Comparison of Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy and SocialAnxiety levels in Intellectually-Disabled Students withand without Experience of Education in Public Schools

Due to the importance of self-efficacy, self-esteem and social anxiety in social adjustment and mental health in intellectually-disabled students, this study aimed to compare the levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy and social anxiety in students with and without experience of education in public schools.

The research method was descriptive with a cross-sectional analysis. The statistical population included 223 male and female primary school students from the first to sixth grades in Khorramabad city during the academic year 2016-17. The sample size comprised 100 students in two groups with and without previous experience of education in public schools (50 students in each group), selected through purposeful sampling. To collect data, Rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire (1965), Sherer’s general self-efficacy questionnaire (1982) and The Convergent Social Phobia Standard (2004) were used. Data were analyzed using Multivariate analysis and T- test in SPSS-24.

The results showed that the level of social anxiety components (i.e. fear, avoidance and physiology) in intellectually-disabled students with previous experience of education in public schools were higher than those without such experience (P< 0/001). Also, the levels of self-efficacy and self-esteem were significantly different between the two groups (P< 0/001), indicating the excellence of students with previous experience of education in public schools in comparison to their non-experienced peers.

The results showed that intellectually-disabled students that had experience of education in public schools were found with lower self-esteem and lower self-efficacy as well as higher social anxiety relative to those without the experience of education in public schools. Therefore, it is necessary to design appropriate educational programs for parents and teachers in order to improve the self-esteem, selfefficacy and reduce the social anxiety of students with an experience of education in public schools.