Predictors of academic grades: The role of interest, effort, and stress

Abstract

During adolescence, experiences of stress tend to increase due to individual, social and scholastic changes and challenges which pose a risk for students’ academic development. However, effort and interest may function as protective factors within the relationship of stress and academic grades. Specifically, in this study it is explored whether different aspects of stress – namely, ability to cope and helplessness – influence grit (interest and effort), and if grit explains the association between stress and academic grades. A total of N = 733 6th to 8th graders participated in a survey. The results from Structural Equation Modeling showed that ability to cope had a positive effect on effort, while helplessness had a negative effect on interest. Finally, grit mediated the relationship between stress and academic grades. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed to prevent negative effects of stress on students’ academic development.