The Relationship Between Family Emotional Climate and Academic Well-being in Students with a History of Learning Difficulties: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and Achievement Goals

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MSc, Department of Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Corresponding author, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract
This study addresses the academic challenges faced by students with learning difficulties by examining the mediating role of psychological capital and achievement goals (mastery and performance) in the relationship between family emotional climate (FEC) and academic well-being. The study utilized a cross-sectional correlational design to assess contemporaneous associations between the investigated variables. The sample consisted of 150 high school students with a history of learning difficulties, selected from those who had recorded at special education centers in four districts of Ahvaz during elementary school. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires assessing FEC, psychological capital, achievement goals, and academic well-being. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the hypothesized relationships. This study identified positive associations between psychological capital, mastery goals, and academic well-being (p<0.01), while performance goals showed a negative link to well-being (p<0.01). Interestingly, a positive FEC fostered psychological capital and mastery goals but discouraged performance goals, with no direct effect on well-being (p<0.01). results revealed that psychological capital and achievement goals significantly mediated the positive relationship between FEC and academic well-being (p<0.01). In other words, FEC fostered students' psychological capital and mastery goals, which in turn, led to greater academic well-being. Interestingly, this analysis suggests that the beneficial effect of a positive family environment on academic well-being is achieved indirectly, through its influence on these psychological resources. These results suggest that supportive family environments promote academic success by fostering specific psychological resources, rather than directly impacting well-being.

