An elementary school teacher can strongly influence students’ development of…

Academic self-concept — a student's belief in their own ability to learn and succeed academically — develops largely through the feedback children receive from significant adults, especially teachers. When a teacher consistently reinforces autonomy (making one's own choices) and initiative (attempting tasks independently), it signals competence and worth to the student, which is the core mechanism by which academic self-concept is built.

In this item, rewarding autonomy and initiative means the teacher notices when a student tries something on their own and responds with encouragement. This repeated positive feedback tells the student that independent effort is valued and capable of producing good outcomes, which directly strengthens a confident academic self-concept.

• Keeping very low expectations from all students communicates that the teacher does not believe students are capable, which lowers rather than raises self-concept.

• Punishing autonomy and initiative teaches a student that acting independently invites disapproval, which suppresses confidence and discourages future attempts.

• Keeping very low expectations from special students carries the same discouraging signal as blanket low expectations, and can be especially damaging for learners who most need balanced, confidence-building support.

Because only the consistent reinforcement of autonomy and initiative builds this confidence, rewarding autonomy and initiative in students is how a teacher strengthens students' academic self-concept.