Abstract
The main purpose of the current research was to determine the relationship between academic optimism and academic engagement with the mediating role of goal orientation and academic identity of students in secondary girls' schools in Abbas Abad city. This research was applicable in terms of purpose, and correlative based on structural equation in terms of method. The statistical population of girls' secondary schools in Abbas Abad city in the academic year of 2021-2022 was 2023 people, among which. 201 people were selected as a statistical sample by cluster random sampling method. Data collection tools included Elliot and McGregor's (2001) goal orientation questionnaires, Eschenmenuran (2013) academic optimism, Zarang (2013) academic engagement, and Vaz and Isaacson's (2008) academic identity. The general structure of the research questionnaires has been subject to construct validity by the confirmatory factor analysis, and the validity of the questionnaires has been well evaluated and confirmed. Data analysis was done by structural equations or by Lizerel software. The results showed that academic optimism has a positive and significant relationship with goal orientation, academic identity and academic engagement of students. Goal orientation and academic identity have a relationship with students' academic engagement. Research findings indicate that goal orientation and academic identity have played a mediating role in the relationship between academic optimism and students' academic engagement.
Extended abstract
Introduction
The type of goal setting of students is effective in their academic status. A goal is something that a person strives to achieve, and it is not considered a goal until energy and effort are spent to achieve it (Tuominen et al, 2020). Teachers and counselors must observe the students' behavior and make inferences about their motivation to know what motivates them students. One type of inference that can be made about the students' perception is the goals they adopt for studying and then adjust and adapt the amount of efforts to achieve those goals (Balali, 2017). Academic optimism as a latent construct consists of three completely correlated concepts: knowledge self-efficacy, emphasis on student learning, and students' and parents' trust in school. Students can learn and have a positive academic performance. The characteristic of academic optimism can be investigated at the individual level (Kulophas et al, 2015).
One of the important motivating factors in academic success is academic engagement. Academic engagement provides a clear picture of students' academic progress and failure and is considered as the primary model for academic progress and failure. Considering the importance of academic engagement, researchers and educators are eager to gain a deeper understanding of the factors affecting academic engagement. Students' academic engagement is influenced by different intrapersonal and extrapersonal factors (Ramezani, 2016). Findlow (2012) considers academic identity to be the most important factor in academic performance and motivation to progress. Academic identity can be considered as a effective personal factor in predicting academic procrastination (Samimi et al, 2017). Academic identity is the process of each person's conscious response to their academic situation; whether they should study or not. In this research, an attempt is made to answer the question of whether there is a relationship between academic optimism and academic engagement with the mediating role of goal orientation and academic identity of female students.
Theoretical Framework
Student engagement in academic affairs is an important and vital factor for progress and success. In fact, the desire to progress and improve students' learning increases interest in academic engagement. Academic engagement provides a clear picture of students' academic progress and failure and is considered as the primary model for academic progress and failure (Zhen et al, 2020).The identity variable is one of the personality dimensions that plays an important role in academic performance. According to Ericson (1958), school provides an opportunity to help a person in life choices and the formation of a stable identity and provides a framework for making decisions and solving problems and dealing with everyday problems (Murphy & Wibberley, 2017).Academic optimism is the teacher's positive belief that it is possible to make a difference in students' performance, by emphasizing education and learning, by trusting parents and students for their cooperation in the education process. and believing in one's capacity and ability to overcome problems and react to failure with flexibility and perseverance (Ahmadi Baneh Sardar, 2017).Goal orientation shows a different behavioral framework that affects cognition, emotion and behavior. This theory assumes that learners engage in educational activities to fulfill different goals. These goals may be improving and promoting competence, proving competence and avoiding proving incompetence (Balali, 2017).
Skaalvik,(2020) conducted a research titled "Teachers' perception of goal orientation with students' enthusiasm for school: the moderating role of academic performance" among secondary school students in Tajikistan public schools. The results of the research showed that teachers' perception of goal orientation and academic performance has a significant relationship with students' enthusiasm for school.
Mishoe )2020) conducted a research titled "Relationship between academic optimism and academic success" among primary female students in public schools in the Caribbean. The research results showed that academic optimism has a positive and significant relationship with students' academic success.
Methodology
The research method is descriptive-correlative in nature, and practical in terms of purpose. The statistical population of the research was made up of 2023 students of the first and second secondary girls' schools of Abbas Abad city in the academic year of 2021-2022. Due to the large size of the statistical population, one school was randomly selected from each educational level and one class from each grade was selected from each school, with a total of 201 students. Therefore, the random cluster sampling method was used.In order to collect data related to the variable of academic identity from Vaz and Isaacson (2008) questionnaire, the variable of goal orientation from the questionnaire of Elliott and McGregor (2001), the variable of academic optimism from the questionnaire of Eschenmenoran (2013), and the variable of academic engagement from the questionnaire of Zarang (2012) was used.
Discussion and Results
SPSS and LISREL software were used to investigate the research hypothesis and data analysis, and based on the findings, it was determined that there is a positive and significant relationship between academic optimism and students' goal orientation. Based on the findings, it was found that there is a positive and significant relationship between academic optimism and students' academic identity. Based on the findings, it was found that there is a positive and significant relationship between goal orientation and students' academic engagement. Based on the findings, it was found that there is a positive and significant relationship between academic identity and students' academic involvement. Based on the findings, it was found that there is a positive and significant relationship between academic optimism and students' academic engagement. Based on the findings, it was found that goal orientation and academic identity play a mediating role in the relationship between academic optimism and academic engagement.
Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of the relationship between academic optimism and academic engagement with the mediating role of goal orientation and academic identity of students in girls' secondary schools in Abbas Abad city. The results of this research are consistent with the findings of Behzadi Yamin (2018), Gargari & Gholaami (2016), Robayo-Tamayo etal (2020), and Skaalvik (2020). In the explanation of this finding, it can be said that when students are busy solving their class problems with their classmates, they are confident about their learning and that of their other friends, so that if a question is presented without learning, they can make it comprehensible for both themselves and other students as soon as possible. (Tran et al, 2017). In such a situation, when the students know themselves in their academic tasks with sufficient and autonomy, they understand themselves better and engage themselves with the goals and assignments and as a result, they succeed in education. In addition, in this case, they will have the necessary satisfaction about their learning. In fact, when students consider themselves efficient and put their homework under their control, their internal motivation for academic homework increases (Rahimi & Farhadi, 2017).It is suggested to teachers to, for the success of students, consider the rewards that students like. Not to wait until the academic drop happens and then praise the success, also try to prioritize the students' experiences to be interesting for them, increase their initial sense of success and self-confidence. On the other hand, they should periodically test their students and analyze their academic progress and finally take effective measures to solve their problems and their motivational and academic learning obstacles.