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SELF-CONCEPT AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS: A FOCUS AMONG UTM

FINAL YEAR TESL STUDENTS

ATIRAH IZZAH BINTI CHE ABAS

A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements

for the award of the degree of

Bachelor of Science with Education (TESL)

Faculty of Education

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

APRIL 2009

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To my beloved mama and papa Thank you so much for the unconditional love

And endless support

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

In completing this undergraduate project, there are many people that provide me

with never-ending support and guidance. I would like to express my sincerest

appreciation to these people.

Firstly, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Azizah

Rajab for providing me with endless helps, ideas, materials and motivation in order to

complete this project. I am also thankful to my examiners, Mr. Affendi Hashim and Ms.

Yasmin Hanafi Zaid for helping me to improve my research through their helpful

advices and suggestions.

I am also indebted to my fellow classmates for being cooperative during the data

collection as well as for providing me with continuous support and motivation. Last but

not least, I am also grateful to my family members especially my father, Che Abas Che

Ismail for his understanding, love and faith in me. Not to be forgotten, I would also like

to express my sincerest appreciation to my best friend, Mahfuzah Rafek for her endless

love and encouragement. In all, without these people, it will be difficult for me to

complete this project successfully.

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ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were to identify the levels of communication skills

and the levels of self-concept among the UTM final year TESL students as well as to

identify the relationship between these two variables. The scope of the communication

skills was based on the skills evident during the MUET speaking examination. Five

components were used for the self-concept variables namely physical self, moral-ethical

self, personal self, family self and lastly social self. The sample consisted of 33 final

year TESL students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia where two instruments were

used to measure their levels of communication skills and their levels of self-concept.

MUET speaking skill scores were used to measure the respondents’ levels of

communication skills while Tennessee Self-Concept Scale Test (1965) was used to

measure their levels of self-concept. A number of statistical analyses were employed in

order to analyze the data including descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and Pearson

correlation. From this research it was found that the majority of the final year TESL

students possess high level of communication skills and high level of self-concept. The

Pearson correlation revealed that there was no significant correlation between the

respondents’ self-concept and communication skills. In conclusion, this research

investigates the influence of self-concept in the final year TESL students’

communication skills.

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ABSTRAK

Tujuan penyelidikan ini dijalankan adalah untuk mengenalpasti tahap kemahiran

komunikasi dan tahap konsep kendiri dikalangan pelajar tahun akhir jurusan TESL di

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Penyelidikan ini juga dijalankan bagi mengenalpasti

hubungan di antara dua pemboleh ubah ini. Bagi kemahiran komunikasi, skop

penyelidikan adalah tertakluk kepada kemahiran komunikasi yang diuji ketika

peperiksaan lisan MUET. Bagi konsep kendiri, komponen yang terlibat ialah fizikal,

moral, pesonaliti, keluarga dan juga sosial. Sampel yang terlibat terdiri daripada 33

orang pelajar tahun akhir dari jurusan TESL. Dua alat penyelidikan digunakan iaitu

markah ujian lisan MUET dan juga Tennessee Self-Concept Scale Test (1965). Bagi

mengenalpasti tahap kemahiran komunikasi pelajar, markah ujian lisan MUET telah

digunakan dan bagi mengenalpasti tahap konsep kendiri pelajar Tennessee Self-Concept

Scale Test telah digunakan. Beberapa kaedah analisis statistik telah digunakan bagi

menganalisis data antaranya ialah statistik diskriptif, Pearson correlation dan ujian

ANOVA satu hala.Melalui analisis yang dijalankan, didapati kebanyakan pelajar tahun

akhir jurusan TESL dari UTM memiliki tahap komunikasi yang cemerlang dan juga

tahap konsep kendiri yang tinggi. Walaubagaimanapun, didapati tidak terdapat

perhubungan yang signifikan di antara konsep kendiri dan kemahiran komunikasi pelajar

tahun akhir jurusan TESL. Kesimpulannya, penyelidikan ini menyiasat tentang pengaruh

konsep kendiri terhadap tahap komunikasi pelajar tahun akhir jurusan TESL.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

DECLARATION ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv

ABSTRACT v

ABSTRAK vi

TABLE OF CONTENT vii

LIST OF TABLE xii

LIST OF CHART xv

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background Problem 3

1.2 Problem Statement 5

1.3 Objective 7

1.4 Research Question 8

1.5 Significance of Study 8

1.6 Scope of Research

1.6.1 Self-Concept 10

1.6.2 Communication Skills 11

1.6.3 Final Year TESL students 11

1.7 Definition of Concept

1.7.1 Self-Concept 12

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CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

