The Relationships between Parental Involvement, Teacher Support, and Mathematics Performance: Mediating Roles of Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic Buoyancy

Background Given its multifaceted role in fostering students’ academic outcomes, parental involvement remains a critical area of investigation in educational research. Parental involvement not only complements teachers' efforts and supportive behaviours, but also has the potential to increase students' academic engagement and academic self-efficacy, both of which are among the key determinants of mathematics achievement. Methods This study examined the relationships between perceived teacher support (TS), parental involvement (PI), academic self-efficacy (ASE), academic buoyancy (AB), and mathematics performance (MP) among middle school students. More specifically, it investigated the mediating effects of ASE and AB in the relationships between PI and TS with MP. Participants included 363 middle school students from Türkiye. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) method and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results The findings revealed that both TS and PI have direct positive effects on students’ MP. TS and PI demonstrated significant indirect effects on MP through the mediating roles of ASE and AB. Furthermore, both ASE and AB emerged as significant positive predictors of MP. Conclusion The study indicates that students who are supported by teachers and parents tend to perform better in math, both directly and indirectly through increased academic self-efficacy and academic buoyancy. Results extend our understanding by providing important insights into the critical role of the complex interplay between external support mechanisms and internal psychological resources in enhancing mathematics performance.