Meysam Naseri - Department of Counseling, Quchan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran
Aboutaleb Seadatee Shamir - Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, Bojnourd University, Bojnourd, Iran

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness ofcognitive-skills training to enhance self-directed skills in firstgrade female students of secondary high school of Shirvan city.Materials and method: By employing a quasi-experimentalmethod, a total of 40 students were randomly selected and dividedin two control and experimental group (20 each group). Fisher’sself-directed questionnaire (2001) was employed for theassessment of self-directed skills. After pretest cognitive skilltraining was performed for 16 sessions for experimental group.Results: The results of ANCOVA revealed that cognitive skilltraining can increase self-directed skills of experimental group andmake a significant difference between two groups I holding selfdirectedskills.Conclusion: cognitive skill training enhance students' interest inacademic study and help them learn the academic skills perfectlyand appropriately employee self-directed skills in academicsetting.

Cognitive skills, Self-directed, High school students