FRG25 EE – ENGAGE-Perseverance Valentin TOP Conference

Valentin Top is a doctor in Educational Sciences after having studied and taught at the University of the Antilles Guyana, he now works in Canada.

As part of teacher’s formation, a vidéo conference led by Valentin Top was organized on the role of self-handicapping in learning. Valentin Top Although this concept is not widely known, it plays a crucial role in the difficulties some students face. The objective of this conference was to help teachers identify, understand, and support students who engage in self-handicapping strategies in order to promote their academic success. Self-handicapping is a psychological mechanism through which an individual creates obstacles to their own success, consciously or unconsciously, to protect their self-esteem in case of failure. Examples of Self-Handicapping in School: Excessive procrastination – deliberately delaying work to justify a potential failure. Reduced effort – not fully investing in a task to avoid attributing failure to a lack of ability. Creating distractions – engaging in secondary activities to explain poor performance. Self-doubt and self-sabotage – downplaying one's abilities or adopting limiting beliefs about one's potential. According to Valentin Top, several factors contribute to self-handicapping in students:  Fear of failure and academic anxiety – avoiding direct confrontation with potential disappointment. Social pressure and high expectations – reluctance to take risks due to fear of judgment.  Lack of self-confidence – doubting one’s abilities and avoiding situations that might confirm these doubts.  Past negative experiences – repeated failures reinforcing avoidance behaviors.Valentin Top provided several strategies to help teachers identify and reduce self-handicapping among their students, even in remote or hybrid learning environments: Creating a Safe and Supportive Learning Environment  Strengthening Intrinsic Motivation Developing Metacognitive Skills Providing Constructive Feedback.

The virtual format allowed for active participation through live Q&A sessions and interactive discussions. Teachers had the opportunity to share classroom experiences and explore ways to apply these strategies effectively.