Correlation between Academic Achievement and Self–esteem in Rehabilitation Students in Tehran University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation

Introduction: Identifying factors which lead to academic achievement and impede academic failure, is of special importance. Some studies suggest that there is a direct relationship between self-esteem and educa-tional achievement however some experts doubt this direct relationship. This study was done to determine the correlation between academic achievement and self-esteem in rehabilitation students in Tehran Univer-sity of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation. Methods: This research was a correlational study in which all bachelor rehabilitation students studying in the fields of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, or speech therapy in Tehran University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation (n=88) were included. Students’ self-esteem was measured using Cooper Smith inventory containing 58 items and its relationship with students’ final scores was assessed. Results: Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant relationship between rehabilitation students’ self-esteem and their educational status (r= 0.36), but academic achievement had no relationship with the educational field, semester, gender, marital status, and living place. Conclusion: Students with higher self-esteem had a better educational status compared with those who had lower self-esteem. Thus, it may be possible to promote educational status by improving self-esteem through appropriate methods.