Exploring the development of academic self-concept: a qualitative study of student success among Sama Dilaut...

Despite the growing recognition of academic self-concept as a critical driver of student success, limited research has examined how high-achieving Indigenous students, particularly those from Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) communities in the Philippines, develop and sustain a positive academic self-concept in the face of systemic discrimination and socioeconomic disadvantage. Thus, this study explored the development of academic self-concept among Sama Dilaut university graduates and how they navigated the relationship between their cultural identity and their evolving identity as successful student.

A qualitative case study design was employed, involving seven Sama Dilaut university graduates selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in English, Filipino, and Sinama. Analysis followed a four-stage process: coding, frequency counting, theming, and categorization, with the aid of ATLAS.ti version 26. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory served as a sensitizing framework for interpreting the findings of the study.

The results revealed that academic self-concept developed through overcoming socioeconomic and cultural challenges, including discrimination, bullying, and financial constraints, while drawing on family, peer, and community support, with spiritual commitment, personal goals, and resilience serving as critical sustaining factors. Through an ecological lens, these influences operated across microsystem (family, peers, teachers), mesosystem (school-community connections), exosystem (scholarship policies), macrosystem [cultural values, discrimination, Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA)], and chronosystem (historical marginalization). Graduates perceived their Sama Dilaut identity as an empowering force rather than a barrier, integrating cultural values, multilingual skills, and community-oriented responsibilities to achieve academic success and personal empowerment, resulting in transformative benefits, including increased confidence, leadership capabilities, social recognition, and financial stability.

The findings underscore the need for enhanced community-school collaboration, expanded financial assistance programs, culturally responsive curricula aligned with the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act (IPRA), and leadership development opportunities for Indigenous students. Policies should recognize cultural identity as an asset while addressing the systemic barriers to educational access and success.