A research on academic self-perceptions and academic achievements of secondary school students

The primary goal of this study is to investigate the connection between academic self-concept and academic achievement of 7th grade secondary school students in English course. Besides, it was intended to discover the relationship between a number of demographic factors and academic success in English language courses. Predictive correlational research design and causal comparison method were used in the study. The sample of the study consisted of 906 volunteer students studying at the 7th grade level in Altıeylül and Karesi public secondary schools in the central districts of Balıkesir. In the study, the 19-item, 4-point Likert-type "Academic Self-Perception Scale" developed by Liu et al. was adapted into Turkish by the researcher, rearranged for the English course and used. Additionally, an original measurement tool was utilized to assess English course success. In this study, demographic variables were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA. Pearson Correlation Analysis, simple linear regression analysis and Stepwise Multiple Hierarchical Regression Analysis were applied to determine the relationship between academic self-concept and English course achievement. When the results of the study were analyzed, it was found that there was a significant, positive and moderate relationship between academic self-concept and English course achievement. Regression analysis results show that academic self-concept significantly predicts English course achievement. In addition, it was observed that English course achievement differed significantly according to the variable of having a study room. Keywords: Academic Self-Perception, English Course Achievement, Secondary School Students