Current Psychology

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02023-9

Academic self-efficacy and school burnout in university students:

Assessment of the mediating role of grit
Mehmet Buğra ÖZHAN 1

Accepted: 20 June 2021

# The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021

Abstract
This study investigated whether grit had a mediation role between academic self-efficacy and school burnout in university
students. The study group of this research consisted of a total of 390 students from the educational faculties of two universities
in Turkey, including 307 females (78.7%) and 83 males (21.3%). The study data were collected using a Personal Information
Form (PIF), the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASAS), the Short Grit Scale (GRIT-S), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-
Student Survey (MBI-SS). Pearson product-moment correlation analysis, regression analysis for mediation, and the bootstrap
analysis for the significance test of the mediation effect were used in the analysis of the study data. As a result of the study, it was
found that grit had a positive correlation with academic self-efficacy and a negative correlation with school burnout. Regression-
based bootstrapping results showed that grit had a mediation role in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and school
burnout.

Keywords Academic self-efficacy . Grit . School burnout

Introduction experienced by students who go through such challenging

University life is a challenging period for individuals in that
while they try to survive on their own, they also spend efforts
to complete their academic development (Asikainen et al.,
2020; Özhan & Boyacı, 2018). The university period, which
has an important role in shaping the future of the individual
and society, is seen as one of the important turning points in
the lives of individuals (Bulfone et al., 2020; Huizi &
Xianwei, 2018). For this reason, it is of great significance to
raise awareness about physical, mental, and organizational
factors that may affect students’ success and to minimize the
potential negative effects of these factors. Increased academic
and social expectations of achievement from the individual
during university life inevitably lead to serious expectations
in students (Vizoso et al., 2019). Apart from these expecta-
tions of achievement, the addition of expectations and pres-
sures of family and university can cause serious psychological
symptoms (Özhan & Boyacı, 2018). When the relevant liter-
ature is examined, it can be seen that one of the problems
* Mehmet Buğra ÖZHAN
mehmet.ozhan@atauni.edu.tr
1
Counseling and Guidance, Faculty of Education, Ataturk University,
Erzurum, Turkey
processes is academic burnout (Shankland et al., 2019;
Vizoso et al., 2019). When individuals are unable to cope with
stress sources that arise in their life or do not know how to
cope, the result is burnout that emerges as a physical and
emotional response (Boyacı & Özhan, 2018).
Burnout, a term which is previously used only in business
life, has been widely used in various fields, especially in aca-
demic development (Aguayo et al., 2019; Demir & Peker,
2017; Çapri et al., 2011). Generally speaking, burnout can
be defined as the state of weariness or exhaustion that occurs
as a result of intensive use of personal resources in the face of
intense stress experienced by the individual (Maslach, 1982;
Robins et al., 2018). Today, burnout is seen as one of the
important mental problems that can be seen in almost all age
groups (Asikainen et al., 2020; Bilgiz & Peker, 2021). It is
known that the intense stress caused by the difficulties of
university life is among the important causes of academic
burnout that negatively affects the academic development of
the individual (Asikainen et al., 2020; Vizoso et al., 2019).
According to the literature, burnout, which negatively affects
the life of the individual, consists of three dimensions:
exhaustion, cynicism (loss of interest in school), and inade-
quacy at school (Bask & ve Salmela-Aro, 2013; Çapri et al.,
2011). If necessary precautions are not taken and supportive
studies are not carried out, this burnout can cause many

