Self-Management Skills and Student Achievement – A Pilot Study

Abstract

The adaptation pressure of youths to a labor market with a low predictability degree determines the necessity of developing certain competences which can be easily transferrable and which can ensure the personal and professional success. We have considered non cognitive abilities (attitudes, emotions, behaviours) which proved to be significant predictors of success and mental health (Heckman, 2008) and which contribute significantly to a rise in emotional strength and to a wide range of adaptative strategies imposed by contemporary society (Opre et al., 2018). The speciality literature confirms the importance of non-cognitive abilities in the students’ / pupils’ academic success (Heckman et al., 2006; Heckman, 2008; Deming, 2015; Balica et al., 2016). The predictability degree of diverse non cognitive abilities over academic success is different as most studies do not supply relevant data about abilities such as self-efficacy, growth mindset or social awareness (Claro & Loeb, 2019), while abilities like self-management defined as the ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations (Duckworth & Carlson, 2013) represents a good predictor of academic achievement (Blair & Raver, 2015; Riggs et al., 2016). We consider self-management as being that umbrella construct which refers to abilities such as self-control, self-regulation, self-discipline, will power and self-power (Duckworth & Kern, 2011). Under the circumstances in which students with major risk abandonment participate in specific activities to develop personal, socio-emotional and learning management abilities, our study proposes to examine the variation of self-management abilities of students who participated in these activities and of students who did not participate in the activities and who are not prone to risk abandonment. Also, we wish to investigate if there is a relation between students’ self-management abilities and student achievement.

Academic Achievement: Influences of University Students’ Self-Management and Perceived Self-Efficacy

“…Moreover, self-management was also found to have a key impact on self-efficacy. According to our findings, the degree of self-efficacy determines a high percentage of the variation in the self-efficacy criteria, which is consistent with other studies (e.g., Di Fabio and Palazzeschi 2009 ; Stan 2021 ). Self-management is a broad concept that encompasses qualities such as self-efficacy.…”

“…Furthermore, this study demonstrates that self-efficacy is a mediating factor in the relationship between self-management and academic achievement. Although analyses of the specialized literature confirm that self-management predicts student success (because the relationship with self-management is stronger than any other component of self-efficacy) ( Stan 2021 ), our research results indicate that, without self-efficacy (mastery of skills and activities), academic achievement is relative. It might be claimed that academic self-efficacy is frequently used to prepare and carry out the procedures required to accomplish certain goals.…”

“… Robbins et al ( 2004 ) suggest a composite social model that includes individual skills, social engagement, and academic-related abilities to explain the mechanism of academic achievement. According to previous research, students who utilize self-regulation tactics (such as self-regulated learning, time management, goal planning, and metacognition) perform better in class ( Stan 2021 ). In this essence, Claro and Loeb ( 2019 ) refer to self-management as the capacity to control an individual’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in a variety of settings.…”

“…Self-management is described as the ability to work efficiently toward significant goals while being adaptable in the face of difficulties ( Agolla and Ongori 2009 ). According to Stan ( 2021 ), self-management is a multidimensional umbrella concept that combines the personal qualities of the individual on which it can work through a behavioral transformation process. In this essence, Agolla and Ongori ( 2009 ) claimed that students with higher levels of self-reported behavioral self-management report better levels of self-reported academic success and adaptability to change.…”

Refinement and Validation of Research Instrument for Assessing Executive Functioning Skills in the Post-Pandemic Education: The MEASURE Approach

“…The challenges faced by students with special needs in engaging in academic-related activities often manifest across multiple domains, including organization, planning, metacognition, and self-control (Stan, 2021). Consequently, executive functions underlie the difficulties and struggles experienced by these learners across various academic disciplines.…”