Perceived academic support and academic achievement among Ethiopian first-year university students: the serial mediating roles of academic motivation and resilience.

INTRODUCTION

This study investigates the mediating roles of academic motivation and resilience in the relationship between perceived academic support and academic achievement among Ethiopian first-year university students, addressing a gap in understanding how these protective factors enhance academic achievement during a critical transitional period.

METHODS

A correlational design was employed, collecting data from first-year students at Injibara University. Instruments included the Perceived Academic Support Scale (Gutiérrez et al., validated by Reyes et al.), a revised 20-item Academic Resilience Scale (Cassidy, adapted by Cui, Wang, & Xu for collectivist contexts), and the Multidimensional Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand et al., adapted by Orsini for university settings). Participants were selected via stratified random sampling, stratified by gender and college affiliation. Data collection occurred in two phases: a pilot study ( = 200; 158 male, 42 female) validated the instruments, followed by the main study ( = 503; 403 male, 100 female). Pearson correlation coefficients was used to analyze correlation among the variables. Besides structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the direct and indirect effect of perceived academic support on achievement through the mediators of academic motivation and resilience.

RESULTS

Pearson correlations revealed significant positive associations among perceived academic support, academic motivation, academic resilience, and academic achievement ( < 0.05). Analysis from the structural equation modeling confirmed that academic motivation and resilience fully mediated the relationship between perceived academic support and academic achievement, with robust model fit indices.

DISCUSSION

These findings highlight the critical roles of motivation and resilience as mechanisms linking support to achievement, offering practical implications for educators to bolster student success in the first year. Limitations include the study's focus on a cross-sectional design and a single institution. Future research should explore longitudinal designs and diverse cultural contexts to enhance generalizability.