different problems, ranging from academic problems to school
dropout (Lackritz, 2004). With the positive perspective show-
ing its effect in the field of psychology, nowadays, the impor-
tance of the provision of preventive mental health services
before problems arise in educational settings in different coun-
tries of the world is emphasized (Snyder & Lopez, 2009).
From this point of view, this study, which aims to gain in-
sights into school burnout, is thought to contribute to psycho-
logical counselors, teachers, and school administrators work-
ing in guidance and psychological counseling (GPC) services
in planning developmental and preventive studies.
Determining the positive characteristics of students at uni-
versity, such as self-efficacy and grit, will be effective in un-
derstanding and controlling problems, such as school burnout
and drop-out (Adams et al., 2020; Akyüz et al., 2016).
Academic self-efficacy, one of the variables of this study,
was defined by Bandura (1997) as “beliefs in one’s capacity
to organize and successfully carry out the courses of action
required to perform in a certain field.” Self-efficacy belief
involves four basic sources, namely, individual’s performance
experiences, emotional state, indirect experiences, and verbal
persuasion (Akyüz et al., 2016; Yılmaz et al., 2007).
Exhibiting self-efficacy in the academic field is referred to as
academic self-efficacy in the literature (Song & Luo, 2018).
Academic self-efficacy is people’s beliefs in their capacity to
organize and carry out activities that are necessary to achieve
pre-planned educational expectations (Gutiérrez &
Tomás, 2019; Yılmaz et al., 2007). Students with high aca-
demic self-efficacy tend to approach learning activities more
willingly and voluntarily, make a great effort, use more effec-
tive methods by showing long-lasting resistance and patience
against difficulties, and show higher performance than stu-
dents with weak beliefs (Gebauer et al., 2019; Fernandez-
Rio et al., 2017).
Many studies have shown that students must have high
academic self-efficacy beliefs (Adams et al., 2020; Gutiérrez
& Tomás, 2019; Yılmaz et al., 2007). Besides, various studies
around the world have shown that academic self-efficacy be-
liefs have an effect on academic performance (Fernandez-Rio
et al., 2017; Virtanen et al., 2016). University life is a period
when individuals are in an intense learning process. In this
period, individuals perform different learning activities both
academically and socially. Students spend a lot of effort while
performing such learning and struggle hard for achieving
learning. If a student thinks that their effort is not enough, they
will not learn enough and will not try to be successful in
exams. This suggests that the effects of structures, such as grit
and endurance, in self-efficacy on learning should be exam-
ined (Yılmaz et al., 2007). Self-efficacy belief plays an impor-
tant role in identifying how determined individuals are in the
face of challenging life events and in producing solutions
(Akyüz et al., 2016).
Curr Psychol
The Mediating Role of Grit
Grit, another variable included in the study to understand
school burnout, is defined as the excessive desire and deter-
mination to achieve long-term goals despite every obstacle
(Brooks & Seipel, 2018; Duckworth & Quinn, 2009).
Individuals must stand behind the decisions they make and
show strong will so that they can be successful. Eventually,
they will achieve their goals thanks to their grit (Özhan
& Boyacı, 2018; Sarıçam et al., 2016). When handled in terms
of students, the concept of grit refers to a great endurance,
patience, and persistence which aim to ensure the student’s
achievement under every condition and environment, to espe-
cially correct mental states that occur as a result of long-term
studies, and to help students overcome these obstacles
(Fabelico & Afalla, 2020; Kim, 2019). Grit is a concept that
should be considered as a social and emotional skill and
should be given importance so that individuals can be success-
ful in their life (Brooks & Seipel, 2018). Some studies have
shown that individual’s grit is positively associated with var-
iables, such as academic achievement, self-efficacy, self-reg-
ulation, happiness, psychological capital, and hope (Kim,
2019; Kim et al., 2018; Sarıçam et al., 2016). Burnout actually
means that the student shows a general withdrawal
(Zábrodská et al., 2018). In this context, a negative relation-
ship is expected between grit and burnout. In addition, some
studies have indicated that grit is closely related to self-regu-
lation, self-discipline, and goal orientation (Duckworth &
Quinn, 2009; Gruenberg et al., 2019). Considering that there
is a positive relationship between grit and self-efficacy, it is
thought that grit plays a role in the relationship between school
burnout and academic self-efficacy.
Aim and the Hypotheses of the Research
According to the current literature, school burnout is an im-
portant factor that negatively affects students’ academic
achievement (May et al., 2015) and mental health (Cadime
et al., 2016). In other words, school burnout is considered an
important risk for many developmental processes, including
especially students’ school achievement and well-being
(Özhan & Yüksel, 2021). In addition to these negative effects
on the development processes of individuals, it is thought that
the emergence of school burnout can be prevented through