1.7.2 Communication Skills 13

1.7.3 Final Year TESL students 13

1.8 Conclusion 14

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction 15

2.1 Definition of Communication 15

2.2 Model of Communication 16

2.3 Types of Communication 21

2.4 Qualities of Competent Communicator 24

2.5 Communication and MUET 27

2.6 Self-Concept 29

2.7 Components of Self-Concept based on

The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale Test 33

2.8 Perception and Self-Concept 39

2.9 Self-Concept and Communication 42

2.10 Previous Research 44

2.11 Conclusion 47

CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction 49

3.1 Research Design 49

3.2 Sample 51

3.3 Instrument 53

3.4 Test Procedure 56

3.5 Data Analysis 57

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CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

3.6 Conclusion 60

CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS

4.0 Introduction 61

4.1 Respondents’ Background

4.1.1 No. of Respondents based

On Gender 61

4.1.2 Age of Respondents 62

4.2 Levels of Communication Skills

4.2.1 Band in MUET 63

4.2.2 Percentage of Respondents based

on Levels of Communication Skills 63

4.3 Levels of Self-Concept

4.3.1 Percentage of Respondents based on

the Levels of Self-Concept 64

4.3.2 Total Mean Value for Respondents’

Answers in Physical Self 65


Answers in Moral-Ethical Self 66


Answers in Personal Self 67


Answers in Family Self 68


Answers in Social Self 69

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CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

4.3.7 Total Mean Value according to the

Different Components 70

4.3.8 Total Mean Value for Self-Criticism 70

4.3.9 One-Way ANOVA: Self-Concept and

Components 71

4.4 Self-Concept and Communication Skills

4.4.1 One-Way ANOVA: Communication

Skills and Components of Self-Concept 72

4.4.2 Cross-tabulation: Self-Concept and

Communication Skills 73

4.4.3 Pearson Correlation: Self-Concept and


CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSION

5.0 Introduction 75

5.1 Levels of Communication Skills

5.1.1 MUET Band 75

5.1.2 Levels of Communication Skills

Based on MUET Speaking Skill

Scores 77

5.2 Levels of Self-Concept

5.2.1 Respondents’ Levels of Self-

Concept 80

5.2.2 Components of Self-Concept 82

5.2.3 Openness to Criticism 86

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CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

5.2.4 Self-Concept and Components 87

5.3 Self-Concept and Communication

Skills

5.3.1 Communication Skills and

Components of Self-Concept 90

5.3.2 Self-Concept and Communication

Skills 92

CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION AND LIMITATION

6.0 Introduction 96

6.1 Conclusion 96

6.2 Limitation 98

CHAPTER SEVEN RECOMMENDATION

7.0 Introduction 100

7.1 Recommendation

7.1.1 Future Research 100

7.1.2 Faculty 101

7.1.3 Students 102

REFERENCES 104

APPENDICES 108

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LIST OF TABLE

No. of Table Title Page

2.0 MUET Band Description

(Malaysian Examination Council) 28

3.0 Levels of Self-Concept 50

3.1 Levels of MUET Speaking Skill Scores

(Communication Skills) 51

3.2 Components of Self-Concept based on

Tennessee Self-Concept Scale Test 58

3.3 Likert Scale used for the Tennessee

Self-Concept Scale Test 58

4.1.1 Number of Respondents based on

Gender 61

4.1.2 Age of Respondents 62

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4.2.1 Band in MUET 63

4.2.2 The Percentage of Respondents based on

the Level of Communication Skills 63

4.3.1 The Percentage of Respondents based

on the Level of Self-Concept 64


Answers in Physical Self 65


Answers in Moral Ethical Self 66


Answers in Personal Self 67


Answers in Family Self 68


Answers in Social Self 69

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4.3.7 Total Mean Value according to the 70

Different Components

4.3.8 Total Mean Value for Self-Criticism 70

4.3.9 One-Way ANOVA: Self-Concept

and Components 71

4.4.1 One-Way ANOVA: Communication

Skills and Components of Self-Concept 72

4.4.2 Cross-tabulation: Self-Concept and


4.4.3 Pearson Correlation: Self-Concept and


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LIST OF CHART

No. of Chart Title Page

2.0 Model of Communication 17

2.1 Hierarchy of Self-Concept 32

2.2 Cyclic Process of Communication and

Self-Concept 43

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Everyday we are engaged in communication with different people around us.

