Exploring the Mediating Role of Resilience in the Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem in Adolescent Secondary School Students

During the school years many contextual and academic scenarios demand students to mobilise their coping abilities to overcome them without undermining their emotional wellbeing. During the teenage years, these situations play a primary role in their personal and academic development and in their transition to adulthood. This study aims to analyse the relationship between self-esteem and self-efficacy and the possible mediating role of resilience in secondary school students. The study comprised 1,968 participants with ages ranging from 12 to 18 years ( M = 14.52; SD = 1.59), both male ( N = 1,066; 54.16%) and female ( N = 902; 45.83%) from nine secondary schools. The instruments used were the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The results revealed significant correlations between self-efficacy, resilience, and self-esteem, in line with adaptive behaviours; no significant differences by gender were found. Resilience was found to play a mediating role between self-efficacy and self-esteem. The study reveals the important role played by resilience as mediating variable between the constructs under consideration, as well as in the promotion of adaptive behaviours, leading to the student’s personal and psychological development and academic wellbeing.