different school-based interventions and that it is also possible
to reduce the effects of school burnout on the individual using
various psycho-educational interventions, as well as preven-
tion interventions. Reflecting on this, it is thought that studies
to be carried out to prevent school burnout or reduce its neg-
ative effects on students are important (Romano et al., 2020;
Tang et al., 2021). With this research, it is thought that study-
ing variables of academic self-efficacy, which directly affects
school burnout, and grit, which mediate the effect of academic
Curr Psychol
self-efficacy on school burnout, is of significance. This is
because both academic self-efficacy and grit characteristics
can be developed (Stoffel & Cain, 2018; Merriman, 2012;
Hwang & Nam, 2021; Foulstone & Kelly, 2019). Various
studies have examined the relationship between academic
self-efficacy and grit and school burnout. However, there are
no studies in which academic self-efficacy, grit, and school
burnout variables are examined together by also considering
the mediating role of grit. In this respect, the present study is
considered important in terms of increasing the current knowl-
edge in the literature. From this point of view, this research
aims to draw attention to the direct and indirect effects of
academic self-efficacy and grit on school burnout. Thus,
data-based evidence will be provided for the effects of aca-
demic self-efficacy and grit variables, which are thought to be
two important instruments that can be used to prevent or re-
duce the effects of school burnout. For this purpose, this study
aimed to reveal the relationship between academic self-
efficacy and school burnout in university students and the
mediating role of grit in this relationship. The following hy-
potheses are tested with this research carried out within the
framework of this purpose.
H1: Academic self-efficacy predicts the variable grit pos-
itively and significantly.
H2: Academic self-efficacy negatively and significantly
predicts the variables of exhaustion, cynicism, and ade-
quacy, which are the components of school burnout.
H3: Grit negatively and significantly predicts the vari-
ables of exhaustion, cynicism, and adequacy, which are
the components of school burnout.
H4: Grit has a significant mediating role between aca-
demic self-efficacy and variables of exhaustion, cyni-
cism, and adequacy, which are the components of school
burnout.
Research Method
Design
This study used a quantitative research methodology and was
designed in the correlational model to investigate the mediat-
ing role of grit in the relationship between academic self-
efficacy and school burnout levels of university students.
Research designed in the correlational model provides an op-
portunity to evaluate the relationship pattern between two or
more variables (Cohen et al., 2000; McMillan & Schumacher,
2006). In this respect, correlational studies are conducted to
explain the relationship between two or more variables and to
make inferences about the cause-effect between these vari-
ables (Fraenkel et al., 2012). Consistent with the nature of
correlational studies, in this study, the components of school
burnout, such as exhaustion, cynicism, and adequacy, were
involved in the study as dependent variables, and academic
self-efficacy as an independent variable. Grit, which is the
mediator variable of the study, plays the role of both a depen-
dent and independent variable.
Participants
The study group consisted of a total of 390 students from the
educational faculties of two universities located in the
Marmara and Eastern Anatolia regions of Turkey. Of the par-
ticipants, 307 were female (78.7%) and 83 were male
(21.3%). The research data were collected using the conve-
nience sampling method, which can be considered as a limi-
tation of the study. The ages of the students in the study group
varied between 18 and 40, with a mean age of 22.19 (Sd =
2.96).
Instruments
The Personal Information Form (PIF)
It was created within the scope of this study to collect infor-
mation about the demographic characteristics of the university
students participating in the study. The form includes ques-
tions about age, sex, and the university.
The Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASAS)
The ASAS, which was used to collect information about the
academic self-efficacy levels of the university students partic-
ipating in the study, was developed by Jerusalem and
Schwarzer (1981) and adapted into Turkish by Yılmaz et al.
(2007). The scale, which has a 4-point Likert-type rating struc-
ture and consists of a total of 7 items, measures the academic
self-efficacy levels perceived by university students in one
dimension. Increased scores from the scale mean that academ-
ic self-efficacy levels perceived by the individuals also in-
crease. The validity of the scale was tested with exploratory
factor analysis in the adaptation study, and it was found that
the scale consisting of one dimension explained 45% of the
variance regarding academic self-efficacy and that the con-
struct of the scale was confirmed to be valid. Within the scope
of the adaptation study, the reliability of the scale was ana-
lyzed by calculating the reliability coefficient based on inter-
nal consistency, and this coefficient was found as α = .79 for
the overall scale. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha)
of the scale based on internal consistency was calculated as
α = .85 for the overall scale in the present study.

