Structural Model of the Effects of Psychological Hardiness and Self-esteem on Students' Psychological Empowerment: Mediating Role of Academic Self-Concept

Background and Purpose: Psychological empowerment is a very important concept that apparently may take influence from academic self-concept, which is attainable by optimum academic performance. Literature review shows that the effect of academic self-concept on psychological empowerment has not been appropriately addressed. Therefore, the present research was conducted to answer this question that whether self-concept can play a mediating role in the relationship between self-esteem and psychological hardiness with psychological empowerment.  Method: This research was a descriptive correlational study. The study sample consisted of 225 first cycle secondary school students (112 boys and 113 girls with the average age of 14) in Behshahr, Shirvan, during the academic year 2016-2017, selected by cluster sampling. To collect the data, Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (Mirkamali and Narenji, 2009), Hardiness Questionnaire (Kobasa, 1979), Self-esteem Inventory (Coopersmith, 1967), and Yi-Hsin Chen School Self-concept Inventory (2004) were used. Results: Data analysis by correlation and path coefficient analysis showed that psychological empowerment was correlated with psychological hardiness, self-esteem, and academic self-concept (P<0.0001). Psychological hardiness, self- esteem, and academic self-concept explained 39 percent of the variance in psychological empowerment. Psychological hardiness and self-esteem explained 65% and 58 % of the variance in academic self-concept and self-esteem, respectively. The indirect effect of psychological hardiness and self-esteem on psychological empowerment with the mediating role of academic self-concept was significant at 0.01 and 0.05, respectively. Conclusion: Overall, the present study showed that academic self-concept leads to the increase of self-efficiency in students which in turn causes the increase of psychological hardiness in them, which has a significant positive relationship with psychological empowerment. In addition, self-concept is the essence of self-esteem and its enhancement can improve the students' self-esteem and psychological empowerment given the relationship between self-esteem and empowerment.