Long-term relations among perceived discrimination, self-esteem, and academic self-concept in adolescents with an immigrant background

Abstract Many adolescents with an immigration background report experiencing discrimination in their everyday lives, which can hinder their positive development. To better understand the impact of discrimination, this study investigates the associations between two types of perceived discrimination (personal and group) and the development of self-esteem and academic self-concept among students with an immigrant background in upper secondary schools in Germany. We examine a potential compensation effect of higher ethnic identity orientation with the country of origin. Four hundred twenty-two adolescents (52.5% female, M age = 16.41 at t3) participated in a longitudinal study (Grades 5, 10/11, 12). Structural equation modeling showed that, after controlling for student background and outcome variables in Grade 5, higher perceived personal discrimination in Grade 11 was associated with lower academic self-concept in Grade 12 but not with self-esteem, whereas perceived group discrimination in Grade 10 was unrelated to either outcome. Higher ethnic identity in Grade 12 did not moderate the effects of perceived discrimination and self-esteem and self-concept. Findings emphasize the adverse relation of discrimination on the development of self-esteem and academic self-concept among immigrant students in upper secondary schools, a group that remains underrepresented and often overlooked in educational research.