The Relationship between Academic Achievement and Self-Handicapping due to Mediating Effect of Academic Burnout among University Students

Progressive motivation is one of the most powerful influential sources affecting learners' behavior in the school and determines the strength and sustainability of the behavior. Learner motivation gives the learner the opportunity to attain the goal and acquire the ability to perform the necessary activities in specific circumstances.

In the current study, the population included all students of Islamic Azad University of Naghadeh in the academic year of 2017-2018 (1, 250 people). A total of 290 students were randomly selected using Morgan table. To collect data, three questionnaires were used: Self-handicapping (SHS) (Jones and Rodvalt, 1982), Achievement motivation (Herman, 1970), and Academic burnout (Brsou et al., 2007). The reliability of the questionnaires was confirmed to be  0.835 using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results showed that there is no significant relationship between achievement and motivation of academic self-handicapping.

The results showed that there is a significant relationship between academic burnout and academic self-handicapping. Also, a negative significant relationship was observed between academic burnout and motivation for achievement and a negative significant relationship between achievement motivation and academic self-handicapping academic burnout due to the effect of mediation.

According to the results, the authorities should create the necessary strategies so that each person's abilities can be recognized by themselves and thus increase their motivation. Also, by reducing the academic burnout in the students, they will be self-adaptive in the field of science curriculum, and even research. This way, hopefully, we will have an active and dynamic generation for the future of the country.