Anxiety, emotional regulation and academic performance in early primary students: impact of an intervention

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between anxiety, emotional regulation, and academic performance in early Primary Education, examining the effects of an intervention targeting emotional skills. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and posttests was implemented, involving 430 first- and second-grade students. Through a linear mixed model, the interactions between different time points (pretest–posttest) and groups (control and experimental) are analyzed. Additionally, a Structural Equation Model (SEM) is conducted to analyze the relationships between anxiety, emotional regulation, and academic performance before and after the intervention. Intervention, based on an emotional competencies model, enhances emotional regulation. Regarding the SEM model, the results indicate a negative relationship between anxiety and academic performance and a positive relationship between emotional regulation and performance. Emotional regulation acts as a mediator in this relationship, but only after the intervention. These findings highlight the importance of developing emotional competencies in primary education to improve well-being and academic performance, although more specific interventions are needed to reduce anxiety. This study provides new perspectives on how emotional regulation and anxiety influence academic performance in the early school years.