Keywords

Subjects

Afzali, L., & Esmaili, S. (2019). Relationship between goal orientation (with mediator of educational resilience) and academic engagement. Empowering Exceptional Children, 10(2), 216-226. https://doi.org/10.22034/ceciranj.2019.95991
Aghdar, A., Allipour, S., & Shehni Yeilagh, M. (2020). The Relationship between executive functions and self-regulated academic learning regarding the mediating role of metacognition and working memory among university students. Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory, 2(8), 73-82. https://doi.org/10.22034/iepa.2020.236019.1178
Ajam, A. A., & Davari, S. (2018). The Relationship between psychological capital and academic welfare of students of nursing faculty of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences. Iranian Journal of Rehabilitation Research in Nursing, 4(4), 53-58. http://ijrn.ir/article-1-356-fa.html
Al-Qadri, A. H., Zhao, W., Li, M., Al-Khresheh, M. H., & Boudouaia, A. (2021). The prevalence of the academic learning difficulties: An observation tool. Heliyon, 7(10), e08164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08164
Al-Shaer, E. A., Aliedan, M. M., Zayed, M. A., Elrayah, M., & Moustafa, M. A. (2024). Mental health and quality of life among university students with disabilities: The moderating role of religiosity and social connectedness. Sustainability, 16(2).
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W H Freeman/Times Books/ Henry Holt & Co.
Birang Khojastehpour, P., Dortaj, F., & Ghaemi, F. (2022). Providing a structural model of social-emotional competence based on psychology capital with mediation of career motivation among primary school teachers. Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory, 5(19), 19-26. https://doi.org/10.22034/iepa.2022.169613
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
Deng, Y., Cherian, J., Khan, N. U. N., Kumari, K., Sial, M. S., Comite, U., Gavurova, B., & Popp, J. (2022). Family and academic stress and their impact on students' depression level and academic performance. Front Psychiatry, 13, 869337. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.869337
Elliot, A. J., & McGregor, H. A. (2001). A 2 X 2 achievement goal framework. J Pers Soc Psychol, 80(3), 501-519. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.80.3.501
Evans, D., Borriello, G. A., & Field, A. P. (2018). A review of the academic and psychological impact of the transition to secondary education. Front Psychol, 9, 1482. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01482
Fejes, J. B. (2023). Unpacking classroom goal structures based on students’ own words. Social Psychology of Education, 26(2), 433-472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-022-09753-z
Floyd, F. J., & Olsen, D. L. (2017). Family-peer linkages for children with intellectual disability and children with learning disabilities. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 52, 203–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2017.08.001
Hickey, E. J., Nix, R. L., & Hartley, S. L. (2019). Family emotional climate and children with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord, 49(8), 3244-3256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04037-6
Hoffman, J. A., & Miller, E. A. (2020). Addressing the consequences of school closure due to COVID-19 on children's physical and mental well-being. World Medical & Health Policy, 12(3), 300-310. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.365
Hossain, S., O'Neill, S., & Strnadová, I. (2023). What constitutes student well-being: A scoping review of students' perspectives? Child Indic Res, 16(2), 447-483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-022-09990-w
Kapetanovic, S., & Skoog, T. (2021). The role of the family's emotional climate in the links between parent-adolescent communication and adolescent psychosocial functioning. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol, 49(2), 141-154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00705-9
Kord, B. (2018). The relationship between achievement goals and academic success: the investigation of mediating role of academic self-efficacy. Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory, 1(2), 45-51. https://doi.org/10.22034/iepa.2018.83704
Li, R., Che Hassan, N., & Saharuddin, N. (2023). Psychological capital related to academic outcomes among university students: A systematic literature review. Psychol Res Behav Manag, 16, 3739-3763. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.S421549
Liu, D., & Du, R. (2024). Psychological capital, mindfulness, and teacher burnout: insights from Chinese EFL educators through structural equation modeling. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1351912. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1351912
Luebbe, A. M., & Bell, D. J. (2014). Positive and negative family emotional climate differentially predict youth anxiety and depression via distinct affective pathways. J Abnorm Child Psychol, 42(6), 897-911. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-013-9838-5
Luthans, F., Avolio, B. J., Avey, J. B., & Norman, S. M. (2007). Positive psychological capital: Measurement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Personnel Psychology, 60(3), 541-572. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2007.00083.x
Miki, K., & Yamauchi, H. (2005). Perceptions of classroom goal structures, personal achievement goal orientations, and learning strategies. Shinrigaku Kenkyu, 76(3), 260-268. https://doi.org/10.4992/jjpsy.76.260
Mishra, S., & Shanwal, V. K. (2014). Role of family environment in developing self-efficacy of adolescents. Integrated Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1), 3. https://www.pubs.iscience.in/journal/index.php/ijss/article/view/149
Mohammadi, N., Ebrahimi Ghavam, S., & Dortaj, F. (2022). Modeling academic emotions based on the quality of parent-child relationships mediated by the psychological capital. Iranian Journal of Learning and Memory, 4(16), 7-18. https://doi.org/10.22034/iepa.2022.147358
Mohsenabadi, H., Fathi-Ashtiani, A., & Ahmadizadeh, M. J. (2022). Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the psychological capital questionnaire-24 (PCQâ24) in a Military Unit. Journal of Military Medicine, 23(9), 738-749. https://doi.org/10.30491/JMM.23.9.738
Moradi, M., Soleimani, A., Shahabzadeh, S., Sabaghian, H., & Dehghanizadeh, M. (2016). Testing for the factor structure and measurement of internal consistency of the Iranian version of academic well-being questionnaire. Quarterly of Educational Measurement, 7(26), 123-148. https://doi.org/10.22054/jem.2017.476.1018
Ouyang, Y., Ding, D., & Xu, X. (2022). Problem behaviors of adolescents: The role of family socioeconomic status, parental educational expectations, and adolescents' confidence in the future. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 19(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315442
Rezayi, A., Jahan, F., & Rahimi, M. (2016). Academic performance: The role of achievement goals and achievement motivation. Educational Psychology, 12(42), 155-171. https://doi.org/10.22054/jep.2016.7387
Rusticus, S. A., Wilson, D., Jarus, T., O'Flynn-Magee, K., & Albon, S. (2022). Exploring student perceptions of the learning environment in four health professions education programs. Learn Environ Res, 25(1), 59-73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-021-09349-y
Saberi Fard, F., & Hajiarbabi, F. (2019). The relationship between family emotional climate with emotional self-regulation and resilience in university’s students. Shenakht, 6(1), 49-63. https://doi.org/10.29252/shenakht.6.1.49
Samari Safa, J., & Poordel, M. (2022). Developing an academic burnout model based on family emotional climate, psychological capital, purposefulness, procrastination and academic involvement of graduate students. Counseling Culture and Psycotherapy, 13(49), 131-162. https://doi.org/10.22054/qccpc.2021.58418.2628
Tang, L., & Zhu, X. (2024). Academic self-efficacy, grit, and teacher support as predictors of psychological well-being of Chinese EFL students. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1332909. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1332909
Tian, L., Yu, T., & Huebner, E. S. (2017). Achievement goal orientations and adolescents' subjective well-being in school: The mediating roles of academic social comparison directions. Front Psychol, 8 (37). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00037
Tuominen-Soini, H., Salmela-Aro, K., & Niemivirta, M. (2012). Achievement goal orientations and academic well-being across the transition to upper secondary education. Learning and Individual Differences, 22(3), 290-305. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2012.01.002
Widlund, A., Tuominen, H., & Korhonen, J. (2018). Academic well-being, mathematics performance, and educational aspirations in lower secondary education: Changes within a school year. Front Psychol, 9, 297. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00297
Yang, S., & Wang, W. (2022). The role of academic resilience, motivational intensity and their relationship in EFL learners' academic achievement. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 823537. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.823537
Yousefi, N., & Pariyad, M. (2020). The relationship between family emotional climate and epistemological beliefs with academic performance among fourth year high school students in Bukan. Journal of School Psychology, 9(3), 307-324. https://doi.org/10.22098/jsp.2020.1078
Yu, J., Wang, Y., Tang, X., Wu, Y., Tang, X., & Huang, J. (2021). Impact of family cohesion and adaptability on academic burnout of Chinese college students: Serial mediation of peer support and positive psychological capital. Front Psychol, 12, 767616. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767616
Yu, X., Wang, X., Zheng, H., Zhen, X., Shao, M., Wang, H., & Zhou, X. (2023). Academic achievement is more closely associated with student-peer relationships than with student-parent relationships or student-teacher relationships. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1012701
Zhao, N., Zhai, Y., Chen, X., Li, M., Li, P., Ye, K., & Wen, H. (2020). Psychometric properties of achievement goal constructs for Chinese students. Front Psychol, 11, 531568. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.531568
Zhong, J., Wen, J., & Li, K. (2023). Do achievement goals differently orient students' academic engagement through learning strategy and academic self-efficacy and vary by grade? Psychol Res Behav Manag, 16, 4779-4797. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.S424593