Mitigating Student Cynicism for Sustainable Academic Performance: University Identification and Academic Self-Efficacy

Burcu Tosun () and Fatih Çetin
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Burcu Tosun: Faculty of Business, Department of Business, Atılım University, Ankara 06830, Türkiye
Fatih Çetin: Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration, Başkent University, Ankara 06790, Türkiye

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-25

Abstract: This study explores the complex relationships among student cynicism, student–university identification, academic self-efficacy, and academic performance within the context of Turkish higher education. Drawing on social identity and social cognitive theories, student cynicism is examined through four dimensions: academic, policy-related, institutional, and social. Survey data were collected from 630 university students in Ankara, Türkiye, using a cross-sectional design and self-reported measures. The results indicate that institutional cynicism is the strongest negative predictor of student–university identification, while academic cynicism shows a curvilinear (U-shaped) relationship with academic performance, suggesting that extreme cynicism may paradoxically be linked to modest performance rebounds. Contrary to expectations, student–university identification does not significantly predict academic performance, nor does it mediate the relationship between cynicism and performance. However, academic self-efficacy moderates the relationship between identification and performance, amplifying the benefits of identification for students with higher levels of self-efficacy. These findings offer culturally grounded insights into student disengagement and highlight the importance of fostering trust, transparency, and self-efficacy to support student well-being and academic resilience, key elements in advancing Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Keywords: student cynicism; student–university identification; sustainable academic performance; academic self-efficacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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