WHY I FAILED: THE TRUTHS BEHIND STUDENT SELF-HANDICAPPING

Victoria Angelica Rose Banguit, Marjorie Cascajo, Mary Mae Maglucot, Cristy Grace A. Ngo

Abstract


This qualitative study examined self-handicapping among engineering students at the largest non-sectarian private university in Mindanao. Ten participants were selected for in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion. The thematic analyses revealed four primary reasons why students engage in self-handicapping: academic self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy, external blaming, justification through duties and obligation, and burnout. Interestingly, the findings highlight that self-handicapping is not just a behavior, action, or emotion but a mindset. This emphasizes the need for interventions that target both the behavioral, emotional, and mental aspects of self-handicapping. Schools should implement time management training, mental health support, and coping skills programs to help students adopt healthier academic habits and improve their overall well-being and academic success.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter


Keywords


education, student self-handicapping, academic performance, Philippines

Full Text:

PDF

References


Akar, H., Doğan, Y., & Üstüner, M. (2015). The relationships between positive and negative perfectionisms, self-handicapping, self-efficacy and academic achievement. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1172911.pdf

Boruchovitch, E., Rufini, S. E., & Ganda, D. R. (2022). Self-handicapping strategies in educational context: Construction and validation of the Brazilian self-handicapping strategies scale (EEAPREJ). Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 35(1), Article 3. Retrieved from https://www.scielo.br/j/prc/a/6FSrNF7Hdyx4qXzHRShjw9b/?format=html〈=e

Creswell, J. W. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE. Retrieved from https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/research-design/book270550

Endiape, H. K. A., & Hermosa, J. P. (2023). Academic self-handicapping and self-regulating learning strategies for student engagement in performance of grade 8 students in araling panlipunan. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 4(9), 3164–3179. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4758838

Erezo, S. L., Manaois, T. H., Maniacup, J. C., Punsalan, M. C., Valdez, S., & Cunanan, K. M. (2023). Academic self-handicapping strategies of students in a community college: A phenomenological study. City College of Angeles. https://cca.edu.ph/assets/images/Academic%20Self-Handicapping%20Strategies%20of%20Students%20in%20a%20Community%20College%20A%20Phenomenological%20Study%20.pdf

Fadhli, M., Sudirman, S. A., & Kılınçer, H. (2021). An investigation into self-handicapping behaviors in terms of academic procrastination. International Journal of Indonesian Education and Pedagogy, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.18196/ijiep.v2i2.13145

Ganda, D. R., & Boruchovitch, E. (2015). Self-handicapping strategies for learning of preservice teachers. Estudos de Psicologia (Campinas), 32(1), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-166X2015000100010

Gutiérrez-de-Rozas, B., Carpintero Molina, E., & López-Martín, E. (2022). Academic failure and dropout: Untangling two realities. European Journal of Educational Research, 11(4), 2275–2289. Retrieved from https://www.eu-jer.com/academic-failure-and-dropout-untangling-two-realities

Hou, X., Li, Y., & Zhang, J. (2024). Structural model of intelligence beliefs, motivational beliefs, academic self-handicapping and academic adjustment in Chinese undergraduate students. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 125

Jafari, S. G., Sharifi, T., Chorami, M., & Ahmadi, R. (2024). The role of academic motivation in self-regulation, goal orientation, and passion among medical students with self handicapping behaviors. Education Research in Medical Sciences. https://brieflands.com/articles/erms-151408

Jia, J., Wang, L., Xu, J., Lin, X., Zhang, B., & Jiang, Q. (2021). Self-handicapping in Chinese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of academic anxiety, procrastination and hardiness. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 741821. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741821

Li, Y., & Li, X. (2023). Fear of negative evaluation and academic procrastination: The mediating role of self-handicapping. Educational Psychology, 43(1), 98–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2022.2077963

Ngo, C., Baptista, C., Caballero, H., & Lorejo, C. (2025). PRocrastination and Self-esteem as Predictors of Self-handicapping among Dean’s Listers. European Journal of Education Studies, 12(6). http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i6.6003

Özkan, S., & Tekkaya, C. (2022). Self-handicapping among university students: Associations with motivation, beliefs, and emotions. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2022.101159

Perry, R. P., Stupnisky, R. H., Hall, N. C., & Chipperfield, J. G. (2021). Attributional (re)training: A review of theoretical, empirical, and practical advances. Educational Psychology Review, 33, 509–548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09534-x

Rotairo, C. E., Avilla, R. A., & Arañes, F. Q. (2015). Self-handicapping behavior among college students: Predictors and effect on performance in chemistry. Normal Lights, 9(1). Abiva Publishing House, Inc. https://po.pnuresearchportal.org/ejournal/index.php/normallights/article/view/12

Schwinger, M., Trautner, M., Pütz, N., & Keller, U. (2022). Why do students use strategies that hurt their chances of academic success? A meta-analysis of antecedents of academic self handicapping. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(2), 206–229. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000581

Torok, L., & Szabo, Z. (2018). The theory of self-handicapping: Forms, influencing factors and measurement. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lilla-Toeroek/publication/324913710_The_theory_of_self-handicapping_forms_influencing_factors_and_measurement/links/5b27a73d458515cad56054ed/The-theory-of-self-handicapping-forms-influencing-factors-and-measurement.pdf

Uysal, R., & Yildiz, E. (2019). Self-handicapping among university students: The roles of academic procrastination and responsibility. Educational Research and Reviews, 14(14), 506–512. https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR2019.3787

Yıldırım, F. B., & Demir, A. (2019). Self-handicapping among university students: The role of procrastination, test anxiety, self-esteem, and self-compassion. Psychological Reports, 123(3), 825–843. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294118825099

Zhao, Y., Li, W., & Zhang, L. (2021). How academic self-handicapping relates to self-esteem and academic engagement: A moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633610.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i2.6493

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Victoria Angelica Rose Banguit, Marjorie Cascajo, Mary Mae Maglucot, Cristy Grace A. Ngo

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2015-2026. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).