The Effect of Philosophy for Children (P4C) Training on Academic Self-Handicapping and Social Competence in Sixth Grade Students

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Philosophy for Children (P4C) program on reducing academic self-handicapping and enhancing social competence among sixth-grade elementary students. Methods and Materials: The research employed a semi-experimental design with pretest-posttest and one-month follow-up assessments, including a control group. The statistical population consisted of all sixth-grade male students in Yasuj city during the 2023–2024 academic year. Using a single-stage cluster random sampling method, 100 students completed the working memory, academic self-handicapping, frustration tolerance, and social competence questionnaires. Based on inclusion criteria, 50 students who scored low in working memory, frustration tolerance, and social competence and high in academic self-handicapping were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental (n=25) and a control group (n=25). The experimental group received 12 sessions of P4C-based training, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were collected at three stages: pretest, posttest, and follow-up, and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test in SPSS-26. Findings: The results showed that the interaction effect of time and group on academic self-handicapping was statistically significant (F=32.399, p=0.001, η²=0.403), indicating a significant reduction in the experimental group compared to the control group. Similarly, the interaction effect on social competence was also significant (F=121.516, p=0.001, η²=0.717), reflecting a substantial increase in the experimental group. Bonferroni post-hoc results confirmed that changes between pretest and both posttest and follow-up stages were significant only in the experimental group for both variables. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the Philosophy for Children program is effective in reducing maladaptive academic behaviors such as self-handicapping and in promoting social competence among elementary school students. This intervention can serve as a practical and sustainable approach for educational and psychological development in school settings.