UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
Department of Early Childhood Education
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
LSK2601: Life Skills — Social and Per-
sonal Development in Foundation Phase
Assessment 2 — Year Module, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
LSK2601
Module Code:
Life Skills: Social and Personal Develop-
Module Name:
ment in Foundation Phase
Assessment / 2026
Assessment:
100
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for LSK2601 — UNISA 2026
,UNISA | LSK2601 Assessment
Question 1: Emotions, Self-Esteem and Supportive Response
Extract from Assessment Paper
During recess, eight-year-old Thato notices that her friend, Sam, is sitting alone on a bench
with his head down. Concerned, Thato approaches him and asks, “Are you okay, Sam?” Sam
hesitates but then quietly admits, “I feel sad because I didn’t do well on my math test. I studied
so hard, but I still got a low grade. Now I think I’m just not good at math.” Thato listens care-
fully and replies, “I’m sorry you’re feeling this way, Sam. But remember, one test doesn’t mean
you’re bad at math. We can study together for the next one, and maybe it’ll be easier if we work
on it together.” Sam looks up and gives a small smile. “Thanks, Thato. That would really help.”
1.1 Identify the emotions that Sam is experiencing in the scenario and explain how
these emotions might affect his behaviour and self-esteem.
Sam displays a cluster of related but distinguishable emotions. The most explicit is sadness,
stated directly in his words “I feel sad.” Underneath the sadness lies disappointment, produced
by the gap between the effort he invested (“I studied so hard”) and the outcome he received
(a low grade). A third emotion is frustration, arising from the sense that hard work did not
translate into the expected result. A fourth and pedagogically important emotion is discour-
agement bordering on shame, visible in his conclusion that he is “just not good at math.” This
statement is no longer about the single test; it is a global, stable, internal attribution of fail-
ure, which psychologists associate with helplessness rather than temporary disappointment
(Filippello et al., 2019, cited in Frontiers in Psychology, 2021). Finally, Sam shows social with-
drawal behaviour consistent with embarrassment: sitting alone with his head down is a non-
verbal signal of low mood and a wish to avoid being seen.
These emotions interact with Sam’s behaviour and self-esteem in several documented ways.
• Withdrawal and avoidance. Children who interpret failure as evidence of low ability
tend to disengage from the task rather than persist, because renewed effort feels pointless
if the perceived cause is a fixed personal deficit (Zeidner, 2014, cited in Pressbooks: Ed-
ucational Psychology for Academic Librarians, n.d.). Sam’s isolation at recess is an early
behavioural marker of this pattern.
• Erosion of academic self-concept. Repeated negative self-talk of the kind Sam dis-
plays reflects what has been called a fixed intelligence mindset, in which a student expe-
riences greater loss of self-esteem after failure because ability is viewed as unchangeable
Page 2 of 17
, UNISA | LSK2601 Assessment
rather than improvable through effort (cross-cultural mediation research on intelligence
mindset and self-esteem, 2022). Over time this can generalise from “I did badly on this
test” to “I am not a math person,” which supresses future motivation.
• Reduced academic engagement. Self-esteem and academic engagement are positively
related; when a setback lowers self-esteem, engagement, effort, and participation typically
fall with it, which can create a downward spiral of underperformance (Frontiers in Psy-
chology, 2021).
• Heightened emotional vulnerability. Children with lower self-esteem are less able to
buffer negative academic emotions such as anxiety and disappointment, making the next
test a source of dread rather than a neutral challenge (Frontiers in Psychology, 2021).
Key Distinction
Sam’s reaction shows the difference between a setback and an identity threat. A setback
is a single, situational event; an identity threat occurs when a child converts that event
into a statement about who they are (“I’m just not good at math”). Left unaddressed,
identity threats do far more damage to self-esteem than the original poor mark.
1.2 If you were in Thato’s position, suggest ways you could help Sam feel better and
regain his confidence in math.
The following strategies, several of which Thato has already begun intuitively, would help Sam
recover emotionally and rebuild academic confidence.
1. Validate the feeling before problem-solving. Thato’s opening response, acknowledg-
ing that Sam is allowed to feel sad, is developmentally appropriate. Emotional validation
reduces the intensity of distress and signals social support, which is itself a protective fac-
tor for self-esteem in middle childhood (Discover Education systematic review, 2025).
2. Separate the event from the identity. A helpful peer response gently challenges the
global attribution: “One test does not mean you are bad at math,” shifting Sam from a
fixed view of ability to a growth-oriented view in which competence can improve with ef-
fort and strategy.
3. Offer concrete, collaborative support rather than only sympathy. Proposing to
study together gives Sam an actionable next step, which restores a sense of control. Per-
ceived control and self-efficacy are strongly linked to a willingness to try again after failure
(Bandura, 1977, cited in Pressbooks, n.d.).
