Unveiling the relationships among adolescents’ persistent academic possible selves, academic self-concept, self-regulation, and achievement: A Longitudinal and Moderated Mediation Study

ABSTRACT

This study investigates adolescents’ persistent academic possible selves (PAPS), academic self-concept, self-regulation, and achievement in a longitudinal and interactive context (N = 113). The PAPS incorporates future-oriented motivation (i.e., motivation to develop academic possible selves) and future-oriented self-regulated learning (i.e., commitment to utilizing self-regulated learning to achieve those selves). By administering three surveys, I found that adolescents’ PAPS grow over the semester, but the growth did not directly relate to achievement. Additionally, their academic self-concept and self-regulation at the beginning of the semester functioned differently to predict the growth of PAPS. Lastly, PAPS promoted future achievement only when it is mediated by current self-regulation. The mediation effect was robust regardless of the level of academic self-concept and past achievement.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescents
• persistent academic possible selves
• self-regulation
• academic self-concept
• academic achievement

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research at Northern Arizona University [Faculty Grants Program]; College of Education at Northern Arizona University [Startup Grant and Summer Research Funding].