The Influence of Self-Esteem, Subjective Well-Being and Teacher Relationship on Academic Success Among UG and PG Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between self-esteem, subjective well-being and teacher-student relationship satisfaction in predicting academic performance of undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students. The data was gathered from 539 students of universities in Vadodara, Gujarat, using the quantitative research design. Key psychological constructs such as students' Self-esteem, Subjective Wellbeing, and Relationship Satisfaction were measured using standardized psychometric tools such as the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, Subjective Wellbeing Inventory and Burns Relationship Satisfaction Scale, while academic performance was measured through the student's Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).

Findings show that there is a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between CGPA (r = 0.164 p < 0.01), which means that students competent in subjective well-being do not have the same well-being academically. Likewise, CGPA also had a small but statistically significant correlation (r = 0.091, p < 0.05) with teacher-student relationship satisfaction, suggesting that good relationships with our educators help us fulfil better preparation skills. Despite this, the influence of self-esteem was not significantly related to CGPA (r = 0.009, p = 0.835), contradicting the assumptions as to how it could correlate to the academic outcome. In addition, UG and PG students were compared and it was found that the average CGPA score in PG students was significantly higher (p = 0.048) than UG students, but no significant difference was found in terms of self-esteem, well-being or relationship satisfaction.

These results imply that although psychological and relational variables are related to academic success, these effects are small and that other unexplored variables may have a stronger role. The study calls for the establishment of such good well-being programs and positive teacher-student relationships in educational institutions to make students’ academic experiences better. Future research should investigate these relationships and their implications for student achievement using longitudinal and mixed methods.