The Short Grit Scale (GRIT-S)
The GRIT-S, which was used in this study to collect informa-
tion about the grit levels of the university students participat-
ing in the study, was developed by Duckworth and Quinn
(2009) and was adapted to Turkish by Sarıçam et al. (2016).
The scale has a 5-point Likert-type grading system and a total
of 8 items. It measures the grit levels of university students in
two dimensions, namely, “consistency of interest (4 items)”
and “perseverance of effort (4 items)”. Four items of the scale
are reversely scored. Increased scores obtained from both sub-
dimensions and the overall scale mean that the grit levels of
the individuals increase in terms of the sub-dimensions and
general grit. In the adaptation study of the scale, the validity
was tested with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses,
and it was found that that the two-dimensional structure was
statistically valid. Within the scope of the adaptation study, the
reliability of the scale was analyzed by calculating the reliabil-
ity coefficient based on internal consistency, and this coeffi-
cient was found to be α = .83 for the overall scale. In this
study, the reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) of the
scale based on internal consistency was calculated as α = .73
for the overall scale.
The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS)
The MBI-SS, which is used to collect information about the
school burnout levels of university students, was developed
by Schaufeli et al. (2002) and adapted to Turkish by Çapri
et al. (2011). The scale, which has a 5-point Likert-type grad-
ing structure and consists of 13 items in total, measures the
burnout levels of university students under three components,
namely, “exhaustion (5 items)”, “cynicism (4 items)”, and
“adequacy (4 items)”. While evaluating the data obtained
from the scale, items on the exhaustion and cynicism dimen-
sions are scored normally, but items on the adequacy dimen-
sion are scored reversely. Three separate burnout scores of
university students can be calculated through the scale.
Increased scores obtained from the sub-dimensions of the
scale mean that the burnout levels of the individuals increase
in the context of the sub-dimensions. Within the scope of the
adaptation study of the scale, its validity was tested with con-
firmatory factor analysis, and the goodness of fit index values
were calculated as χ2 / df = 2.87, CFI = .98, GFI = .97,
AGFI = .95, SRMR = .037, and RMSEA = .049, and thus the
three-dimensional structure of the scale was found statistically
valid. In the adaptation study of the scale, Cronbach’s alpha
internal consistency coefficients were reported as α = .76 for
exhaustion, α = .82 for cynicism, and α = .61 for adequacy.
The reliability of the scale was re-analyzed for the study group
of this research. Based on the study group of this research, the
reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) of the scale based on
Curr Psychol
internal consistency was calculated as α = .84 for exhaustion,
α = .72 for cynicism, and α = .60 for adequacy.
Data Collection Procedures
The research process was initiated by first obtaining the nec-
essary legal permissions. After obtaining legal permissions
regarding the data collection tools and the process, the mea-
surement tools to be used within the scope of the research
were transformed into an online form by the researcher, and
the research data were collected in an online questionnaire
format via Google Forms. To increase the motivation of the
students participating in the research, the information about
the problem, purpose, and importance of the research and the
necessary instructions regarding the study was added to the
first page of the online questionnaire, and while sending the
link to the students to fill out the questionnaires, it was stated
that the participation was fully voluntary. Thus, data collec-
tion tools employed within the scope of the study were admin-
istered to students who volunteered to participate in the study.
Students were given 7 days to fill out the data collection tools
used in the study, and when the log records were examined, it
was observed that it took the students an average of 15 min to
fill out the data collection tools. At the end of these processes,
data collection tools of the research were administered to a
total of 429 students, and thus the data collection process
was completed.
Data Analysis
After the data collection process had been completed and the
data had been transferred to a computer database, first, the
data set was examined to find out whether there was incom-
plete and/or erroneous data. In the examination and evaluation
of missing data, the acceptable number of items with no re-
sponse was determined to be 5%. At this point, scale batteries
of 21 students containing more than 5% unanswered items
were removed from the data set (Tabachnick & Fidell,
2012). Then, the outliers in the data set and the normality of
the distribution were examined. Univariate outliers in the data
set were analyzed using histogram graphs, box graphs, and
calculated z scores on the IBM SPSS software package.
Outliers deviating from the multivariate normal distribution
were analyzed by calculating the Mahalobonis distance coef-
ficients. At this point, scale batteries of 18 students which
were determined to have outliers were excluded from the data
set of the study. After these examinations, it was decided that
the research data set was cleared from outliers and had normal
distribution as can be seen from the kurtosis and skewness
coefficients (George & Mallery, 2010) presented in Table 1.
After deciding that the data had a normal distribution, the
analysis was carried out on the data obtained from the study
Curr Psychol
Table 1 Correlation values between the variables and descriptive statistics
1 2
(1) Exhaustion – .68**
(2) Cynicism – .38**
(3) Adequacy
(4) A. Self-Efficacy
(5) Grit
x 15.86 11.26
Sd 4.87 3.60
Kurtosis −.53 −.24
Skewness −.01 .17
**p < .01
group consisting of 390 individuals in line with the
hypotheses.
In the analysis of the data, first, descriptive statistics related
to all variables included in the mediation models established
within the scope of the research were calculated, and then the
relationships between these variables were examined with
Pearson product-moment correlation analysis. After determin-
ing that there were significant relationships between variables,
finally, separate mediation models were established for each
of the independent variables of exhaustion, cynicism, and
adequacy, and they were tested. While testing mediation
models, the suggestions of Preacher and Hayes (2004) were
taken as a basis instead of the traditional method and Sobel
test put forward by Baron and Kenny (1986). Also, the
bootstrapping procedure proposed by Preacher and Hayes
(2004) was used to provide evidence for the significance of
mediation effects revealed by mediation models. Within the
scope of the research, the bootstrapping sample size was set as
10,000 people and the confidence intervals for mediating ef-
fects were calculated in the reproduced sample of 10,000 peo-
ple. The analyses mentioned were carried out using the IBM
SPSS 22 and the PROCESS v.3.5 add-on, which works based
on this software package.
Findings
In this section, first of all, descriptive statistics related to the
variables included in mediation models established in line
with the research hypotheses and the results of the correlation
analysis done to reveal the relationships between variables
were presented. Then, the findings of the tests of the mediation
models established separately for each of the variables of
burnout, cynicism, and adequacy, which represented the de-
pendent variables of the research and which were components
of school burnout, were included. Finally, the results of the
bootstrapping procedure performed to support the significance
3 4 5
.33** −.45** −.43**
−.35** −.37**
– −.53** −.48**
– .42**
–
9.40 21.23 27.36
2.71 4.05 4.92
.50 −.40 .11
.37 −.33 .19
of the mediation effect revealed as a result of testing the
established mediation models were reported.
Descriptive Statistics
Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were calcu-
lated to reveal the relationships between variables in media-
tion models established according to the research hypotheses.
Besides, descriptive statistics regarding these variables were
also carried out. The results of the correlation analysis and
descriptive statistics regarding the research variables are pre-
sented in Table 1.
As seen in Table 1, there were negative and moderate level
of relationships between academic self-efficacy and exhaus-
tion (p < .01, r = −.45), cynicism (p < .01, r = −.35), and ade-
quacy (p < .01, r = −.53), while there was a positive and mod-
erate relationship between academic self-efficacy and grit
(p < .01, r = .42). In addition, there were negative and moder-
ate relationships between grit, which was the mediator vari-
able of the study, and exhaustion (p < .01, r = −.43), cynicism
(p < .01, r = −.37), and adequacy (p < .01, r = −.48).
Mediation Models
After it was determined that there were significant relation-
ships between academic self-efficacy, grit, exhaustion, cyni-
cism, and adequacy variables, it was examined whether grit
played a mediating role in the relationship between academic
self-efficacy and the variables of exhaustion, cynicism, and
adequacy, which are the components of school burnout. At
this point, a separate mediation model was established for
each of the dependent variables of exhaustion, cynicism, and
adequacy, and the direct effects of academic self-efficacy on
these variables and the mediating effects through grit were
determined. Also, a bootstrapping procedure was used to sup-
port the significance of the mediating role of grit.

