THE ROLE OF FAMILY CLIMATE AND ACADEMIC SELF-CONCEPT IN PREDICTING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: A CAUSAL STUDY WITH THE INCLUSION OF ACADEMIC STRESS AS AN INTERVENING VARIABLE AMONG YARMOUK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

This study addresses a critical issue in educational psychology and higher education by investigating the interplay between psychological and social variables that contribute to academic entitlement among university students. Conducted at Yarmouk University in Jordan, the research targeted a sample of 250 undergraduate students from both scientific and humanities disciplines during the second semester of the 2023/2024 academic year. The primary objective was to develop and empirically test a causal model linking family climate and academic self-concept to academic entitlement, with academic stress introduced as a mediating variable. The study employed a descriptive-analytical design using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), integrating three major theoretical frameworks: Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, Bandura's self-efficacy theory, and Lazarus & Folkman's stress model. A comprehensive questionnaire was developed, comprising four subscales measuring family climate, academic self-concept, academic stress, and academic entitlement. The instruments underwent rigorous psychometric validation, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and reliability analysis (α ≥ 0.85). The conceptual framework reflects a holistic view of academic success as shaped by familial support, self-perception, and the individual's capacity to manage academic stressors. The findings revealed statistically significant relationships among the core variables. Academic self-concept emerged as the strongest predictor of academic entitlement (β = .38), followed by family climate (β = .27), while academic stress negatively predicted entitlement levels (β = -.21). Mediation analysis using Process Macro indicated a partial mediating effect of academic stress in the relationship between both independent variables (family climate and self-concept) and academic entitlement. In practical terms, this means that students with high self-efficacy or supportive home environments may still underperform if overwhelmed by academic stress—particularly stress associated with evaluation and competition. Gender-based analysis revealed that female students scored higher in academic entitlement than males, a finding that diverges from some prior studies but aligns with regional trends reported by UNICEF (2022). Additionally, students in scientific majors reported significantly higher levels of academic stress, potentially due to the intensive nature of their curricula. The structural model demonstrated strong fit indices (CFI = .93; RMSEA = .06), affirming the theoretical soundness of the proposed framework and its applicability within the Jordanian university context.

Based on these results, the study offers several practical and theoretical recommendations. Universities should implement targeted interventions aimed at enhancing students’ academic self-concept, such as confidence-building workshops, mentoring programs, and cognitive-behavioral training. Simultaneously, higher education institutions are encouraged to establish active partnerships with families, ensuring that the home environment acts as an enabler rather than an impediment to academic progress. Given the detrimental effect of academic stress, the study calls for developing well-resourced counseling and academic support centers to help students manage exam anxiety, time pressures, and competition. Furthermore, the study advocates for the integration of psychosocial variables into institutional quality frameworks and encourages longitudinal research designs to examine the developmental trajectory of academic entitlement over time. By offering a unified explanatory model that encompasses cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors, this research contributes meaningfully to both the academic literature and the improvement of educational policy and practice in Arab higher education systems.