The Effectiveness of Self-Determination Skills Training on Academic Self-Concepts and Academic Self-Efficacy of Fifth Grade Students in Yasuj

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Numerous factors can affect students' academic achievement and lack of academic achievement. These include educational, family and psychological factors. Among the psychological characteristics of students, such as self-determination, self-efficacy and academic self-concept can be mentioned. In this study, we seek to investigate the effect of self-determination on academic self-concept and academic self-efficacy. Methods: The present study was quasi-experimental in terms of implementation method and pre-test-post-test with control group and is applied in terms of purpose. The statistical population of this study was all male students in the fifth grade of primary school in Yasuj. The sample size in this study was 30 people (15 people in the experimental group and 15 people in the control group). In this study, multi-stage cluster sampling method with simple randomization was used. Self-determination skills training was performed according to the training package based on the principles and elements of the model (Field and Hoffman, 1994) and its adaptation to the normal student sample. The Jenks and Morgan (1999) Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (ASCQ) and Liu and Wang (2005) Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire were used to collect data. Results: Findings of this study showed that self-determination skills training has an effect on academic self-concept and academic self-efficacy of fifth grade male students in Yasuj. Accordingly, there is a significant difference between the adjusted means of the variable scores of academic self-concept (academic effort, academic confidence) in terms of membership in experimental and control groups in the post-test stage, the effects of self-determination skills training reaches more than 0.692. Conclusion: At any educational level, students whose needs are better satisfied can better adjust themselves to the classroom and school and show a more favorable internalization adjustment in relation to school. Also, they will have more internal motivation compared to students whose needs are not met in school; therefore, it can be said that students' perception of their ability and competence affects their academic motivation and self-efficacy.