Behavioural Patterns of Parents and Secondary School Students with Learned Helplessness during Success and Failure

Behavioural Patterns of Parents and Secondary School Students

Abstract

Failure is a part of an individual’s life. Its consistent continuity brings psychological issues like learned helplessness to students. Learned helplessness is a phenomenon that causes depression, anxiety, demotivation, and drop out at the secondary school level. Due to diverse and complex human nature, learned helplessness varies with individuals, past experiences, situations, and thinking patterns. The aim of this study was to explore differences in behavioural patterns of secondary school students having low and high learned helplessness (LH) including their parents during failure and success. Secondary school students with learned helplessness and their parents were selected through criterion sampling. The explanatory mixed methods design was found appropriate for the study. Learned Helplessness Questionnaire (Sorrenti et al., 2014) was used to classify the students into high and low learned helplessness. The parents and students classified into two groups with high and low helplessness were interviewed. The study revealed that both groups were found different in exhibiting behaviours during success and failure. The students with high learned helplessness i.e. low performing have more negative experiences than students with low learned helplessness i.e. high performing. Students with high helplessness do not have parental support, a remedial approach to solve problems, acknowledgment, and role clarity in future jobs. In addition, they were found internalizing unethical experiences, drop-out considerations, and carelessness. The patterns indicated in students with high helplessness are missing in low learned helplessness students rather they are experiencing positivity in feelings, relationships and interactions.