ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Descriptive & Survey Study

Authors

Safari   H. (1)
Jenaabadi   H. (2)
Salmabadi   M. (*)
Abasi   A. (3)






(*) Education Department, Psychology & Education Faculty, Farhangian University, Shahid Bahonar Pardis, Birjand, Iran
(1) Education Department, Psychology & Education Faculty, Farhangian University, Imam Sajad Pardis, Birjand, Iran
(2) Education Department, Psychology & Education Faculty, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
(3) Counseling Department, Psychology & Education Faculty, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

Correspondence

Article History

Received:  February  14, 2016
Accepted:  March 6, 2016
ePublished:  March 28, 2016

BRIEF TEXT


… [1-11] Known as an experienced ability, spiritual intelligence make the person able to achieve higher levels of knowledge and understanding, providing the grounds for advances in life [12]. … [13] Spiritual intelligence includes critical existential thinking, created personal meanings, higher knowledge, and expanded awareness [14].

The correlations between spiritual intelligence and the students’ academic functions [15], academic achievements [16], and exam anxiety [17] have been studied. … [18-20] In addition, the correlation between tenacity and academic achievement has been studied [21-23].

The aim of this study was to predict the academic engagement based on spiritual intelligence and psychological tenacity in the students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences.

This is a correlational descriptive study.

The students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences were studied in the academic year 2015-16.

165 students were selected based on Morgan’s table via stratified random sampling method.

Data was collected using spiritual intelligence scale, Ahvaz psychological tenacity scale, and academic engagement scale. Self-reporting spiritual intelligence scale includes 24 items assessing spiritual intelligence based on Likert’s five scales. The scale consists of four sub-scales including existential critical thinking, creating personal meaning, higher knowledge, and developing awareness mood [24]. … [25] The psychological tenacity scale (Ahvaz short form) includes 20 items each one containing four choices (never, seldom, sometimes, and usually). The validity of the scale is confirmed [26]. Based on Cronbach’s alpha method, total reliability was 0.69. The academic engagement scale includes 15 items assessing three sub-scales which are behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement [27]. Data was analyzed by SPSS 22 software. Pearson correlation coefficient and synchronous regression analysis were used to investigate the correlation between the study variables and to determine the effects of the predictor variables on the criterion variable, respectively. Independent T test was used to investigate non-zero variables which should be with significant effects in the model.

91 students (55.2%) and 74 students (48.8%) were female and male, respectively. 118 students (71.5%) and 47 students (28.5%) were single and married, respectively. 13 students (7.9%), 105 students (63.6%), 3 students (1.8%), and 44 students (26.7%) were post-diploma, bachelor, master, and PhD students, respectively (Table 1). There was appositive and significant correlation between academic engagement and spiritual intelligence (r=0.10) and psychological tenacity (r=0.21; p<0.01). There was a significant correlation between spiritual intelligence and psychological tenacity (r=0.19; p<0.05). The spiritual intelligence (β=2.197) and the psychological tenacity (β=-0.213) together predicted 16% of the variance of academic engagement. There were positive and significant correlations between existential critical thinking (β=0.47), higher knowledge (β=0.22), and psychological tenacity (β=0.15) and academic engagement (p<0.05), i. e. the higher the factors were, the higher the academic engagement was.

There was a significant correlation between spiritual intelligence and academic engagement. Spiritual intelligence affects academic performance and achievement [15, 16]. The result is consistent with the present results. There is no correlation between the four aspects of spiritual intelligence and academic achievement and motivation to achievement [28], which is a result inconsistent with the present results. There was a significant correlation between psychological tenacity and academic engagement. The result is consistent with some other studies [21-23]. The academic engagement was predicted by spiritual intelligence and psychological tenacity. In addition, from the components of spiritual intelligence, only existential critical thinking and higher knowledge could predict the academic engagement. Then, the higher the spiritual intelligence and tenacity were, the higher the academic engagement in the persons was. The result is consistent with other studies. .. [29-31]

Spiritual intelligence and psychological tenacity should be noticed by the experts of educational affairs as help and motivational sources in academic activities.

Conducting the study as cross-sectional and lack of sufficient studies on the subject were of the limitations for the study.

Academic engagement is predictable based on spiritual intelligence and psychological tenacity.

Birjand University of Medical Sciences and the participating students are appreciated.

There was no conflict of interests in writing the paper and judgment.

All the participants were assured on the confidentiality of the questionnaire information.

No organization financially supported the study.

TABLES and CHARTS

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