The relationship between self-efficacy and perceived academic achievement among college students: the chain mediation roles of time management and psychological resilience

Background This study attempts to investigate the link between self-efficacy and perceived academic achievement among university students, with an emphasis on the mediating roles of time management and psychological resilience. Methods This study targeted college students from 6 universities in Anhui Province, utilizing a questionnaire-based approach for data collection. Instruments such as the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Academic Achievement Scale, Time Management Questionnaire (TMQ), and the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) were employed, resulting in 818 valid responses. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the association between self-efficacy and perceived academic achievement, besides the serial mediating roles of time management and psychological resilience. Results (1) University students' self-efficacy is significantly and positively associated with perceived academic achievement. (2) time management and psychological resilience play a sequential mediating role between self-efficacy and perceived academic achievement. The structural model explained 59.1% of the variance in perceived academic achievement. Conclusion This study not only expands our knowledge of how self-efficacy, time management, and psychological resilience linked to perceived academic achievement, but also provides important practical guidance for enhancing students' academic performance. The findings emphasize that improving self-efficacy, optimizing time management strategies, and fostering psychological resilience are crucial pathways to enhancing perceived academic achievement. Therefore, educators and relevant policymakers should implement more targeted interventions in academic support and psychological development to effectively improve students' academic performance.