Does School Experience Kill Confidence? Chosen Aspects of Students’ Feelings and Beliefs about Themselves over a Number of Years of Education

Abstract

achievements and mental health. Experiencing stress and anxiety is common for young people of school age from all over the world. Previous experiences have significant influence on children’s self-efficacy and their self-confidence. Students’ school experiences are the main subject of this text. This article presents results of longitudinal studies among children from primary school. In 2016 a questionnaire was distributed among children in 2nd and 3rd grade (N=82). In 2019 the same survey was conducted among the same children in 4th and 5th grade (N=82). After several years of education students declare higher levels of stress and anxiety and lower levels of self-confidence and beliefs in their abilities in situations when they are evaluated at the board. Results of the research disclose a disquieting tendency in school experience.