The Relationship Between Family Emotional Climate and Academic Well-being in Students with a History of Learning Difficulties: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital and Achievement Goals

Abstract

This study addresses the academic challenges faced by students with learning difficulties by examining the mediating role of psychological capital and achievement goals (mastery and performance) in the relationship between family emotional climate (FEC) and academic well-being. The study utilized a cross-sectional correlational design to assess contemporaneous associations between the investigated variables. The sample consisted of 150 high school students with a history of learning difficulties, selected from those who had recorded at special education centers in four districts of Ahvaz during elementary school. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires assessing FEC, psychological capital, achievement goals, and academic well-being. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the hypothesized relationships. This study identified positive associations between psychological capital, mastery goals, and academic well-being (p<0.01), while performance goals showed a negative link to well-being (p<0.01). Interestingly, a positive FEC fostered psychological capital and mastery goals but discouraged performance goals, with no direct effect on well-being (p<0.01). results revealed that psychological capital and achievement goals significantly mediated the positive relationship between FEC and academic well-being (p<0.01). In other words, FEC fostered students' psychological capital and mastery goals, which in turn, led to greater academic well-being. Interestingly, this analysis suggests that the beneficial effect of a positive family environment on academic well-being is achieved indirectly, through its influence on these psychological resources. These results suggest that supportive family environments promote academic success by fostering specific psychological resources, rather than directly impacting well-being.