Self-Concept of Institutionalized and Non-Institutionalized Children in Mizoram

Abstract

The present study investigates the self-concept of institutionalized and non-institutionalized middle school students in Mizoram on various domains: physical, social, and educational dimensions. The sample consisted of 100 middle school children (50 institutionalized children and 50 non-institutionalized (family-reared) children). Data were collected from five middle schools that both groups attended using the self-concept scale developed by Saraswat (1984), which was revalidated through a pilot study. Purposive sampling was utilized to select the institutionalized children, while simple random sampling was employed for the selection of non-institutionalized children. The collected data was analyzed by employing descriptive and inferential statistics, including percentage, mean, standard deviation, and t-tests, to identify differences between the two groups. The study revealed no significant difference in the physical self-concept between the two groups; however, a significant difference was observed in the social and educational self-concepts of institutionalized and non-institutionalized children.