The Mediating Role of Grit in the Relationship
between Academic Self-Efficacy and Exhaustion
Figure 1 presents the findings obtained by testing the mediat-
ing role of grit in the relationship between academic self-
efficacy and exhaustion. As expected according to the re-
search hypotheses, academic self-efficacy predicted exhaus-
tion negatively and significantly (ß = −.45, p < .001) and grit
positively and significantly (ß = .42, p < .001). Also, grit pre-
dicted exhaustion negatively and significantly (ß = −.29,
p < .001). As seen in Fig. 1, as a result of the regression anal-
ysis performed to determine the mediating role of grit in the
relationship between academic self-efficacy and exhaustion,
the standardized regression coefficient (beta: ß), which repre-
sented the predictive effect of academic self-efficacy on ex-
haustion, fell from −.45 to −.32 (p < .001) after grit was added
to the equation. This decrease showed that grit played a me-
diation role in the relationship between academic self-efficacy
and exhaustion.
The Mediating Role of Grit in the Relationship
between Academic Self-Efficacy and Cynicism
The findings obtained by testing the mediating role of grit in
the relationship between academic self-efficacy and cynicism
are presented in Fig. 2. As expected according to the research
hypotheses, academic self-efficacy predicted cynicism nega-
tively and significantly (ß = −.35, p < .001) and grit positively
and significantly (ß = .42, p < .001). However, grit predicted
cynicism negatively and significantly (ß = −.27, p < .001). As
seen in Fig. 1, as a result of the regression analysis performed
to determine the mediating role of grit in the relationship be-
tween academic self-efficacy and cynicism, the standardized
regression coefficient (beta: ß), which represented the
Fig. 1 The mediating role of grit in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and exhaustion
Curr Psychol
predictive effect of academic self-efficacy on cynicism, fell
from −.35 to −.23 (p < .001) after grit was added to the equa-
tion. This decrease showed that grit played a mediation role in
the relationship between academic self-efficacy and cynicism.
The Mediating Role of Grit in the Relationship
between Academic Self-Efficacy and Adequacy
The findings obtained by testing the mediating role of grit in
the relationship between academic self-efficacy and adequacy
are presented in Fig. 3. As expected according to the research
hypotheses, academic self-efficacy predicted the adequacy
component of burnout negatively and significantly (ß = −.53,
p < .001), and grit positively and significantly (ß = .42, p <.
001). Also, grit predicted the adequacy component of burnout
negatively and significantly (ß = −.32, p < .001). As seen in
Fig. 3, as a result of the regression analysis conducted to
determine the mediating role of grit in the relationship be-
tween academic self-efficacy and adequacy, the standardized
regression coefficient (beta: ß), which represented the predic-
tive effect of academic self-efficacy on adequacy, fell from
−.53 to −.40 (p < .001) after grit was added to the equation.
This decrease showed that grit played a mediation role in the
relationship between academic self-efficacy and adequacy.
The Bootstrapping Procedure
The bootstrapping procedure proposed by Preacher and Hayes
(2004) was utilized to provide evidence for the significance of
mediation effects revealed by mediation models tested in the
study. Within the scope of the study, the bootstrapping sample
size was set as 10,000 people, and the confidence intervals for
mediator effects were calculated in the reproduced sample of
10,000 people. Bootstrapping coefficients, confidence
Curr Psychol
Fig. 2 The mediating role of grit in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and cynicism
intervals, and fully standardized mediator effect sizes calcu-
lated as a result of the bootstrapping procedure are presented
in Table 2. As seen in Table 2, the indirect effects representing
the mediating role of grit in the relationships between academ-
ic self-efficacy and the components of school burnout were
respectively −.15 [BCA CI LO -.21, HI -.09] for exhaustion,
−.10 [BCA CI LO -.15, HI -.06] for cynicism and − .09 [BCA
CI LO -.13, HI -.06] for adequacy.
According to the procedure of Preacher and Hayes (2004),
the lower and upper limit values of the 95% confidence inter-
val (confidence interval: BCA CI) of the indirect effect coef-
ficient obtained to evaluate the indirect effects significantly in
the group obtained by re-sampling should not cover 0. As seen
in Table 2 showing the confidence intervals of indirect effects,
these intervals did not cover 0 for the three models. From this
point of view, it can be said that grit has a mediation role in the
relationships between academic self-efficacy and exhaustion,
cynicism and adequacy. In addition this role is significant both
in the research sample and in the reproduced sample (10,000
people) obtained by following the bootstrapping procedure.
Fig. 3 The mediating role of grit in the relationship between academic self-efficacy and adequacy
When mediation models are evaluated, it can be said
that another important parameter to be taken into consid-
eration besides bootstrap values is fully standardized effect
sizes. As seen in Table 2, fully standardized effect sizes of
the mediating effect were calculated as K2 = −.12 for the
model where exhaustion was the dependent variable, K2 =
−.11 for the model where cynicism was the dependent
variableand K2 = −.13 for the model where adequacy was
the dependent variable. According to the interpretations of
the effect size, it is considered low when the K2 value is
close to .01, moderate when it is close to .09, and high
when it is close to .25 (Preacher & Kelley, 2011).
Accordingly, it can be said that the indirect effect of aca-
demic self-efficacy on all of the three dependent variables
of exhaustion, cynicism, and adequacy was moderate. In
other words, this finding can be interpreted that grit plays a
moderate and significant mediating role in the relationship
between academic self-efficacy and the variables of ex-
haustion, cynicism, and adequacy, which are the compo-
nents of school burnout (Hypothesis 4).
 Curr Psychol

