Explanation of Academic Achievement Based on Personality Characteristics Psycho-Social Climate of the Classroom and Students’ Academic Engagement in Mathematics

Abstract

This research explains academic achievement based on the personality characteristics, the psycho-social climate of the classroom in terms of academic engagement in mathematics. The population was high schoolboys and girls in Damghan city in Iran. Participants were randomly selected using a multi-stage cluster method (513 boys and girls) and they simultaneously completed three questionnaires: academic engagement, the psycho-social climate of the classroom and personality characteristics. Path analysis was used to analyze data. The results showed that the direct effects of personality characteristics and psycho-social climate of the classroom on academic achievement were not significant. The direct effects of openness, conscientiousness and psycho-social climate of classroom on academic engagement were significant. The indirect effects (with mediation of academic engagement) and overall effects of openness, conscientiousness and psycho-social climate of classroom on academic achievement were significant, also the effect of academic engagement on academic achievement was significant.