Predictors of academic resilience in adolescents: Social emotional learning skills and optimism

This study examines the predictive level of social-emotional learning skills and optimism regarding academic resilience. The research sample consists of 923 students attending various high schools in Gaziantep in the 2023-2024 academic year. The Academic Resilience Scale for Adolescents, the Social-Emotional Learning Skills Scale for Adolescents and the Optimism-Pessimism Scale for Adolescents were utilized in the study. Independent samples t-test was performed for unrelated measurements to examine whether academic resilience, social emotional learning skills and optimism differed based on the variables such as gender, involvement in art or sport and working in a job outside school. One-way ANOVA was conducted to find out the differences based on age, school type, grade level, GPA, parental education level and perceived parental attitude. Hierarchical regression analysis was employed to determine the predictive level of social-emotional learning skills and optimism regarding academic resilience. Analyzes showed that there was a moderate positive significant relationship between academic resilience and social emotional learning skills. Additionally, a moderate positive significant relationship was found between academic resilience and optimism. Besides, it was concluded that there was a moderate positive significant relationship between social emotional learning skills and optimism. It was found out that social emotional learning skills and optimism explained 41% of academic resilience. Additionally, it was observed that academic resilience, social emotional learning skills and optimism scores differed in terms of various demographic variables.