Exploring the relationships between academic buoyancy, academic self-concept, and academic performance: a study of mathematics and reading among primary school students

Abstract

Academic buoyancy is a construct relevant to the schooling lives of students, defining how they overcome or ‘bounce back’ from everyday academic adversity. The present study was correlational in design and examined academic buoyancy in 191 upper primary-aged students, focusing on its association with reading and mathematics performance, and the extent to which this relationship is mediated by academic self-concept. This research work is important as the first to explore academic buoyancy in upper primary-aged students and across two key academic domains. The participants completed tests measuring academic buoyancy, academic self-concept, and academic performance in mathematics and reading. Structural equation modelling confirmed a significant relationship between academic buoyancy and academic performance via academic self-concept. Findings also confirmed domain-specificity, with significant relationships within mathematics and reading domains, but not across the two domains. In light of these findings, and acknowledging the limitations of our non-longitudinal design, educational applications and new avenues for research into academic buoyancy, academic self-concept, and academic performance are suggested.