Network analysis of academic achievement and psychological characteristics of secondary school adolescents.

Abstract

In this study, network analysis was conducted using an exploratory approach on the variables of self-efficacy, academic resilience (AR), cognitive test anxiety and academic achievement (ACH), which are frequently examined in educational research. Data were collected from a total of 828 Turkish secondary school adolescents (51.9% female), using three different self-reported scales for self-efficacy, AR and cognitive test anxiety, as well as an ACH scale. The data were analyzed using regularized partial correlation network analysis (EBICglasso). The results show that academic self-efficacy (ASE) stands out among the variables of the study and that there is a positive relationship between ASE and all other variables except cognitive test anxiety. Besides, increasing students' ASE and AR levels plays a notable role in increasing their ACH levels. By providing new evidence on the relationships among these variables, this study offers insights that may inspire educational policy interventions.