Definition
A person's internal sense of their own value and competence, which influences how readily they accept instruction, admit gaps in knowledge, and engage with new learning. In the instructional context, a learner's self-worth affects motivation, willingness to ask questions, and tolerance for the discomfort of being a beginner.
Plain English
How much value a person places on themselves. A student who feels good about themselves is more open to learning; a student who feels low about themselves may struggle to take in new information or admit when they don't understand something.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor and student communication, especially when discussing how the receiver responds to feedback or correction.
Derivation
From 'self' (one's own person) and 'worth' (value). The compound has been in English use since the 1600s to mean the value a person assigns to their own being. The derivation is straightforward and supports the everyday sense.
Why Pilots Care
Damaged self-worth reduces a student's willingness to continue training and increases the chance they will quit before completing their certificate.
Intuition Check
Self-worth does not mean ego, pride, or thinking you are always right. Here it means the student’s basic sense that they are capable of learning and still valued after correction.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor framed the debrief carefully so that pointing out errors did not damage the student's self-worth.
Example Sentence 2
Protecting self-worth during early lessons helps keep the student engaged through the more difficult phases of training.