The Relationship Between Psychological Capital and Teacher–Student Relationship Quality with Students’ Academic Engagement
Keywords:
Academic Engagement, Psychological Capital, Hope, Self-Efficacy, Teacher–Student Relationship Quality, Teacher SupportAbstract
This study aimed to determine the relationship between psychological capital and teacher–student relationship quality with academic engagement among high school students in Urmia. This study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all male and female high school students in Urmia during the 2021–2022 academic year. Based on the Krejcie and Morgan table, 384 students, including 195 females and 189 males, were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through both in-person and online procedures. The research instruments included the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and the Teacher–Student Relationship Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and simultaneous multiple regression analysis in SPSS version 19. Pearson correlation analysis showed that self-efficacy (r=0.57), hope (r=0.62), resilience (r=0.26), optimism (r=0.51), and overall teacher–student relationship quality (r=0.35) were positively and significantly associated with academic engagement (P<0.01). The multiple regression model was statistically significant (F=54.501, P<0.001) and explained 49% of the variance in academic engagement. In the final regression model, hope (β=0.32, P<0.001), self-efficacy (β=0.23, P<0.001), teacher support (β=0.26, P<0.001), and optimism (β=0.15, P=0.002) were significant positive predictors of academic engagement, whereas resilience, communication, and alienation did not make statistically significant unique contributions to the model. The findings indicate that psychological capital, particularly hope and self-efficacy, together with perceived teacher support, plays an important role in students’ academic engagement. Accordingly, school-based interventions aimed at strengthening positive psychological resources and enhancing supportive teacher–student interactions may contribute to greater motivation, participation, persistence, and engagement in academic activities among high school students.
Downloads
References
Aghajani, S., Amirian, K., Nouri Laski, S., Khademi, R., & Zarei Norouzi, M. (2024). Providing a Model of Cigarette Consumption Tendency among Students Based on Emotion Regulation and Perceived Social Support with the Mediating Role of Academic Burnout. Research in Social Psychology(55), 49-70.
Amera, F. B. (2025). The Impact of Psychological Capital on University Students’ Academic Achievement Mediated Through Academic Engagement. Bje, 25(2), 139-160. https://doi.org/10.4314/10.4314/bdje.v25i2.9
Azarbakht, F., Karbalaye Herfeh, F. S., & Salimi, S. (2024). The Role of Psychological Capital and Self-Regulation in Students' Academic Enthusiasm with the Mediation of Cognitive Styles of Witkin: Case Study of Female Students Aged 16 to 18 in the Second Cycle of High School in Zahedan. Journal of Psychological Sciences, 23(139), 179-194.
Boonstra, M., Lichtwarck, A., Eddie, A., & Nathalie, D. (2020). Fostering Student Engagement with Motivating Teaching: An Observation Study of Teacher and Student Behaviours. Research Papers in Education, 35(1), 26-41.
Eraghamand, N., & Kazemian Moghadam, K. (2019). Examining the Relationship between Family Emotional Climate and Perception of School Environment with Academic Enthusiasm of Female High School Students in Ahvaz. Journal of Family Research(45), 144-159.
Farajzadeh, P., Ghanbari, A., Charami, M., & Sharifi, T. (2020). The Effectiveness of Psychological Capital Training on Academic Procrastination of Female Student-Teachers with Low Academic Enthusiasm. Journal of Research on Classroom and Virtual Learning, 4(4), 31-42.
Fattahi, A., Jadidi, H., Ahmadian, H., & Moradi, A. (2021). Effectiveness of Academic Resilience Training Package, School Attachment, Academic Self-Concept and Academic Engagement on Academic Adjustment. Studies in Educational Psychology, 18(43), 63-84.
Fiyezi, L., Sharbatian, M., & Arab, A. (2024). Predicting Academic Enthusiasm Based on Academic Hope with the Mediating Role of Academic Vitality in High School Students from the Perspective of Educators in District 7 of Mashhad. Journal of Cultural and Social Studies of Khorasan, 2(2), 1-38.
Jasem, R. A., Torkan, H., Jabr, A. M., & Mahdad, A. (2025). The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital in the Relationship Between Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Engagement, and Academic Meaningfulness With Academic Achievement Among Students in Wasit, Iraq. Jayps, 6(3), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.jayps.6.3.1
Keane, K., & Evans, R. R. (2022). The Potential for Teacher-Student Relationships and the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model to Mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences. Journal of School Health, 92(5), 504-513.
Kim, M., Kim, A. C. H., Newman, J. I., Ferris, G. R., & Perrewé, P. L. (2019). The Antecedents and Consequences of Positive Organizational Behavior: The Role of Psychological Capital for Promoting Employee Well-Being in Sport Organizations. Sport Management Review, 22(2), 108-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2018.06.002
Liu, Y., Gao, S., & Li, Q. (2024). Student Engagement in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Review of Antecedents, Consequences, and Interventions. Journal of Higher Education, 13(1), 1-22.
