The association between school climate and mathematics achievement among middle school students: the serial indirect roles of mathematical bullying and psychological resilience and the moderating roles of grade level and gender.

INTRODUCTION

School climate and bullying have both been associated with students' mathematics achievement. However, the roles of mathematics-specific bullying and psychological resilience in this association remain insufficiently understood. This cross-sectional study examined the serial indirect roles of mathematical bullying and psychological resilience in the association between school climate and mathematics achievement. It also evaluated the moderating roles of grade level and gender in specific associations within the model.

METHODS

Participants were 708 students attending three public middle schools. School climate, mathematical bullying, and psychological resilience were assessed using the Brief School Climate Scale, Mathematical Bullying Victimization Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale, respectively; mathematics achievement was determined from students' course grades. Confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, multiple regression, serial indirect-association analysis, and moderation analysis were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 29.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA); IBM SPSS Amos, version 29.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA); and PROCESS macro, version 4.1 (Andrew F. Hayes, Calgary, AB, Canada).

RESULTS

School climate was negatively associated with mathematical bullying and positively associated with psychological resilience and mathematics achievement. Mathematical bullying was negatively associated with both psychological resilience and mathematics achievement, whereas psychological resilience was positively associated with mathematics achievement. The total association between school climate and mathematics achievement was positive and statistically significant (β= 0.207, p < 0.001). The indirect association via mathematical bullying was not statistically significant (β= 0.032, p < 0.281; 15.6%). In contrast, the indirect association through psychological resilience (β= 0.025, p < 0.039; 11.9%) and the serial indirect association through mathematical bullying and psychological resilience (β= 0.016, p < 0.024; 7.7%) were significant. The total indirect association was significant (β= 0.073, p < 0.024) and accounted for 35.2% of the total association. The negative association between mathematical bullying and psychological resilience was stronger among sixth-grade students and among girls. The positive association between school climate and mathematics achievement was significant only among seventh-grade students and among boys, whereas the negative association between mathematical bullying and mathematics achievement was significant only among boys.

DISCUSSION: The findings highlight the relevance of psychological resilience and of the serial indirect pathway, through mathematical bullying and psychological resilience, in the association between school climate and mathematics achievement. Given the cross-sectional design, the results should be interpreted as theoretically specified statistical associations, rather than as evidence of temporal or causal mechanisms.