Esteem Needs and Atudents' Academic Achievements
The self-esteem of individuals is how they feel or perceive themselves and how people think about them are included in the fourth level of the hierarchy of human needs. Students in learning places desired to achieve competence, gain approval and gain recognition from others (Huitt, 2004). In the research regarding the effect of cooperative learning on students’ self-esteem, Khan (2008) found that cooperative learning enhanced the reading and writing skills necessary for the achievements of the students at the elementary level. 

Findings revealed that the relevance of cooperative learning in enhancing self-esteem was based on the assumption that students in cooperative learning performed the roles that were essential to the completion of group work. The students possessed the information and resources which were crucial for their teams thus interactions among the team members promoted their psychosocial adjustment as the individual effort of every student was encouraged and supported in order to achieve the group success.

High or low self-esteem of students is also an outcome of the socio-economic status of parents as Mustapha and Mustapha (1997) in their research found significant differences among the students regarding self-esteem and the factors affecting academic achievement. Students of two types of schools were compared and a significant difference was found in the family environment and academic achievement. The results indicated that different socialization processes, parental care, and encouragement, experiences, and opportunities for smooth nurturing differently develop students’ attitudes and levels of motivation to enhance academic achievement. 

A significant difference was found in the levels of self-esteem of students with respect to their parents’ educational and occupational status which indicated that highly educated parents with productive occupational status provide facilities and opportunities to their children for a smooth physical and academic growth which foster academic achievement of students in a classroom climate. Sletta, Valas, Skaalvik, and Sobstad (1996) found in their research study that the students who are lonely in schools have lower self-esteem and receive fewer choices in a socio-metric tool; for example, choosing a friend in the class and have more negative perceptions of their social behaviors. 

Than the students who are not lonely. The study confirmed that the one-sided experience of loneliness strongly affects self-esteem and perceptions of social competence. Midgett, Ryan, Adams, and Smith (2002) in a study found that school efforts to enhance self-esteem maximize the academic achievements of the students effectively when parents’ support and children’s motivation and general cognitive skills are taken into consideration. Students’ achievements are raised by ensuring esteem needs which include approval, recognition, and respect from parents, teachers, and colleagues.

References

Huitt, W. (2001). Humanism and open education. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta,
GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved May 12, 2009, from http://chiron.voldasta.edu/whuitt/col/affsys/humed.html

Midget, J., Ryan, B. A., Adams, G. R., & Smith, J. C. (2002). Complicating achievement and self-
esteem: Considering the joint effects of child characteristics and parent-child interactions. Contemporary educational psychology, 27, 132-143.

Mustapha, N., & Mustapha, N. A. (1997). Socio-economic status, self-esteem, and common entrance exam results. Educational practice and theory, 19(2), 73-83.

Slatta, O., Valas, H., Skaalvik, E., & Sobstad, F. (1996). Peer relations, loneliness, and self- 
perceptions in school-aged children. British journal of educational psychology, 66, 431-445.