PERCEPTIONS OF COMPETENCE: A STUDY WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The objective of this study was to investigate how children (96 children from elementary public school) perceived their competence in the different domains of human behavior. The Perceived Competence Scale (HARTER, 1985) was used. The results suggested that: (1) older children showed lower levels of perceived competence; (2) boys and girls perceived competence in the different domains were similar; (3) cognitive perceptions of competence were lower in older children as well as in children that repeated school year; e, (4) the lower perceptions of cognitive competence appears have no effect in the perceptions of competence in the others domains. keywords: Perception. Competency-based education. Children.