Investigate the relationship between academic optimism and achievement motivation with the mediating roles of high school students’ academic self-efficacy

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between academic optimism and achievement motivation according to the mediating role of high school students’ self-efficacy. The research method was correlational-descriptive. The population consisted of all high school students (2520 students) in the academic year 2014-2015 in city of Birjand. The sample size (296 students) were selected by using of Kerjeci and Morgan’s Table, and with cluster sampling method. Data were gathered by using of 3 questionnaires; Academic Optimism (Tschannen-Moran et al, 2012), Achievement Motivation(Hurmans, 1970) and self-efficacy (Muris, 2001). In order to analyze the collected data, descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics, correlation and stepwise regression methods were used. Results showed that academic self-efficacy and achievement motivation of students were significantly higher than the average. Students’ academic optimism was a direct, significant and positive effect on self-efficacy and motivation. The effect of academic self-efficacy on achievement motivation was positive and significant. In addition, the results showed that the academic optimism had an indirect effects on achievement motivation through the self-efficacy. The path analysis result indicate that the conceptual model is good fitting the data.