The Relative Contribution of Cognitive Flexibility and Cognitive Beliefs in Predicting Academic Performance among University Students

The research aims to reveal the relationship between cognitive flexibility and cognitive beliefs and academic performance for a sample of university students. The research also aims to determine the relative weight of the contribution of cognitive flexibility and cognitive beliefs to the academic performance of a sample of university students. In its final form, the study sample was composed of (268) male and female students at the Faculty of Education, Damietta University chosen randomly from both scientific and literary departments. The statistical analysis program (SPSS) was used to process data statistically. In order to verify the validity of the research hypotheses, the researchers used the Pearson Correlation Coefficient, the Stepwise Multi Regression Analysis, the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), and the Eta Squared Effect Size. The research concluded the following results: Academic performance is predictable through the two dimensions of cognitive flexibility (cognitive construction and the need for change) with a contribution rate (22.9%) of the total variance of academic performance among students of the research sample. Academic performance is predictable through the dimensions of cognitive beliefs (knowledge source, the learning ability, and knowledge structure) with a contribution rate (37.7%) of the total variance of academic performance among students of the research sample. There are statistically significant differences in academic performance concerning the high level of cognitive flexibility and the medium and low levels in favor of the high. There are also statistically significant differences between the medium and low levels in favor of the medium level concerning the academic performance scores. There are statistically significant differences in academic performance concerning the high level of cognitive beliefs and the medium and low levels in favor of the high. There are also statistically significant differences between the medium and low levels in favor of the medium level concerning the academic performance scores.