Locus of Control or Self-Esteem; Which One is the Best Predictor of Academic Achievement in Iranian College Students.
BACKGROUND
Self-esteem and behavioral consequences, which are due to external or internal locus of control, are effective on academic achievement of students.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the prediction of locus of control and self-esteem in academic achievement among the students.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 college students in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2014. Data collection tools were in three sections: demographic, Rotter internal-external locus of control scale and Coopersmith self-esteem inventory. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 21.


RESULTS
Results showed that 29.8% and 76.2% of the participants had internal locus of control, and high self-esteem, respectively. There was a significant correlation between self-esteem, locus of control and academic achievement of the students. Self-esteem accounted for 39.5% of the variation in academic achievement.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems that interventions to increase self-esteem among student can help improve academic achievement among them.
Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, IR Iran.
Seyyed Nasrollah
SN
Hosseini
Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Mehdi
M
Mirzaei Alavijeh
Department of Public Health, School of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Behzad
B
Karami Matin
Department of Public Health, School of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Behrooz
B
Hamzeh
Department of Public Health, School of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Hossein
H
Ashtarian
Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
Farzad
F
Jalilian
Academic Achievement; Locus of Control; Self-Esteem; Student