Table 2 Bootstrapping results regarding mediation models

Variable Model paths Bootstrap Bias K2

Values % 95

Coefficient SE LLCI ULCI

EXH Total effect −.12

Academic Self-Efficacy ➔ EXH −.54 .05 −.65 −.43
Direct effect
Academic Self-Efficacy ➔ EXH −.39 .06 −.50 −.28
Indirect effect
Academic Self-Efficacy➔ Grit ➔ EXH −.15 .03 −.21 −.09
CYN Total effect −.11
Academic Self-Efficacy ➔ CYN −.31 .04 −.39 −.22
Direct effect
Academic Self-Efficacy ➔ CYN −.21 .05 −.29 −.12
Indirect effect
Academic Self-Efficacy➔ Grit ➔ CYN −.10 .02 −.15 −.06
ADE Total effect −.13
Academic Self-Efficacy ➔ ADE −.36 .03 −.41 −.30
Direct effect
Academic Self-Efficacy ➔ ADE −.27 .03 −.33 −.21
Indirect effect
Academic Self-Efficacy➔ Grit ➔ ADE −.09 .02 −.13 −.06

K2 = Fully standardized size of the indirect effect (mediation effect).

EXH: Exhaustion, CYN: Cynicism, ADE: Adequacy.

Discussion psychological symptoms, cope with stressful life events more

The model obtained in the study was evaluated step by step,
and firstly, a positive relationship was found between grit and
academic self-efficacy. Some studies in the literature have also
found positive relationships between grit and perceived self-
efficacy (Luthans et al., 2019; Weisskirch, 2018). Luthans
et al. (2019) examined the structure between academic perfor-
mance and grit concerning academic self-efficacy. According
to the results of their research, there was a significant relation-
ship between grit, academic performance, and psychological
capital. In a similar study, Lee (2017) revealed a significant
relationship between grit, academic performance, perceived
academic failure, and stress. Grit is a variable that is used to
explain negative variables such as psychological symptoms
and positive variables, such as academic achievement and
self-efficacy (Özhan & Boyacı, 2018; Brooks & Seipel,
2018). This result of study is consistent with the previous
research results. When the studies mentioned in the literature
are evaluated as a whole, it is thought the finding of this study
that academic self-efficacy positively predicts grit is consis-
tent with the theoretical propositions in the literature.
Another finding in the research model was that grit nega-
tively predicted school burnout in university students. It is
known that individuals with a high level of grit show fewer
easily, and have higher academic performance (Kim, 2019;
Mason, 2018; Özhan & Boyacı, 2018; Snyder & Lopez,
2009). This suggests that individuals with high levels of grit
may increase their success in the school environment and
adapt to the school easily, and thus their burnout may be
low (Fabelico & Afalla, 2020; Gruenberg et al., 2019).
While investigating teachers’ passion for the profession,
Fabelico and Afalla (2020) investigated the relationship of grit
with self-efficacy, performance, and burnout, and found that
grit was positively correlated with teachers’ performance and
self-efficacy beliefs and negatively with burnout. Similarly,
the fact that individuals with high levels of grit do not give
up quickly and that they set long-term goals (Duckworth &
Quinn, 2009 ; Snyder & Lopez, 2009) suggest that these atti-
tudes may have a facilitating role in reducing their school
burnout.
Furthermore, this study found a negative relationship
between academic self-efficacy and school burnout. This
result is consistent with the research results in the litera-
ture (Adams et al., 2020; Bulfone et al., 2020; Yılmaz
et al., 2007). Academic self-efficacy is a variable that is
effective in the development of an individual’s academic
performance and positive attitudes towards school (Rose
et al., 2019).
Curr Psychol
The last finding in the model determined within the scope
of this research was that the academic self-efficacy of univer-
sity students could reduce school burnout through the media-
tion of grit. According to the literature, various variables, such
as socio-demographic variables (Aguayo et al., 2019), psy-
chological symptoms (Özhan & Boyacı, 2018), academic
achievement (Asikainen et al., 2020; Lackritz, 2004), and
family relations (Zábrodská et al., 2018), can affect students’
school burnout. From this point of view, the network of rela-
tionships between academic self-efficacy, grit, and school
burnout emerging within the scope of the research was exam-
ined in more detail. It is thought that the high academic self-
efficacy of university students can reinforce positive emo-
tions, such as motivation, happiness, and positivity, and these
positive emotions can be effective in reducing the individual’s
school burnout. On the other hand, a high level of grit may
enhance emotions and thoughts that can increase academic
self-efficacy, such as desire, high energy, and academic
achievement. With the increased positive feelings and
thoughts, university students’ positive attitudes towards
