Develop a causal model of academic performance based on intelligence beliefs and cognitive flexibility in ninth grade students

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch - Tehran - Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch - Tehran - Iran

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a causal model of academic performance based on intelligence beliefs and cognitive flexibility in ninth grade students. The research method was correlation with structural equation model. The statistical population was all male and female students in the ninth grade of Tehran in the academic year of 2018-2019 that 450 (218 boys, 217 girls) students were selected as a sample using multi-stage cluster random sampling. The research instruments were Dartaj (2004) Academic Performance, intelligence beliefs Questionnaire, Abdolfattah & Yetis (2006), and Denise and Wonderwell (2010) Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire. In order to analyze the data, statistical methods of correlation coefficient and structural equations were used. The results obtained in this study indicate that the amount of multiple correlation coefficient between variables in the present study is R = 0.590 and the square of the correlation coefficient between variables is R2 = 0.348, which shows a significant correlation with an average rate between predictor and criterion variables. Findings indicated that according to the good fit indices, the developed model has a good fit. It should be noted that in the hypothetical model, the effect of direct standard coefficient of IQ beliefs on academic performance (β = .461, P <.001) is significant, also the effect of standard path coefficient of cognitive flexibility on academic performance (β = .661, P <.001 ) Is meaningful. Therefore, both the variables of intelligence beliefs and cognitive flexibility have the power to explain the standard scores of academic performance.

Keywords