Self-Concept and Self-Esteem Relationship among College Students During COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Areas of Jammu Division

Abstract

Background: The disruption of the education system during COVID-19 impacted students' self-perception, as they faced increased isolation, academic challenges, and heightened stress. Aim: To investigate the relationship between self-concept and self-esteem in college students engaged in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: A cross-sectional, observational study design was adopted. A balanced sample of 200 undergraduate students (100 male, 100 female) from rural areas of Jammu colleges was randomly selected to represent the population. The study employed two standardized questionnaires: the Self-Esteem Scale by Dr Santhosh Dhar and Dr Upinder Dhar, and the Self-Concept Cum Rating Scale by R.K. Saraswat, which assesses self-concept. Result: A Pearson correlation value of 0.655 indicates a significant positive association between self-concept (SC) and self-esteem (SE), according to the correlation study. This association, which is significant at the 0.01 level (p =.000), suggests that SC tends to rise along with an increase in SE. With 200 participants in the study, the results have a strong foundation. The dependability of the observed connection is reinforced by the significance of the correlation (p < 0.01), which suggests that there is very little probability of this link happening by coincidence. This robust positive correlation points to a significant relationship between the two variables and implies that the same things affecting SC may also affect SE. Conclusion: The study's findings reveal a significant positive correlation (r = 0.655, p < 0.01) between SE and SC, suggesting that factors influencing SE also impact SC.