Martinez, M., Morgan, C. M., Chambel, M. J., Marques, A., & Pinto, A. (2019). Antecedents of Academic Performance of University Students: Academic Engagement and Psychological Capital Resources. Educational Psychology, 39(8), 1047-1067. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2018.1453866
Miri Akbarzadeh, Z., Khanjarkhani, M., & Nastizaei, N. (2021). The Relationship between Quality of Life in School with Academic Self-Concept, Psychological Well-Being, and Academic Enthusiasm. Journal of Rooyesh Psychology(1), 63-74.
Mirzaei, A., & Harandi, R. (2020). Predicting Academic Performance Based on Psychological Capital Components and Psychological Hardiness. Studies in Educational Psychology(39), 123-144.
Mobaraki, S., Rostami Asal, S., Qasabi, S., & Asadi, S. (2024). Psychological Capital and Its Role in Students' Academic Motivation. Journal of Sexual Disorders and Psychological Disorders, 2(3), 608-621.
Mostafa-Zadeh, A., Taghavi, D., & Pirani, Z. (2021). Developing a Model of Academic Enthusiasm Based on Self-Efficacy Strategy with the Mediation of Emotional Intelligence in Secondary School Students in Marivan. Journal of Applied Psychological Research(1), 127-143.
Narimani, M., Salmani, A., Sharai, A., & Bagheri, J. (2023). Examining the Role of Academic Engagement in Predicting Adolescents' Attitude towards Responsibility Third National Conference on Clinical Psychology of Children and Adolescents,
Olivier, E., Archambault, I., & Dupéré, V. (2020). Do Needs for Competence and Relatedness Mediate the Risk of Low Engagement of Students with Behavior and Social Problem Profiles? Learning and Individual Differences, 78, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2020.10186
Olsen, J. A., & Huang, F. L. (2021). The Association between Student Socioeconomic Status and Student–Teacher Relationships on Math Achievement. School Psychology, 36(6), 464-474. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000412
Rahmani Dar Yaseri, M., Yavari Nia, S., & Sepehrian Azar, F. (2020). Predicting Academic Achievement Based on Spiritual Intelligence, Hope, and Responsibility in Female Third-Grade High School Students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 16(56), 181-196.
Saberi, M., Mohammadi, A., & Shirinkam, M. (2021). The Relationship of Enthusiasm, Academic Help-Seeking, and Academic Persistence with Academic Vitality in Medical Science Students. Journal of Educational Strategies in Medical Sciences, 4(6), 387-394.
Sadeghi, M., Abbasi, M., & Biranvand, Z. (2019). The Effectiveness of Positive Thinking Skills Based on the Cooleyam Package on Academic Optimism and Academic Enthusiasm of Female Students. Journal of School Psychology(4), 156-219.
Sadoughi, M. (2019). The Relationship between Psychological Capital and Academic Burnout in Medical Science Students: The Mediating Role of Academic Enthusiasm. Journal of Razi Medical Sciences(1), 10-15.
Shafi'i, S., & Romeshkaniyan, A. (2020). Examining Psychological Capital in Students. Journal of Research and Islamic Studies, 14, 47-54.
Sheikh-ol-Eslami, A., & Qomi, N. (2021). The Effectiveness of Optimism Skills Training on Academic Burnout of Students with Poor Academic Performance. Journal of Studies in Educational Psychology(43), 1-16.
Songhori, M. H., & Salamti, K. (2024). The Linkage Between University Students’ Academic Engagement and Academic Support: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital. Ijes, 7(2), 72-84. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.ijes.7.2.10
Spitzer, M., Gutsfeld, R., Wirzberger, K., & Moeller, H. (2021). Evaluating Students’ Engagement with an Online Learning Environment during and after COVID-19-Related School Closures: A Survival Analysis Approach. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 25, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2021.100145
Talbardzadeh, S., Soleimanpour, A., & Esmaili, B. (2019). The Relationship between Psychological Capital and Exam Anxiety with the Mediating Role of Self-Confidence in Students. Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 1(1), 181-198.
Tavakoli, Y., Rahmani, H., Tavakoli, R., & Tavakoli, A. (2021). Designing and Explaining the Role of the Teacher in Creating Academic Achievement Motivation in Students: A Narrative Inquiry Qualitative Study. Journal of Scientific-Study of Internship in Teacher Education, 1(4), 31-52.
Toumaj, A., Mohammadifar, M. A., & Tale Pasand, S. (2025). The Relationship of Media Literacy and Psychological Capital with Students' Academic Engagement: Testing the Mediating Role of Social Cognition. Quarterly Journal of Psychology(115), 443-453.
Yousefi, N., Sharifi, N., & Pasha Sharifi, H. (2019). The Mediating Role of Academic Motivation in the Relationship between Psychological Capital and Academic Burnout. Journal of Research on Educational Systems, 12, 49-66.
Downloads
Publication Timeline
- Submitted
- Revised
- Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 1404 هانیه کاظم یار (نویسنده); جواد کریمی (نویسنده مسئول); یداله قاسمی پور (نویسنده)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
