Analyzing the Role of Personal and Group Factors in Shaping the Social Identity of Secondary School Students in Iraq (A Mixed-Methods Study)

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify the lived experiences of social studies teachers regarding personal and group factors influencing the social identity formation of secondary school students in Iraq, with the goal of proposing a model through both qualitative and quantitative phases. In the first phase, the study employed a qualitative research design based on the phenomenological approach using Colaizzi’s seven-step method. The research environment for the first phase consisted of social studies teachers, selected through criterion-based purposive sampling. The data collection instrument used in this phase was a semi-structured in-depth interview. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached, totaling 26 participants. Initial coding led to the identification of 42 primary conceptual codes for personal factors, categorized into subcategories of biological-demographic factors, attitudes, skills, knowledge, and agency, along with 30 primary conceptual codes for group factors, categorized into subcategories of school organization and peer groups. In the second phase of the study, to validate the conceptual model derived from the qualitative section, a descriptive research method of the correlational type was employed. The statistical population in this phase included all secondary school social studies teachers employed in Iraq’s public education system, totaling 1,200 individuals. Using Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) table and convenience sampling, 290 participants were selected for the study. The instrument used in this phase was a researcher-developed questionnaire based on the qualitative findings, consisting of 69 items on a five-point Likert scale. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts, while face validity was assessed by a group of respondents. Its reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, yielding a score of 0.990. The validation of the proposed model and data analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) in Amos and SPSS software indicated that the model of personal and group factors influencing the social identity formation of secondary school students demonstrated a good fit.