A study that showed that 46% of students surveyed did not want to go into the STEM field due to fear of failure (American Society of Quality). This study relates to the idea of students fearing failure due to low self esteem about their own success. Teachers and students may have different viewpoints about how self esteem connects with student’s fear of failure.

At Hazelwood West, there are many who have experience with students or who are students themselves who associate academics with self esteem. Jason Dinwiddie, an English I and II teacher and Etinosa Egharevba, a Freshman attending Hazelwood West High School, are both sources that have long-time experience with high preforming academics and the real experience of uncertainty with handling academic failure.  

 A parallel is seen between how a teacher and a student see the reaction of a failing test or assignment. Many people naturally would be upset with a failing grade, but those who hold a lot of their self-esteem in their grades are impacted way more.   

“High achieving students are used to success and when it doesn’t come easy, they do have a negative reaction,” Dinwiddie said.

“Most of the time I cry a lot but then I calm down because I retake the test or do better on the next one,” Egharevba said.

 The same parallel in the response  is shown  again when asked about the stress and worrying a high achieving student may go through.  Worrying is the biggest factor with being a high achieving student.  The heavy amounts of pressure and expectation is pushed with getting high scores and excessive amounts of work.  A student may put their best efforts but the responses they receive might dictate their future self  esteem.                                                                                                                                                           

“I think that they’re pushed a lot of times. You know for my students, my kids, we’re always checking on their grades and if you know that that pressure is there it’s gonna cause you to worry a little bit more,” Dinwiddie said.

“Yeah I stress a lot. I constantly check my Tyler Sis everyday, “ Egharevba said.

The thought process of achievingthe of high achieving can be complex. Student minds are constantly thinking about everything at once to be successful and prevent failure. The response with a question about  the  consistent thought pattern with high achieving studentsstudent. The teacher hashaving an outsiders point of view and a student’s insider point of view.  

“I think about whether I’mif I’m going to pass or fail,” Egharevba said.

“I think they want perfection and they want to know everything first instead before taking a risk,” Dinwiddie said.

High academic students work very hard in school. They try to achieve everything while being good at everything. If students with high academics can worry  less about failure. Their personal self esteem would be better allowing them to take more risks and accept failure.