school, friendship relationships, and in-class interactions will
develop, and school burnout will be reduced by changes in
their perceptions about school. It is thought that the model
proposed in this study can be used directly and indirectly to
increase students’ school achievement and well-being.
Indeed, academic self-efficacy and grit are two important var-
iables in increasing the academic achievement of students
(Adams et al., 2020; Akyüz et al., 2016; Fernandez-Rio
et al., 2017; Robins et al., 2018; Shankland et al., 2019).
Besides, all this in this study, school burnout was concep-
tualized as a three-dimensional structure expressed as exhaus-
tion, cynicism, and adequacy (which refers to a feeling of low
personal adequacy in this study) based on the model
established by Maslach et al. (2001). In addition, school burn-
out was evaluated as three separate burnout scores due to the
nature of the measurement tool used in this study, and the
analyses were conducted separately for three different burnout
scores. At this point, in addition to the evaluations on general
burnout presented above, there was consistency between the
theoretical propositions on both academic self-efficacy and
grit and the findings obtained in this study regarding the three
different burnout scores.
Exhaustion, the first component of burnout, covers the
emotional exhaustion that the individual feels about school
and school resources, and is characterized by the individual’s
mood, such as feeling tired, exhausted, and intimidated. As it
is known, university life brings in personal and social respon-
sibilities such as separation from the family and economic
processes, as well as academic and professional responsibili-
ties such as preparing for the profession and overcoming the
duties related to the university. These responsibilities can
sometimes be challenging for the individual (Kaba &
Keklik, 2016; Asıcı & İkiz, 2015; Kaşıkcı, 2020). At this
point, it is thought that students with high academic self-
efficacy and grit will be able to cope with these difficulties
more easily. Thanks to these characteristics, individuals who
can cope with the difficulties of university life more easily are
expected to experience fewer negative emotions that can be
considered as exhaustion. The findings obtained as a result of
this study also support this proposition.
Cynicism, the second component of burnout, refers to the
loss of interest in school and the loss of belief in the impor-
tance of school. It is known that students with high academic
self-efficacy are more motivated academically (Evin-Akbay
& Gizir, 2010), less alienated from school (Polat et al.,
2015), and more connected to the school and learning process-
es by getting more interested in academic processes (Gutiérrez
& Tomás, 2019; Zhen et al., 2017). Moreover, grit is consid-
ered a resilience factor (Tang et al., 2021; Jumat et al., 2020),
especially in terms of school burnout. From this point of view,
it is thought that students will experience less cynicism to-
wards school thanks to their high level of academic self-
efficacy and grit. Similar to exhaustion, the findings of this
research on cynicism also support this proposition and re-
search results.
Adequacy, the third and last component of burnout, refers
to the low self-efficacy perception of the individual regarding
academic duties and responsibilities. In other words, it reflects
a low sense of personal and academic achievement. At this
point, it is expected that individuals who evaluate themselves
as more adequate, in other words, those who have high aca-
demic self-efficacy, will experience less personal failure. In
addition, it is possible that the self-efficacy feelings of indi-
viduals who continue their efforts in difficult times, who work
hard and who are patient (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009) with the
influence of their grit in various challenging situations and
tasks, are also positively affected by this situation, in other
words, grit preserves the self-efficacy of individuals. All of
these reveal a positive relationship between grit and self-
efficacy (Alhadabi & Karpinski, 2020). At this point, it is
possible to say that individuals will experience less personal
inadequacy thanks to their high level of academic self-efficacy
and grit.
In summary, in addition to (total) general burnout, it can be
said that research and theoretical propositions about exhaus-
tion, cynicism, and adequacy, which are the components of
burnout, are also consistent with the findings obtained from
this study.
Conclusion and Recommendations
In this study, the network of relationships between aca-
demic self-efficacy, grit, and school burnout of university
students was examined by establishing a model. In addi-
tion to school burnout, this model included academic self-

