Designing a Qualitative Model of Factors Influencing Academic Competence among Female Secondary School Students: A Thematic Analysis Study Based on Triangulation

Arghavan  Asgari; Faramarz Asanjarani; Mohammad Mehdi  Jahangiri

Authors

Arghavan Asgari Department of Psychology, Ar.C., Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2864-7071
Faramarz Asanjarani Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Education, Arak University, Arak, Iran. Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5589-3905
Mohammad Mehdi Jahangiri Department of Psychology, Ar.C., Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4821-2032

Keywords:

Academic competence, qualitative model, female students, secondary education, thematic analysis, triangulation

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to develop a context-sensitive qualitative model of the factors influencing the academic competence of female secondary school students in Arak, Iran, through the triangulation of perspectives from academic experts, experienced teachers, and documentary sources.

Methods and Materials: This qualitative study employed thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework. Participants included 14 academic experts in educational psychology, education, and school counseling and 20 experienced teachers with at least 10 years of successful teaching experience, selected through criterion-based and snowball sampling. In addition, three high-level educational policy documents and 42 credible scientific sources were reviewed. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and document analysis and were coded and analyzed using MAXQDA 2022. The trustworthiness of the findings was established through data-source triangulation and member checking.

Findings: The analysis generated 487 initial codes, 87 preliminary themes, 39 subthemes, 18 main themes, and four overarching dimensions. The individual dimension comprised academic motivation, learning self-regulation, academic self-efficacy, cognitive characteristics, affective-personality characteristics, and mental health. The educational dimension included classroom psychosocial climate, teachers’ instructional styles, curriculum quality, academic assessment, educational facilities and resources, and interpersonal relationships at school. The family dimension encompassed parenting style, family cultural capital, socioeconomic status, family academic support, and parental academic expectations. The social dimension included peer culture, gender stereotypes, media and cyberspace, and community social capital. Learning self-regulation and intrinsic motivation emerged as the most prominent factors. Triangulation indicated that seven main themes were shared across all three data sources, while member checking demonstrated an overall agreement rate of 95.6%.

Conclusion: The proposed model provides a comprehensive indigenous framework for understanding female students’ academic competence by integrating individual, educational, familial, and social determinants.

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