The Mediating Role of Academic Responsibility in the Relationship between Academic Self-Belief and Academic Satisfaction with Attitudes toward Education and Career Future among Female Students of Farhangian University of Zahedan

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of academic responsibility in the relationship between academic self-belief and academic satisfaction with attitudes toward education and career future among female student-teachers at Farhangian University in Zahedan. This descriptive–correlational study included the entire population of 749 female student-teachers admitted between 2020 and 2023 (academic years 1400–1403 in the Iranian calendar) at the Rasool Campus of Farhangian University, Zahedan, during 2024–2025. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires for academic self-belief, academic satisfaction, academic responsibility, and attitudes toward education and career future. Data analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results indicated that attitudes toward education and career future were positively correlated with academic self-belief (r=.42, p<.001), academic satisfaction (r=.46, p<.001), and academic responsibility (r=.48, p<.001). The structural model demonstrated good fit (χ²/df=2.15, GFI=.93, CFI=.95, RMSEA=.046). Path coefficients revealed that academic self-belief (β=.47, p<.001) and academic satisfaction (β=.41, p<.001) significantly predicted responsibility, which in turn predicted attitudes toward education and career future (β=.44, p<.001). Direct effects of self-belief (β=.18, p=.012) and satisfaction (β=.19, p=.009) on attitudes were significant, but the total effects were stronger due to the mediating role of responsibility. Findings suggest that academic responsibility serves as an important mediator between academic self-belief, academic satisfaction, and students’ attitudes toward education and career future. Enhancing students’ beliefs and satisfaction alongside promoting responsibility can foster more positive academic and career outlooks.