The 6 Psychological Factors That Influence Academic Success
Academic success can be key to entering the world of work We discuss different psychological factors to take into account for healthy academic development and the achievement of our goals.
Academic success is considered to be the achievement of goals and objectives in studies, in addition to obtaining satisfactory results and grades. Education facilitates the comprehensive formation of people and is considered the main path to economic independence and social life. It also helps us develop skills for our performance in various aspects of daily life.
What psychological factors influence academic success?
Both students and their families trust academic institutions to receive an education that helps them direct their professional lives. However, in many cases these expectations are not met. There are different factors associated with academic achievement, from the economic resources of the institutions, to the socioeconomic and cultural levels of the students, through the training of teachers, the commitment of the family and the methodology used, among others.
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Mental hygiene has been talked about as the set of circumstances, whether mental, physical or psychological, that can favor the performance of intellectual tasks Everything we do is influenced by our mood, so if we are neuro-physiologically more predisposed to learning, the abilities to achieve this knowledge will be more likely.
These processes linked to mental hygiene are significantly influenced by self-concept; the internal conceptual representation that each of us has of ourselves, and the physiological conditions and their influence; muscle tension, energy, relaxation and general functioning of the human body.
In this article we are going to present some psychological factors that can influence our academic success in order to know how to identify them and, if necessary, how we can improve our performance in studies by being aware of these factors.
1. Motivation
This is another of the main psychological factors that drive academic success; Motivation has been defined as the engine of success, a key factor in relation to performance in studies. This refers to the force that drives when studying to commit to learning, set goals and maintain a concrete effort to achieve them Two types of motivation have been defined: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation is what comes from personal interest and enjoyment of the learning process, which is why it is considered particularly powerful for long-term academic success and performance. Students with greater intrinsic motivation are more willing to explore and take on challenges, maintaining a constant focus on their learning. The satisfaction of acquiring knowledge and skills that genuinely interest them is what has the most weight in reinforcing them to maintain this motivation to continue learning and improving.
On the other hand, extrinsic motivation is that which is maintained by the rewards that can be obtained once the study effort is completed. For example, being certain that at the end of an exam season you will go on a trip. This motivation can provide an initial boost to maintain study effort, but it tends to be less sustainable in the long term. Furthermore, different studies affirm that, In case the rewards disappear, extrinsic motivation also leads to extinction
The combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is the cause of students’ greatest drive to face challenges, persist in the face of difficulties and take advantage of and enjoy the educational experience, allowing them to achieve academic goals and promoting sustained learning over time.
2. Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy has been defined as the set of beliefs a person has in his or her own abilities to succeed at a specific task In the academic context, it has been coined academic self-efficacy.
This self-efficacy implies having confidence in one’s own abilities and competencies to face and overcome academic challenges. Students with high academic self-efficacy are those who believe they are capable of learning, understanding, and applying the content of their study effectively. It is this belief and self-confidence that makes them set goals that can challenge them, be persistent despite difficulties and know what learning strategies to use in each specific activity or situation.
On the contrary, Students with low self-efficacy may doubt their abilities and not trust their ability to find solutions to academic problems that they may have. Therefore, promoting self-efficacy is crucial to increasing the chances of academic success. This must go hand in hand with educators, offering them constructive and specific feedback, recognizing and valuing their efforts. Additionally, it is important to foster an environment of support and trust among students, an environment in which they feel safe to take on challenges and learn from their mistakes.
Self-esteem is the perception and assessment that a person has of themselves. In the academic context, self-esteem is very important to promote the performance and well-being of students.
Self-esteem has a direct influence on the way students view themselves in relation to their academic ability and achievements A healthy self-esteem is constructive and makes a positive and realistic assessment of one’s abilities and potential. Students with higher self-esteem often feel capable and valued, being able to face academic challenges with a positive attitude and determination.
Additionally, like high self-efficacy, healthy self-esteem will encourage students to set more challenging goals and be confident in their ability to accomplish them. However, students with low self-esteem may doubt their abilities and fear failure, avoiding academic challenges and blaming themselves completely for their failures, leading to greater implications and problems for their mental health, not only their academic performance.
To foster healthy self-esteem, teachers must give key roles to emotional support, recognition of student achievements, and constructive feedback. It is also important to foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment, where students can feel valued and respected.
4. Learning
Learning is the process through which we acquire knowledge, skills and understanding about different topics and areas of study. Effective learning plays a fundamental role in academic performance and success.
Despite what many may think, Learning should not be limited to memorizing information, but must involve a deep understanding that includes the ability to apply what is learned to practical and even realistic situations. It is important to develop learning strategies and techniques that optimize the acquisition and retention of knowledge.
To do this, appropriate learning strategies must be promoted as tools to facilitate this acquisition of knowledge. These include planning and organizing time, identifying learning objectives, and using effective study techniques, such as summarizing, mnemonic rules, and frequent practice, among others.
5. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions and those of others This is crucial for academic performance and success.
The ability to recognize and manage one’s own emotions means prioritizing positive and productive moods when studying to face the challenges that this may entail, in addition to better managing stress and pressure. Furthermore, it is not only important to develop good emotional intelligence to have a good relationship with ourselves in educational contexts, but also for relationships with others.
Having high emotional intelligence implies being able to establish positive relationships with classmates and teachers, generating a more collaborative and mutually supportive learning environment. This component is also positive, when managing a conflict if it exists, being able to do so constructively.
From teaching, emotional intelligence can be encouraged by offering opportunities or activities for students to explore and understand their emotions, in addition to teaching effective communication, conflict resolution and stress management.
6. Resilience
Finally, resilience is the ability to cope and adapt effectively to adverse situations, overcome obstacles, and recover from difficult experiences. It is essential in the academic context since it can be full of challenges and setbacks such as exams, high self-expectations or those of family members, academic competition and social pressure.
Resilience is effective in these challenges to be able to face them constructively, maintaining a persevering and optimistic attitude in the face of difficulties, being able to overcome obstacles and obtain learning or positive results from overcoming challenges.
Like emotional intelligence, resilience also contributes to better management of stress and pressure, being able to maintain a balance between academic and personal life and adequately managing academic and social expectations and demands.
Conclusion
As we have seen, there are many factors related to psychology and mental health that contribute in the academic world and that can be crucial to achieving success or good school results. Therefore, it is important to know them and know how to identify them so, if we are suffering from academic difficulties, we are aware of our failures. It is important to ask for help from teachers or mental health professionals if necessary to properly focus our behaviors and emotions and increase the possibilities of healthier learning, which is enjoyable along the way.
