The Role of Grit in Mediating the Relationship Between Academic Self-Efficacy and School Performance

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of grit in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and school performance among high school students. Methods and Materials: This descriptive correlational study was conducted with a sample of 392 high school students from the United States, selected based on Morgan and Krejcie’s sample size table. Participants completed standardized instruments measuring academic self-efficacy, grit, and self-reported GPA as an indicator of school performance. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-27 for descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation, and AMOS-21 for Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the mediating effects and model fit. Findings: Descriptive results showed relatively high levels of academic self-efficacy (M = 38.24, SD = 6.87), grit (M = 42.17, SD = 5.94), and school performance (M = 3.42, SD = 0.36). Pearson correlation results indicated significant positive relationships between academic self-efficacy and grit (r = .51, p < .001), academic self-efficacy and school performance (r = .47, p < .001), and grit and school performance (r = .55, p < .001). SEM results confirmed the mediating role of grit, with acceptable model fit indices (X²/df = 2.34, GFI = .95, CFI = .96, RMSEA = .059). Both direct (β = .21, p = .008) and indirect (β = .18, p < .001) effects from academic self-efficacy to school performance were statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings highlight grit as a partial mediator in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and school performance, indicating that students' belief in their academic abilities enhances academic outcomes both directly and indirectly through perseverance and consistency. Educational efforts to develop both self-efficacy and grit may play a key role in promoting academic success in high school students.