The Effect of Educational Package based on Metacognitive Beliefs on Promoting the Academic and Professional Guidance Abilities of Junior High School Students

Abstract

Purpose: One of the important challenges that junior high school students face is the challenges related to academic and professional guidance. Therefore, the aim of this research was determine the effect of educational package based on metacognitive beliefs on promoting the academic and professional guidance abilities of junior high school students.

Methodology: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The research population was all ninth grade boy students in the first district of Abadan city in the 2020-2021 academic years. The sample size for each group was calculated 30 people, who were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly assigned into two equal groups. The experimental group underwent 9 sessions of 90 minutes by research-made educational package based on metacognitive beliefs, and the control group remained on the waiting list for training. Data were collected with the academic and professional guidance abilities questionnaire (Ramezani, 2010) and analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS-23 software.

Findings: The results of univariate covariance analysis indicated that the educational package based on metacognitive beliefs led to promoted the academic and professional guidance abilities in junior high school students (P<0.001). Also, the results of multivariate covariance analysis indicated that the educational package based on metacognitive beliefs led to promoted all three components of academic and professional guidance abilities, including recognition of self, recognition of community needs, and recognition of environment in junior high school students (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Based on the above findings, school counselors and psychologists can use a educational package based on metacognitive beliefs along with other effective educational methods to promoting the academic and professional guidance abilities of junior high school students.