SELF ESTEEM OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: A GENDER PERSPECTIVE

Self- esteem is a feeling of self-appreciation and is an indispensable emotion for people to adapt to the society and live
their lives. For adolescents in particular environment in which they are raised contributes profoundly to the
development of their self-esteem. The paper aims to compare the self- esteem of secondary school students of SSC and
CBSE board. The total sample consisted of 400 students (192 girls and 208 boys) respectively. The statistical technique
used for the study was t- test. The methodology of the study was of descriptive method of comparative type. The
sampling technique used was simple random sampling.
It is imperative to keep a tab on the self -esteem of adolescents in schools as that forms the basis to their mental health,
character and personality as mature adults. The researcher attempts to acquire a clearer picture of the sense of self
appreciation and self-esteem the youngsters of this generation across various boards possess. The findings of the
study were that there is a gender wise significant difference between the self- esteem of boys and girls of SSC and
CBSE board. The girls of SSC board possess a higher level of self- esteem as compared to girls of CBSE board and
The self- esteem of SSC boys is high as compared to boys of CBSE board. Self-esteem is important because higher selfesteem
is associated with high efficiency, academic achievements, high and accurate decision-making skills, greater
ability to work in groups, while self- esteem is one of the major repairing force behind any damage caused.