The Effect of Academic Adaptability on Learning Burnout Among College Students: The Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem and the Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Background: With the popularization of higher education, the problems of academic adaptability and learning burnout among college students have become increasingly prominent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between academic adaptability, learning burnout, self-esteem and self-efficacy of college students and their underlying mechanisms. Methods: The study was conducted on 2110 college students using the College Student Learning Adjustment Scale, the Learning Burnout Undergraduates Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Self-Efficacy Scale to establish a mediating model of adjustment. SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. Model 4 and Model 14 in the process plug-in prepared by Hayes (2017) were used for mediating effects analysis and moderating mediator analysis respectively, and the significance of the mediating effects was tested using the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method. Results: (1) academic adaptability significantly and positively predicted self-esteem; (2) self-esteem significantly and negatively predicted learning burnout; (3) academic adaptability significantly and negatively predicted learning burnout; (4) self-esteem partially mediated the effect of academic adaptability on learning burnout; and (5) self-efficacy moderated the latter half of the mediation process of academic adaptability-self-esteem-learning burnout. Conclusion: These findings are useful for college educators and related researchers to better understand the mechanisms underlying the relationship between academic adaptability and learning burnout, thus providing practical and effective operational suggestions on the prevention and intervention of learning burnout in college students.