The effect of self-directed learning on subjective happiness and academic adjustment mediated through self-efficacy among university students in Tabriz, Iran

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of self-directed learning on subjective happiness and academic adjustment mediated by self-efficacy among students in Tabriz, Iran. This study is of an applied, quantitative and descriptive-survey type. The statistical population of the present study was students of Payam-e Noor and Tabriz universities in Tabriz, 380 of whom were selected by stratified random sampling. The participants completed the Fisher et al. (2001) Self-Directed Learning, Baker and Siryk's (1984) Academic Adjustment, Argyle et al.'s (1989) Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI) and Jinks and Morgan's (1999) Academic Self-efficacy questionnaires. Data was analyzed using SEM and Sobel's test in smartpls3.1.1 software at significance level of 0.05. The results showed that self-directed learning has a significant effect on students' happiness (t=4.037; p=0.001), academic adjustment (t=4.916; p=0.001) and academic self-efficacy (t=29.028; p=0.001). Also, academic self-efficacy has a significant effect on students' happiness (t=7.447; p=0.001) and academic adjustment (t=129.340; p=0.001) and that academic self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the effect of self-directed learning on students' happiness (z=9.594; p=0.001) and academic adjustment (z=12.252; p=0.001). Therefore, by promoting self-management, self-control and motivation, as well as identifying students' talents and providing them with opportunities for effort, we can ensure students' happiness and academic adjustment.
Introduction
An academic period is a valuable opportunity to learn positive academic and social skills. This is not only because of its intrinsic value, but also because this educational period is considered the most important source of socialization for each individual after the family (Kamtsios, 2023). Meanwhile, topics such as happiness (Bagheri Mahiari et al., 2024) and academic adaptation (Kabir Dehboneh, Rezaei and Naseh, 2024) need special attention. Although happiness and academic adjustment are critical determinants of student success, they have received relatively limited attention in university settings in recent years, especially in metropolitan cities such as Tabriz. Furthermore, many students are unable to adapt to academic conditions, which has caused a severe decline in their academic performance (Bagheri Mahiari et al., 2024). Moreover, previous research has proven that academic self-direction and academic self-efficacy among students can solve many of their academic problems; however, no research has been found to date that addresses the effect of academic self-direction and academic self-efficacy on students' happiness and academic adjustment, therefore many students continue to face various problems such as depression and non-adaptation to academic conditions, and a research gap is felt in this regard. Hence, the present study sought to answer the question: Does self-directed learning have a significant effect on the happiness and academic adjustment of students in Tabriz city, mediated by academic self-efficacy?
Methodology
This research is of applied type in terms of purpose, quantitative in terms of data type, and descriptive-survey research using a standard questionnaire in terms of data collection. The statistical population of the present study comprised students of Payam-e Noor and Tabriz universities. According to inquiries from these two universities in 2024, the number of students at Payam-e Noor University of Tabriz was 15,000 and the number of students at Tabriz University was 24,000. Considering the statistical population and using the Cochran’s formula, the sample size was determined to be 380 individuals. The participants (male = 198, female = 182) were selected using stratified random sampling method per quota for each university, such that 38 percent of the participants were selected from Payam-e Noor University of Tabriz and 62 percent from Tabriz University. The participants completed the Fisher et al.’s (2001) Self-directed Learning, Baker and Siryk's (1984) Academic Adjustment, Argyle et al.'s (1989) Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI) and Jinks and Morgan's (1999) Academic Self-efficacy questionnaires. For data analysis, descriptive statistics methods such as frequency distribution tables and means were used to examine and describe the general characteristics of the respondents. Inferential statistical methods such as Kolmogorov-Smirnov test were also used to examine the normality of the data distribution and structural equation modeling test and Sobel’s test were used to examine the research hypotheses. All data analyses in the present study were performed using SPSS version 23 and SmartPLS version 3.1.1 software at a significance level of 0.05.
Results
According to the research results, all t-values ​​are greater than 1.96 and their significance is less than 0.05; therefore, the research model is appropriate and all paths are confirmed. The results also showed that self-directed learning has a significant effect on happiness (t=4.037; p=0.001), academic adjustment (t=4.916; p=0.001), and academic self-efficacy (t=29.028; p=0.001) of Tabriz students, and academic self-efficacy also has a significant effect on happiness (t=447.7; p=0.001) and academic adjustment (t=129.340; p=0.001) of Tabriz students. Furthermore, the results of the Sobel’s test showed that academic self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the effect of self-directed learning on happiness (z=9.594; p=0.001) and also in the effect of self-directed learning on academic adjustment (z=12.252; p=0.001) of students in Tabriz.
Discussion and conclusion
In general, according to our results, it can be concluded that achieving academic adjustment and happiness among students is influenced by various factors, including self-directed learning and academic self-efficacy, which can be enhanced by promoting self-management, self-control and motivation, as well as identifying students' talents and providing them with opportunities for effort. Accordingly, it is suggested that conditions be provided in educational settings so that students can achieve appropriate adaptation to academic conditions by increasing their desire to learn and control their skills and abilities. In addition, they can also make extra efforts towards becoming self-efficient in education through sufficiently controlling their positive and negative characteristics while benefiting from their talents. It is also suggested that university administrators and officials address all three aspects of academic aptitude, furnish the conditions for students’ appropriate effort, create educational infrastructure and form a link between students' performance at university and their future career opportunities and social life in their mind. It is worth noting that the present study, like other studies, had limitations. The present study was conducted among students in Tabriz city, and its generalization to other statistical communities should be done by considering the conditions of that community, and the results of the present study cannot be directly generalized to other communities. In this regard, it is suggested that a similar study be conducted at a macro level, such as among students throughout the country, to increase the generalizability of the results. It is also suggested that other variables related to the students' educational conditions, such as academic achievement and the factors affecting it, be examined in future studies.