Prediction of High School Students’ Life Satisfaction and Academic Performance Based on Locus of Control and Self-Esteem

Abstract

<strong>Background:</strong> Psychological factors are among the most influential parameters in education. Among these effective traits, personal features centering around the self, have been of utmost importance specially in one's future of education and psychological well-being. Due to their critical period of life in terms of cognitive development, teenagers are subject to considerable academic and mental transformation at school. <strong>Objectives:</strong> The aim of the present study was to predict life satisfaction and academic performance based on locus of control and self-esteem among school students. <strong>Patients and Methods:</strong> Overall, 315 high school first-grade students (143 girls and 172 boys) were chosen from an Iranian city using random cluster sampling and responded to three scales of self-esteem (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965), locus of control (SCS; Ingels et al. 1992) and brief multi-dimensional students Life satisfaction scale (BMSLSS; Seligson, Huebner et al. 2003). Moreover, academic performance was measured via the students' total score average in the second semester of 2014 - 2015 academic year. <strong>Results:</strong> Using Pearson's correlation coefficients and multi-variate analysis (stepwise regression method), the data analysis indicated that locus of control and self-esteem have a positive relationship with life satisfaction and predict twenty-five percent of variance changes of the variable. In addition, the results showed that the variables of locus of control and self-esteem have a positive and significant relationship with academic achievement and these two variables characterize eleven percent of the academic achievement variance changes. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> In conclusion, the findings of this study revealed that locus of control and self-esteem play crucial roles in developing students' life satisfaction and academic performance.