Page 3 of 17
Department of Early Childhood Education
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
LSK2601: Life Skills — Social and Per-
sonal Development in Foundation Phase
Assessment 2 — Year Module, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
LSK2601
Module Code:
Life Skills: Social and Personal Develop-
Module Name:
ment in Foundation Phase
Assessment / 2026
Assessment:
100
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for LSK2601 — UNISA 2026
,UNISA | LSK2601 Assessment
Question 1: Emotions, Self-Esteem and Supportive Response
Extract from Assessment Paper
During recess, eight-year-old Thato notices that her friend, Sam, is sitting alone on a bench
with his head down. Concerned, Thato approaches him and asks, “Are you okay, Sam?” Sam
hesitates but then quietly admits, “I feel sad because I didn’t do well on my math test. I studied
so hard, but I still got a low grade. Now I think I’m just not good at math.” Thato listens care-
fully and replies, “I’m sorry you’re feeling this way, Sam. But remember, one test doesn’t mean
you’re bad at math. We can study together for the next one, and maybe it’ll be easier if we work
on it together.” Sam looks up and gives a small smile. “Thanks, Thato. That would really help.”
1.1 Identify the emotions that Sam is experiencing in the scenario and explain how
these emotions might affect his behaviour and self-esteem.
Sam displays a cluster of related but distinguishable emotions. The most explicit is sadness,
stated directly in his words “I feel sad.” Underneath the sadness lies disappointment, produced
by the gap between the effort he invested (“I studied so hard”) and the outcome he received
(a low grade). A third emotion is frustration, arising from the sense that hard work did not
translate into the expected result. A fourth and pedagogically important emotion is discour-
agement bordering on shame, visible in his conclusion that he is “just not good at math.” This
statement is no longer about the single test; it is a global, stable, internal attribution of fail-
ure, which psychologists associate with helplessness rather than temporary disappointment
(Filippello et al., 2019, cited in Frontiers in Psychology, 2021). Finally, Sam shows social with-
drawal behaviour consistent with embarrassment: sitting alone with his head down is a non-
verbal signal of low mood and a wish to avoid being seen.
These emotions interact with Sam’s behaviour and self-esteem in several documented ways.
• Withdrawal and avoidance. Children who interpret failure as evidence of low ability
tend to disengage from the task rather than persist, because renewed effort feels pointless
if the perceived cause is a fixed personal deficit (Zeidner, 2014, cited in Pressbooks: Ed-
ucational Psychology for Academic Librarians, n.d.). Sam’s isolation at recess is an early
behavioural marker of this pattern.
• Erosion of academic self-concept. Repeated negative self-talk of the kind Sam dis-
plays reflects what has been called a fixed intelligence mindset, in which a student expe-
riences greater loss of self-esteem after failure because ability is viewed as unchangeable
Page 2 of 17
, UNISA | LSK2601 Assessment
rather than improvable through effort (cross-cultural mediation research on intelligence
mindset and self-esteem, 2022). Over time this can generalise from “I did badly on this
test” to “I am not a math person,” which supresses future motivation.
• Reduced academic engagement. Self-esteem and academic engagement are positively
related; when a setback lowers self-esteem, engagement, effort, and participation typically
fall with it, which can create a downward spiral of underperformance (Frontiers in Psy-
chology, 2021).
• Heightened emotional vulnerability. Children with lower self-esteem are less able to
buffer negative academic emotions such as anxiety and disappointment, making the next
test a source of dread rather than a neutral challenge (Frontiers in Psychology, 2021).
Key Distinction
Sam’s reaction shows the difference between a setback and an identity threat. A setback
is a single, situational event; an identity threat occurs when a child converts that event
into a statement about who they are (“I’m just not good at math”). Left unaddressed,
identity threats do far more damage to self-esteem than the original poor mark.
1.2 If you were in Thato’s position, suggest ways you could help Sam feel better and
regain his confidence in math.
The following strategies, several of which Thato has already begun intuitively, would help Sam
recover emotionally and rebuild academic confidence.
1. Validate the feeling before problem-solving. Thato’s opening response, acknowledg-
ing that Sam is allowed to feel sad, is developmentally appropriate. Emotional validation
reduces the intensity of distress and signals social support, which is itself a protective fac-
tor for self-esteem in middle childhood (Discover Education systematic review, 2025).
2. Separate the event from the identity. A helpful peer response gently challenges the
global attribution: “One test does not mean you are bad at math,” shifting Sam from a
fixed view of ability to a growth-oriented view in which competence can improve with ef-
fort and strategy.
3. Offer concrete, collaborative support rather than only sympathy. Proposing to
study together gives Sam an actionable next step, which restores a sense of control. Per-
ceived control and self-efficacy are strongly linked to a willingness to try again after failure
(Bandura, 1977, cited in Pressbooks, n.d.).
Page 3 of 17