Communication serves different purposes such as for conveying information,

instruction, persuasion and entertainment (Wahlstrom, 1992). According to Wood

(1997: 17) communication is “… a systematic process in which individuals interact with

and through symbols to create and interpret meanings.” Successful communication

happens when both interacting individuals are able to create and interpret meanings

between themselves that serves the purpose of conveying either information, instruction,

persuasion or entertainment. Effective communication occurs when the communication

between the individuals is considered successful. Effective communication is very

crucial in our lives as stated by Tubbs and Moss (2003:22) “effectiveness in

communication was one of the most important skills in achieving a successful and

fulfilling life…”

In order to communicate well, we must consider the factors that influence our

communication ability. Communication is very much related to the notion of self-

concept. According to Purkey (1988) taken from Azizi (2008:2), self-concept is defined

as “the totality of a complex, organized and dynamic system of learned beliefs, attitudes

and opinions that each person holds to be true about his or her personal existence.” Self-

concept determines how we see ourselves as it gives us a picture of who we are as

individuals with our own unique characteristics. This picture influences the way we

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behave in society and most importantly it influences our communication with other

people.

Communication and self-concept are very much related to one another as they

affect each other. According to Wahlstrom (1992:46) “self-concepts are developed

through communication. Self-knowledge is not something we are born with; we have to

obtain it by observing ourselves and by observing others’ behaviour with respect to us.

When we interact with other people, we present ourselves to them…Their responses to

our messages either support or conflict with the self we have presented.” Therefore,

through the socialization and communication process that we have with the people

around us especially the ones closest to us such as family, friends and teachers, we

develop the overall understanding of who we are as individuals that eventually becomes

our self-concept.

On the other hand, according to Verderber (1975:34) “…much of your

communication ability depends upon your self-concept.” This implies that our ability to

interact with other people either verbally or non-verbally is influenced by our perception

of ourselves or our self-concept. Self-concept determines whether we are able to

communicate effectively with other people or not.

From here, we can gather that the relationship between self-concept and

communication represents chicken-and-egg nature where as stated by Adler (1991:32)

“…significant others in the past, help to govern your present behaviour, and influences

the way others view you.” This shows that through the experience of communication

that we have with people around us, we develop a certain self-concept which in turn

influences the way we interact or communicate with other people. Therefore, we can say

that the relationship between self-concept and communication skills is very concrete that

in order to improve either one of the aspects the other aspect needs to be taken into

consideration.

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As a conclusion, the need to communicate effectively is very important as

communication is the process where two parties exchange meanings to fulfill different

purposes. Therefore lack of effectiveness in communication process will lead to many

problems. However it is important to bear in mind that communication and self-concept

are very close to one another as they strongly influence each other. Therefore, in order to

improve our communication skills, the notion of self-concept has to be taken into

consideration as it plays a very important role in determining the quality of our

communication.

1.1 Problem Background

There are a few problems arise regarding to communication abilities. One of

them is speech anxiety. Speech anxiety is a common phenomenon where as stated by

Zimbardo (1977: 13) “between 80 to 93 percent of all people feel some communication

anxiety and 15 to 20 percent of all college students have high levels of communication

anxiety.” In most cases, anxiety is situational where as stated by Rosenfeld and Berko

(1990), people could feel anxious when put in certain situation such as giving speech or

explaining a theory in front of an audience.

According to Seiler (1996), speech anxiety is the fear of speaking in front of an

audience or a group of people. The reason behind it is very much related to the

experience that an individual has. Seiler (1996: 284) stated that “most speech anxiety

begins at an early age as a result of negative feedback in the home. For example,

children who are not encouraged to communicate or are punished for doing so, are likely

to learn that communication is undesirable and that silence is beneficial.” This is very

much related to the notion of self-concept as the feedback that we receive from others

very much influences our self-concept as stated by Seiler (1996: 66) “what and how we

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communicate with others and the reactions of others toward us help develop our self-

image and self-esteem, both of which ultimately make up our self-concept.” Therefore,

we can conclude here that poor self-concept could be one of the causes of speech

anxiety.

In classroom, communication is the medium where the information and

instruction are conveyed to the students. This is emphasized by a statement from Adler

(1991:13) that “communication is the means of learning important information in

school.” According to Wahlstrom (1992) there are four functions of communication

which are for the purposes of conveying information, instruction, persuasion and

entertainment. In teaching and learning process the first two functions which are to

convey information and instruction are the most significant ones. Besides that parallel to

the definition of communication by Tubbs and Moss (2003:8) stating that

communication is “the sharing of experience”, teachers manipulate their communication

ability to share their experiences in terms of knowledge and facts that are meaningful to

the students. Consequently the ability to communicate well is very crucial for teachers in

order to ensure the success of the teaching and learning process in classroom.