efficacy, which is formed by the interaction of the indi-
viduals’ internal resources and environmental resources
and which affects their academic performance and grit,
which expresses the level of energy, motivation, and vi-
tality in their lives. The results of the study showed that
grit had a mediation effect between school burnout and
academic self-efficacy in university students.
As a result of this research, which reveals the rela-
tionships between academic self-efficacy, grit, and
school burnout, which can contribute to the academic
development and psychological status of students and
thus provide both individual and social advantages, we
recommend that especially school psychological coun-
selors should establish and develop psycho-education
groups that can strengthen students’ academic self-
efficacy and grit levels. Also, a positive school climate
that supports the development of perceived self-efficacy
and grit levels of individuals should be created starting
from primary education. When a suitable learning cli-
mate is provided, schools that both have fun and learn
can be established, and when students get satisfied with
their schools, it will be possible to contribute to their
school achievement and mental health.
This study, which examined the mediating role of grit in
the relationship between university students’ academic self-
efficacy and school burnout, has some limitations. It will be
useful to declare these limitations and make recommendations
for future research. As the first limitation, the use of a self-
reporting measurement tool in the collection of the research
data can be mentioned. Due to the collection of data with self-
report based measurement tools, the variables in question can
only be explained within the scope of measurement tools, and
the social desirability of the participants should be taken into
consideration. It would be beneficial to use different methods
and techniques, such as observation, interview, peer assess-
ment, in addition to self-reporting measurement tools, to avoid
this limitation in future studies. Another limitation of the study
is that the cause-effect link could not be established method-
ically. it is necessary to be careful when interpreting the direc-
tion of the paths established in the model and making a causal
ranking. Finally, in this study, burnout was evaluated accord-
ing to the three-dimensional model established by Maslach
et al. (2001); however, the relationships between total
(general) burnout and academic self-efficacy and grit could
not be examined due to the nature of the measurement tool
used. In future studies, analyses can also be conducted on total
(general) burnout based on different measurement tools by
paying attention to this point. In addition, longitudinal and
experimental studies are needed to clearly reveal the order of
academic self-efficacy ➔ grit ➔ school burnout in the model
proposed and validated within the scope of this research.
Finally, it is necessary to specify the limitation regarding the
sampling method and participant diversity. The use of
Curr Psychol
convenience sampling method in the study and inability to
collect data from different geographical regions of the coun-
try, although the data were obtained from the universities in
two different regions and provinces, requires one to be cau-
tious about the generalizability of the study.
Availability of Data and Material Not applicable.
Code Availability Not applicable.
Author’s Contributions Not applicable.
Declarations
Ethics Approval This research has been discussed in the context of the
Declaration of Helsinki. Data tools in the study were applied only to
volunteer participants. In addition, informed consent was obtained from
all participants in the study. In addition, participants were informed that
they could withdraw from data collection at any time.
Consent to Participate Not applicable.
Consent for Publication Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest/Competing Interests Not applicable.
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