The influence of resilience and future orientation on academic achievement during the transition to high school: the mediating role of social support

This study applies Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory to analyse how social support impacts resilience, future outlook, and academic performance during high school transition. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 958 high school students (54.5% female) ages 13–1 (M = 13.72, SD = 0.47). After descriptive and correlational analyses, path analysis explored the mediating function of general social support and its specific manifestations (from family, friends, and significant others). The findings indicate a strong positive correlation among resilience, social support, and academic success, with resilience directly enhancing academic achievement. Both general social support and support from family, friends, and significant others are key in mediating the effects on achievement. This emphasizes the relevance of social networks in educational performance and the need for interventions to build social relationships to promote student resilience and future planning. Long-term consequences of these determinants on educational trajectories should be studied, taking cultural differences into account.