Understanding the link between grit and academic anxiety: The mediating roles of growth mindset, academic resilience, and academic well-being
Keywords:
Grit, Growth mindset, Academic resilience, Academic well-being, Academic anxiety, Grit, Growth mindset, Academic resilience, Academic well-beingAbstract
Mental health challenges among adolescents are an issue that we must take seriously and that must be addressed, particularly for high school students. Grit, defined as perseverance of effort and consistency of interest toward long-term goals, has shown potential for being a protective factor against academic anxiety. Still, the underlying psychology of how the different facets of grit function in mitigating anxiety remains vague. The present study focuses on analyzing the potential mediating roles of a growth mindset, academic resilience, and academic well-being in the relationship between grit and academic anxiety among high school students. This quantitative study implemented a correlational design and consists of a sample of 294 students from SMA Negeri 2 Surakarta that were chosen through stratified cluster random sampling. The data were analyzed through SmartPLS 3.0 software and Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) in order to assess several mediation and direct effects. The path analysis results showed that academic resilience, academic well-being, and growth mindset had a negative and significant effect on academic anxiety. Meanwhile, grit did not show a significant direct effect on academic anxiety. However, the mediation analysis results showed that grit had a significant indirect effect on academic anxiety through growth mindset, academic resilience, and academic well-being. These findings indicate that the influence of grit on academic anxiety is primarily channeled through students’ internal psychological resources. This suggests that interventions aimed at reducing academic anxiety should focus not only on strengthening perseverance, but also on developing growth mindset, academic resilience, and academic well-being. Schools may design structured programs, such as resilience training and mindset-oriented learning strategies, to enhance students’ adaptive coping capacities. By reinforcing these internal resources, educational institutions can more effectively mitigate anxiety and promote healthier academic functioning.
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