In Malaysian classroom, generally students still depend on teachers as source of

information. Teachers have to hold the responsibility of delivering informative speeches

to the students. According to Zeuschner (2003:90) “… the goal of informative speeches

is to convey information, and to do so clearly and accurately.” Consequently, it is crucial

that the teachers are very good in their communication with the students. However,

according to Wood (1997: 316) “…teachers who have taught for years usually feel

tension before meeting a class.” Teachers with speech anxiety could hamper the teaching

and learning process in classroom. Therefore, it is best if this kind of problem could be

avoided since anxiety can be treated. Rosenfeld and Berko (1990:126) stated that

“communication anxiety is curable because it hinges on perceptions, which can be

altered.”

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As for the final year TESL students, anxiety could be one of the main problems

in classroom communication compared to experienced teachers. Therefore, it is crucial

for them to fix this problem as early as possible and this can be done effectively through

improving their self-concept. As emphasized by Zeuschner (2003:111), “communication

apprehension is tied closely to self-concept…” Consequently, final year TESL students

should improve their self-concept in order to be better teachers.

In all, this is the reason why the relationship between self-concept and

communication skills is investigated since communication skills are very important for

teachers to perform well in classroom and having high self-concept could help the

teachers to achieve them. This research helps to give an insight on how self-concept can

improve an individual’s communication skills and thus provides a lot of benefits for

future teachers.

1.2 Problem Statement

This research investigates the relationship between a target group’s self-concept

and its communication skills measured through the MUET speaking skills results.

Self-concept and communication skills are dependent on each other. According

to Seiler (1996:65) “self-concept is determined by our experiences and communication

with others…” On the other hand Seiler (1996:76) has also stated that “our self-concept

affects everything we do, especially our communication with others.” This proves the

interrelated relationship between self-concept and communication skills.

According to Wilmot (1987:61) “each person’s view of himself affects his as

well as his partner’s behaviour.” Moreover, Seiler (1996) also stressed that our self-

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concept influences our behaviour or how we present ourselves in front of people. Our

behaviour will in turn influence our style of communication with other people. Style of

communication is defined as “… the way a person interacts verbally and non-verbally

with others or how individuals portray themselves through their communication.”

(Seiler, 1996:77) Every individual has his or her own style of communication and

different style of communication has different impact on the effectiveness of the

communication.

In teaching profession, communication becomes the medium to convey

information and instruction to the students. Through the process of communication in

classroom, students gain the knowledge as well as important information from the

teachers. Communication also affects the smoothness of the lesson as communication is

the medium where instruction is conveyed. Through communication teacher can take

control of the class and ensure that the teaching and learning process takes part

smoothly. Therefore, communication is a very important element in teaching and

learning process. Since self-concept very much influences communication, this study

has focused on the relationship between these two elements. This is done so that

teachers’ communication skills could be improved through their self-concept. By having

healthy self-concept, teachers should be able to improve their ability in communication

which will eventually improve their effectiveness in teaching.

As for UTM final year TESL students who will be teachers in future, they need

to be aware of the influence of self-concept in their communication ability. This is

because, through this awareness, they can improve their self-concept so they will be able

to communicate effectively with their students. As emphasized by Seiler (1996:77) “it is

generally agreed upon scholars that those with high self-concepts function better in

interpersonal situations than do those with low self-concepts.” It is the nature of

teacher’s work to be frequently engaged with interpersonal situations with their students

for example while giving them information, explanation, instruction and many more.

Therefore, having high self-concept will provide a lot of benefits for teachers in

improving the quality of their communication and consequently the effectiveness of their

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lesson will also be upgraded. Moreover, considering their lack of experience and

exposure in classroom, communication anxiety could be one of the barriers that hinder

them in producing effective lesson. Therefore, it is best if they are well prepared

particularly in the aspect of self-concept so that the issue of communication skills is not

a problem in classroom.

In all, the crucial role that communication plays in teaching and learning process

makes it very important for teachers particularly future teachers to improve their

communication ability. Since self-concept plays a significant role in communication

ability, teachers need to have healthy self-concept in order to ensure the effectiveness of

teaching and learning process.

1.3 Objectives

Since the main concern of this research is to investigate the relationship between

self-concept and communication skills, there are a few objectives to be achieved. The

objectives are:

1. to identify the levels of UTM final year TESL students’ communication skills

through their MUET speaking examination scores.

2. to identify the levels of self-concept among the UTM final year TESL students.

3. to identify the relationship between the final year TESL students’ levels of self-

concept with their performance in MUET speaking examination (communication

skills).

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1.4 Research Question

This research focuses on finding the relationship between self-concept and

communication skills among final year TESL students in UTM. The purpose is to

investigate the influence of a person’s self-concept to his communication ability. The

questions explored are:

1. What are the levels of communication skills among the UTM final year TESL

students?

2. What are the levels of self-concept among the UTM final year TESL students?

3. What is the relationship between the levels of self-concept among the UTM final

year TESL students with their communication skills?

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