suburbs / דימוי עצמי ושאיפות השכלה בעיר פיתוח ובפרבריה הכפריים

Previous studies done on large and representative samples of teenagers have not found any independent influence of self-image on the level of educational aspirations. We urgue that such influence may be found in specific societies, which, in fact, are communal enclaves. The social and communal separation of these groups and their low and homogeneous status may raise the importance of self-image as a personal source for developing aspirations among teenagers in the community. Development towns in Israel, where the separation of Oriental Jews of a comparatively low economic class is apparent, are a good example of communities of this kind. In this study we have examined the influence of self-image on the aspirations of all 204 eighth grade pupils in one development town. These pupils are partly citizens of the development town and partly citizens of the moshavim in the surrounding areas. The analysis shows that self-image (measured by the Rosenberg scale) has a strong separate influence on the aspirations of the pupils from the development town as regards their course of study in high school and attaining the matriculation certificate. Nevertheless, self-image has no influence on the educational aspirations of the parallel pupils from the moshavim. This paper points to the need for further research of this kind among teenagers in societies that are communal enclaves so that teaching curricula may be developed that will help realize the hidden potential in self-image for raising the educational achievements of teenagers in development towns and other communal enclaves.