Children's peer relationships, well-being, and academic achievement: the mediating role of academic competence

Ana-Maria Țepordei; Alexandra S Zancu; Loredana R Diaconu-Gherasim; Irina Crumpei-Tanasă; Cornelia Măirean; Dorina Sălăvăstru; Adrian V Labăr

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1174127

Children's peer relationships, well-being, and academic achievement: the mediating role of academic competence

Front Psychol. 2023 May 12:14:1174127. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1174127. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Ana-Maria Țepordei¹, Alexandra S Zancu¹, Loredana R Diaconu-Gherasim¹, Irina Crumpei-Tanasă¹, Cornelia Măirean¹, Dorina Sălăvăstru¹, Adrian V Labăr¹

Affiliation

¹ Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași, Romania.

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the interplay among two indicators of children's school peer relationships (i.e., peer acceptance and perceived number of friends) and two significant life domains (i.e., global life satisfaction and academic achievement). We also explored the potential mediating role of the perceived academic competence in these relations. Participants were 650 Romanian primary school students (45.7% boys), aged between 9 and 12 years old (M_age = 10.99). Path analysis showed a direct positive effect of perceived number of friends on children's life satisfaction, as well as a direct positive effect of peer acceptance on academic achievement. Moreover, perceived academic competence mediated the links between each of the two indicators of peer relationships and children's both life satisfaction and achievement. Several implications in the educational contexts are discussed.

Keywords: academic competence; achievement; life satisfaction; peer relationships; primary school.