students

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of emotional intelligence training and self-compassion practices on mental well-being, academic vitality, and academic self-concept among female high school students in Hamedan. Methodology: The research method was a semi-experimental three-group design (two experimental groups and one control group) with pre-tests and post-tests. The sample was selected using multi-stage cluster sampling from the population of female high school students in Hamedan in the academic year 2023-2024, with 60 individuals randomly chosen (20 in the first experimental group, 20 in the second experimental group, and 20 in the control group). Measurement tools included the Keyes and Magyar-Moe (2003) Mental Well-being Scale and the Liu and Wang (2005) Academic Self-concept Questionnaire. MANCOVA test and its assumptions were used to test the research hypotheses. ANOVA (one-way analysis of variance) with box plot and post-hoc tests like Tukey and Scheffé were employed for multiple comparisons in the post-test using SPSS version 23. Findings: The results showed that both emotional intelligence training and self-compassion practices are effective in improving the mental well-being and academic self-concept of female high school students in Hamedan. Additionally, it was found that self-compassion training is more effective than emotional intelligence training in enhancing academic self-concept, but there is no significant difference in the effectiveness of emotional intelligence training and self-compassion practices on mental well-being. Conclusion: Psychologists can help students gain more awareness of their emotions and learn how to deal with them, set meaningful and achievable goals, increase academic vitality and motivation through realistic goals aligned with personal interests, and strengthen their academic self-confidence. Students should be taught how to cope with educational stress and anxiety, find creative solutions, and learn to utilize available resources and supports.

 Using a qualitative approach and the grounded theory, the present study seeks to analyze the perception of marriage by the university students in Isfahan. The field of the research was the state universities in Isfahan, including Isfahan University, Isfahan University of Technology, and the Medical University of Isfahan. The participants included thirty students of various fields of study at different levels of education. They were selected through purposeful-theoretical sampling, and the required data were derived from semi-structured in-depth interviews. The data analysis was performed by open, axial and selective coding processes and a paradigmatic model as the analytical tool. Also, the content validity of the research was evaluated with validation techniques, by an external expert, and through analytical comparisons. As the research findings indicated, university students’ perception of marriage can be discussed based on the components of a paradigmatic model, including causal conditions (i.e., underlying obstacles, failure phobia, limitation assumptions, mental imaging of marriage), intervening conditions (i.e., available alternatives, marriage patterns), background conditions (i.e., variation of roles, commercialization of marriage), strategies (individual and institutional ones), consequences (psychological, affective, social and economic ones), and the core category of ‘marriage as an unpredictable phenomenon’