The impact of psychological factors on the academic achievement of urban and rural students in Sichuan, China

Jingyi Liu (), Jun Tan (), Shiou Yih Lee (), Yueliang Liu () and Yan Zhu ()

International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 2025, vol. 8, issue 6, 3099-3111

Abstract: Drawing on the persistent urban–rural education gap in Sichuan, this study examines how self-actualization, self-esteem, and basic psychological needs influence university students' academic achievement. A quantitative, descriptive design was employed, utilizing simple random sampling of 400 students from Sichuan universities. Primary data were collected through validated questionnaires; reliability and validity were established (Cronbach’s α ≥ 0.70; KMO ≥ 0.78). The analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression conducted in IBM SPSS. Results indicate strong overall associations between psychological factors and academic achievement (R = 0.886, R² = 0.786; p < 0.001). All three predictors contributed uniquely and significantly to achievement (p ≤ 0.006), with psychological needs demonstrating the largest standardized effect (β = 0.439), followed by self-esteem (β = 0.419) and self-actualization (β = 0.107). Multicollinearity diagnostics were within acceptable limits (VIF 2.46–2.92; tolerance 0.34–0.41). Demographic profiling showed broad participation across gender, age, residence, and travel distance, enabling comparisons between urban and rural students. The findings suggest that interventions supporting students’ basic needs, enhancing self-worth, and fostering growth-oriented goals may lead to measurable academic benefits, especially in resource-constrained rural contexts. Limitations include reliance on self-reports, provincial scope, and unmeasured contextual factors. Future research should test targeted, school-based support programs and monitor long-term outcomes across diverse regions. The implications for policy, teacher training, and resource allocation are also discussed.

Keywords: Academic achievement; Basic psychological needs; Education quality; Self-actualization; Self-Esteem. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://ijirss.com/index.php/ijirss/article/view/10273/2409 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aac:ijirss:v:8:y:2025:i:6:p:3099-3111:id:10273

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies is currently edited by Natalie Jean

More articles in International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies from Innovative Research Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Natalie Jean ().