Examining the Relationship between Students’ Levels of Perfectionism and their Achievements in English Learning
محورهای موضوعی : Research in English Language Pedagogy
1 - Applied Linguistics in Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran
کلید واژه: perfectionism, high school third grader students, English language achievement,
چکیده مقاله :
Individual variables in foreign language learning have received much attention in foreign language learning research in recent years. However, little research exists that has investigated the relationship between students’ levels of perfectionism and their achievements in the foreign language learning classroom settings. To bridge this gap, this study aims to answer whether there is a significant relationship between student’s levels of perfectionism and their English achievement. The population of this study is defined as all third graders (n. 239, 110 males and 129 females) who learn English in the public schools of ministry of education in a small city in the Northern Khorasan. All these students participated in the study, so the sample size includes the whole population. Participants' scores on their levels of perfectionism were measured by a questionnaire and their scores of the final English exam were also used as the measure of their English achievements. The results indicated that there isn’t any significant relationship between students’ levels of perfectionism and their achievement (F = .515, p > .05) although an association between perfectionism and academic achievement has been found in a number of previous studies, perfectionism was not proved to be of great significance in the EFL learning process in the current study. At the end, some implications for both teachers and learners, and suggestions for future research are provided.
Accordino, D. B., Accordino, M. P., & Slaney,
R. B. (2000). An investigation of perfectionism, mental health, achievement, and achievement motivation in adolescents. Psychology in the Schools, 37(6), 535-545.
Arthur, N., & Hayward, L. (1997). The relationships between perfectionism: Standards for academic achievement, and emotional distress in postsecondary students. Journal of College Student Development, 38, 622-632.
Blankstein, K. R., & Dunkley, D. M. (2002). Evaluative concerns, self-critical, and personal standards perfectionism: A structural equation modeling strategy. In G.
L. Flett & P. L. Hewitt (Eds.), Perfectionism: Theory, research and treatment (pp. 285-315). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Brown, H. D. (1994). Principles of language learning and teaching. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Brumbaugh, J., Lepsik, R., &Olinger, C.
(2007). The relationship between GPA and perfectionism.Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences, 6, retrieved from http://www.kon.org/urc/v6/brumbaugh.html
Burns, D. D. (1980). The perfectionist's script for self-defeat. Psychology Today, 14(6), 34-52.
Burns, L. R., &Fedewa, B. A. (2005). Cognitive styles: Links with perfectionistic thinking. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 103-113.
Chastain, K. (1975) Affective and ability factors in second language learning. Language Learning,25, 153-161.
Chen, L. (2007). A study of the relationship between EFL reading anxiety and reading strategy use (Master’s dissertation). Retrieved from
http://pc01.lib.ntust.edu.tw/ETD-db/ETD-search-c/getfile?URN=etd-0710107-001842&filename=etd-0710107-001842.pdf
Chen, T. (2001).Testing Chinese learners of English for language learning difficulties by the Linguistic Coding Deficit/Difference Hypothesis.RELC Journal, 32(1), 34-51.
Conroy, D.E. (2003). Representational Models Associated with Fear of Failure in Adolescents and Young Adults. Journal of Personality, 71, (5).757-783.
Farhady, H., Ja'farpur, A., &Birjandi, P. (2006). Testing language skills: From theory to practice. Tehran: SAMT.
Flett, G.L., & Hewitt, P.L., Eds. (2002). Perfectionism: Theory, research, and treatment. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Flett, G.L., Sawatzky, D.L. and Hewitt, P.L. (1995). Dimensions of perfectionism and goal commitment: A further comparison of two perfectionism measures. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 17(2), 111-124.
Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C. & Rosenblate, R. (1990).The dimensions of perfectionism.Cognitive Therapy & Research, 14, 449-468.
Gliksman, L., Gardner, R. C., &Padric, C. S. (1982).The role of the integrative motive on students' participation in the French classroom.Canadian Modern Language Review, 38, 625-647.
Gliksman, L., Gardner, R. C., &Padric, C. S. (1982).The role of the integrative motive on students' participation in the French classroom.Canadian Modern Language Review, 38, 625-647.
Gregersen, T. S. &Horwitz, E. K. (2002). Language learning and perfectionism: Anxious and non-anxious language learners’ reactions to their own oral performance. The Modern Language Journal, 86(4), 562–570.
Grzegorek, J. L., Slaney, R. B., Franze, S., & Rice, K. G. (2004). Self-criticism, dependency, self-esteem, and grade point average satisfaction among clusters of perfectionists and non-perfectionists. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 192-200.
Hambleton, R. K. (1994). Guidelines for adapting educational and psychological tests: A progress report. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 10, 229-244.
Hewitt, P. L. &Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 456-70.
Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., Turnbull-Donovan,
W., &Mikail, S. F. (1991). The Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale: Reliability, validity, and psychometric properties in psychiatric samples. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 3, 464-468.
Horwitz, E. K., M. B. Horwitz and Cope, J. A. (1991).Foreign languageclassroomanxiety.In
E. K. Horwitz& D. J. Young, Language anxiety, 27-39, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/Articles/Pe rfectionism.html.
Pishghadam, R., Akhondpoor, F. (2011). Learner perfectionism and its role in foreign language learning success, academic achievement, and learner anxiety.Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2(2), 432-440.
Rice, K. G., &Mirzadeh, S. A. (2000). Perfectionism, attachment, and adjustment. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47, 238-250.
Rice, K. G., & Slaney, R. B. (2002). Clusters of perfectionists: Two studies of emotional adjustment and academic achievement. Measurement & Evaluation in Counseling & Development, 35(1), 35.
Roohafza, H., Afshar, H., Sadeghi, M., Soleymani, B., Saadaty, A., Matinpour M., & Asadollahi, G. (2010).The relationship between perfectionism and academic achievement, depression, and anxiety. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (IJPBS), 4(2), 31-36.
Shafran, R., Cooper, Z., & Fairburn, C. G. (2002). Clinical perfectionism: A cognitive-behavioral analysis. Behavior Research and Therapy, 40, 773-791.
Slaney, R. B., Rice, K. G., & Ashby, J. S. (2002). A programmatic approach to measuring perfectionism: The Almost Perfect Scales. In G. L. Flett& P. L. Hewitt (Eds.), Perfectionism: Theory, research and treatment, (63-88). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Slaney, R. B., Rice, K. G., Mobley, M., Trippi,
J., &Ashby, J. (2001).The Revised Almost Perfect Scale. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 34, 130-145.
Tangney, J. P. (2002). Perfectionism and the self-conscious emotions: Shame, guilt, embarrassment, and pride. In G. L. Hewitt &
P. L. Flett (Eds.), Perfectionism: Theory, research and treatment ,(199-215). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Yao, M. P. (2009). An exploration of multidimensional perfectionism, academic self-efficacy, procrastination frequency, and Asian American cultural values in Asian American university students (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi/ Yao%20Melissa%20Pulmares.pdf?osu1248 845353&dl=y