Designing and Validating a Curriculum Model Based on Enhancing Academic Adjustment, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Academic Achievement Motivation among Upper Secondary School Students in Bushehr County

Mahvash  Mirzaii; Mohamad Behroozi; Fakhte  Mahini; Mohamad  Kargar

Authors

Mahvash Mirzaii Department of Educational Sciences, Bu.C., Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2130-728X
Mohamad Behroozi Department of Educational Sciences, B u.C., Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7304-5347
Fakhte Mahini Department of Educational Sciences, B u.C., Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7304-5347
Mohamad Kargar Department of Educational Sciences, Bu.C., Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2444-631X

Keywords:

curriculum model, academic adjustment, academic self, efficacy, academic achievement motivation, upper secondary education

Abstract

The present study aimed to design and validate a curriculum model for improving and enhancing academic adjustment, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement motivation among upper secondary school students in Bushehr Province. The study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design (qualitative–quantitative). In the qualitative phase, grounded theory and the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin were employed. Fifteen in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts—including curriculum planning faculty members, educational psychologists, and experienced teachers—selected through snowball sampling. The qualitative data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding using ATLAS.ti software. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population consisted of all 980 female students in the experimental sciences track at upper secondary schools in Bushehr Province. Based on Cochran’s sample-size formula, 305 students were selected through multistage cluster random sampling, of whom 280 returned acceptable questionnaires. The qualitative findings resulted in the identification of 241 open codes, 18 main components, and six overarching dimensions: causal conditions, the central phenomenon (an empowering curriculum), contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. The final model explained 64% of the variance in academic self-efficacy and 83% of the variance in academic achievement motivation. The proposed model was developed within the framework of Tyler’s five fundamental questions: (1) objectives, encompassing the enhancement of the three dimensions of adjustment, self-efficacy, and achievement motivation; (2) content, consisting of interconnected and spiral concepts emphasizing applicability and localization; (3) teaching–learning methods, including active teaching, peer learning, project-based learning, and group discussion; (4) assessment, including formative assessment, self-assessment, descriptive feedback, and performance-based assessment; and (5) revision, including mechanisms for obtaining continuous feedback from stakeholders. The curriculum model developed in this study demonstrated satisfactory validity and model fit and can be used as an effective framework for improving academic adjustment, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement motivation among upper secondary school students.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Alexander R. Culture and pedagogy: International comparisons in primary education. Malden, MA: Blackwell; 2021.

2. Hosseini Largani SM. The Analysis of Curriculum Development in Iranâs Higher Education. Quarterly Journal of Research and Planning in Higher Education. 2023;26(4):1-28.

3. Tiyari K, Naderi E, Seif Naraghi M. Design of a semi-centralized curriculum model aligned with Iran's national curriculum for lower secondary education. Jundishapur Education Development. 2020;7:66-73.

4. Baghbanian SZ, Ghaderi M, Ali Asgari M. Design and validation of an indigenous critical literacy curriculum model in upper secondary education. Curriculum Studies. 2020;14(55):65-90.

5. Park H, Kim J. The Effect of Teacher-Student Relationship on School Adjustment Mediated by Resilience as Recognized by Elementary School Students. Korean Association for Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction. 2024;24(5):571-83. doi: 10.22251/jlcci.2024.24.5.571.

6. Ando M, Asakura T. Psychosocial factors associated with smoking and drinking among Japanese early adolescent boys and girls: Cross-sectional study. Biopsychosocial Medicine. 2020;13(1):1-10.

7. Ahmadpour R, Armand M, Najari M. The effectiveness of the social adjustment curriculum on academic buoyancy, academic identity and cognitive flexibility of gairl students. Cultural Psychology. 2021;4(2):74-90.

8. Mohammadi A, Rezaei S, Sharifi F. Examining the Effect of a Balanced Spiritual Education Curriculum on Spiritual Identity and Social Adjustment of Lower Secondary Students. Quarterly of Educational and Psychological Studies. 2023;20(4):112-29.

9. Bandura A. Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ2021.

10. Bandura A. Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman and Company; 2020.

11. Bandura A. Social cognitive theory. Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology. 1: Sage Publications; 2022. p. 349-73.

12. Arens AK, Frenzel AC, Goetz T. Self-concept and self-efficacy in math: Longitudinal interrelations and reciprocal linkages with achievement. The Journal of Experimental Education. 2022;90:615-33. doi: 10.1080/00220973.2020.1786347.

13. Javan Mojarrad A, Sheikhi Fini AA, Zeinlipour H, Abolghasemi A. The relationship between curriculum quality and students' academic engagement: The mediating role of psychological self-efficacy. Psychological Achievements. 2020;27(2):155-70.

14. Gholami A, Mousapour N, Aghahosseini T. The effect of implemented curriculum on professional self-efficacy of student teachers in educational sciences at Farhangian University, Isfahan. Research in Curriculum Studies. 2023;3(1):1-21.

15. Salehi L, Monavari Fard F, Mohammadi Y. Curriculum components and entrepreneurial self-efficacy of agricultural applied-science higher-education students in Alborz. Agricultural Education Management Research. 2020(39):16-27.

16. Khanealipour Rudi M, Hosseinzadeh B, Hosseini Darounkolayi SZ. Educational use of the research self-efficacy roadmap curriculum. Clinical Excellence. 2023;13(2):21-31.

17. Rahnama A, Alifat A, Omidi M. The role of hidden curriculum dimensions and components in academic self-efficacy of male primary-school students from teachers' perspectives. Quarterly Journal of Educational Psychology. 2021(29):98-109.

18. Mahmoudi Mehr S, editor Examining the Relationship between Hidden Curriculum Components and the Components of Responsibility and Creative Self-Efficacy among Students in Mamulan County. Second International Conference on Humanities, Social Sciences and Law; 2024.

19. Tahmasebzadeh Sheikhlari D, Mahmoudi F, Farajpour Bonab F. The role of hidden curriculum components in the career adaptability of University of Tabriz students. Education Strategies in Medical Sciences. 2021;11(4):78-87.

20. Rezaei AM, Jahan F, Rahimi M. Academic performance: The role of achievement goals and achievement motivation. Educational Psychology. 2020;12(42):155-71.

21. Izadi F, Azadi Konari R. The Effectiveness of the Bybee Teaching Method on Academic Motivation and Academic Buoyancy among Sixth-Grade Elementary Students. Journal of Curriculum and Learning-Centered Instruction. 2025;4(1).

22. Bingol B, ÖZyaprak M. Enhancing Higher Education: Differentiating the Curriculum and Instruction to Foster Mathematical Creativity and Motivation. The Journal of Creative Behavior. 2025;59(2). doi: 10.1002/jocb.70000.

23. Sharifi S, Sabbagh Hasanzadeh T, Zohourparvandeh V. Design and development of a curriculum model based on blended learning in secondary education. Educational Sciences and Counseling Inquiry. 2020;6(13):91-118.

24. Liwanag MF, Galicia LS. Technological Self-efficacy, Learning Motivation, and Selfdirected Learning of Selected Senior High School Students in a Blended Learning Environment. Technium Social Sciences Journal. 2023;44(1):534-59. doi: 10.47577/tssj.v44i1.8980.

25. Bhardwaj A, Kumar V. Web and social media approach to marketing of engineering courses in India. International Journal of Business Innovation and Research. 2022;27(4):541-55. doi: 10.1504/IJBIR.2022.12250.

26. Benn S, Rusinko C. The technological community as a framework for educating for sustainability in business schools. Journal of Management & Organization. 2019;17(5):656-69. doi: 10.5172/jmo.2019.17.5.656.