Prediction of academic engagement Based on Self-Efficacy and Academic Self-handicapping in Medical Students

Academic engagement as a basis for reformist efforts in the field of education is very important in achieving learning experience so that indirectly guarantees students' academic achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to predict academic engagement based on self-efficacy and academic self-handicapping of medical students. This is a descriptive- correlation research. The statistical population consisted of all students of medical, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, health and paramedical sciences of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences who were studying in the academic year of 2017-18. The sample size was 369 subjects (212 girls and 157 boys) based on Krejcie and Morgan tables and were selected by stratified sampling method. The tools  were used included Shafley et al. (1996) academic engagement questionnaires, academic self-efficacy McIlroy and Bunting (2001), and schwinger& stiensmeier-pelster academic self- handicapping (2010).Data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation Coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and independent t-test through SPSS. The results showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between self-efficacy and academic engagement among male and female (male p<0.05, female p<0.001)    but there was a negative and significant relationship between academic self-handicapping with academic engagement (p<0.05). The results of multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that self-efficacy and self-handicapping variables among girls were 14% and among boys self-efficacy and academic  self-handicapping together 12% of variance in academic engagement Predicted. On the other hand, the results of independent T-test showed that there was a significant difference between academic engagement and self-efficacy among male and female students, so that academic engagement (P<0.01) and self-efficacy (P<0.001) among girls were higher than Of boys, but there was no significant difference between girls and boys in terms of academic handicapping. The results of this study showed that there is a positive relationship between  self-efficacy and academic engagement among girls and boys, and academic self-efficacy has a negative relationship with academic engagement. On the other hand, academic engagement and  self-efficacy among girls are more than boys but there was no difference between them in terms of self-handicapping. The results of this research can help planners and implementers of higher education to adopt appropriate educational policies in order to engage students in academic studies and the factors affecting it.