Promoting Self-Esteem in Primary School: A Pilot Pre–Post Study of an Educational Intervention in a Fifth-Grade Classroom

Authors

  • Jacopo Tevere Dipartimento di Scienze Formative, Psicologiche e della Comunicazione, Università Suor Orsola Benincasa, Napoli, Italia. Autore responsabile per la corrispondenza: jacopotevere0@gmail.com
  • Brigida Santoro Dipartimento di Scienze Formative, Psicologiche e della Comunicazione, Università Suor Orsola Benincasa, Napoli, Italia
  • Antonella Gritti Dipartimento di Scienze Formative, Psicologiche e della Comunicazione, Università Suor Orsola Benincasa, Napoli, Italia
  • Marzio Coppola Dipartimento di Scienze Formative, Psicologiche e della Comunicazione, Università Suor Orsola Benincasa, Napoli, Italia
  • Mario Iuliano Dipartimento di Scienze Formative, Psicologiche e della Comunicazione, Università Suor Orsola Benincasa, Napoli, Italia
  • Tiziana Salvati Dipartimento di Scienze Formative, Psicologiche e della Comunicazione, Università Suor Orsola Benincasa, Napoli, Italia

Keywords:

Self-esteem, Primary school, self-awareness, emotional education, classroom intervention

Abstract

This article explores, through a pre-post pilot study, the educational value of a structured pathway aimed at promoting self-esteem in primary school. Self-esteem is addressed as a core component of children’s emotional, social and academic development. We present a one-group pretest-posttest pilot study conducted within a structured educational pathway in a fifth-grade primary-school class (N= 19 students with complete data), with the aim of helping pupils reflect on themselves and recognize their own value. The six-phase intervention was carried out across the school year and included practical activities, guided reflection and group discussions, and was evaluated through a pre- and post-assessment using the Five-Scale Test of Self-Esteem for Children (Pope, McHale e Craighead, 1988), in its Italian adaptation (Cosa penso di me), complemented by qualitative observations and pupils' narratives collected throughout the process. After correction for multiple comparisons, paired-sample t tests showed statistically significant pre–post differences in four out of five self-esteem domains; the physical self-esteem scale showed a pattern requiring cautious interpretation. Exploratory descriptive analyses suggested different patterns across domains, with boys showing relatively larger changes in physical and academic self-esteem, and girls in the interpersonal domain. The findings are discussed in terms of pedagogical implications and the potential replicability of the proposed pathway.

 

doi: 10.53240/2026TOPIC5N3.152

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Published

2026-10-30

How to Cite

Tevere, J., Santoro, B., Gritti, A., Coppola, M., Iuliano, M., & Salvati, T. (2026). Promoting Self-Esteem in Primary School: A Pilot Pre–Post Study of an Educational Intervention in a Fifth-Grade Classroom. TOPIC - Temi Di Psicologia dell’Ordine Degli Psicologi Della Campania, 5(3). Retrieved from https://topic.oprc.it/index.php/topic/article/view/121

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 3 (2026): TOPIC - Temi di Psicologia dell’Ordine degli Psicologi della Campania

Section

Psicologia dello sviluppo

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