The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies in the Relationships between Effortful Control and Academic Buoyancy and Social Self-Efficacy in Sixth Graders

The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate the mediatibng role of coping strategies in the relationships between effortful control and academic buoyancy and social self-efficacy. In line with this objective, 388 sixth graders, i.e. 206 boys and 182 girls from Yazd, Iran, and their mothers took part in this study. Participants were selected by cluster sampling. Considering data collection, the students completed the Academic Buoyancy, the Self-Efficacy, and the Stress Response Questionnaires and their mothers filled out the Child Behavior Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was then run for analyzing the obtained data. Based on the results, effortful control could positively predict social self-efficacy both directly and indirectly through the mediating role of engagement coping. In addition, effortful control could positively predict academic buoyancy through the mediating role of engagement coping. Disengagement coping, however, did not have a mediating role and was a negative predictor of both academic buoyancy and social self-efficacy. The overall results of this study showed that an increase in students' effortful control and ability to deal with stressful issues would be accompanied with an increase in their academic buoyancy and social self-efficacy.