The influence of positive parenting and positive teacher-student relationships on learning engagement of Korean middle school students-the mediating role of grit

Abstract Background The prevalence of “education fever” in South Korea has subjected students to the pressures of intense academic competition. Consequently, educators face significant challenges in reducing academic burnout and enhancing learning engagement among students. This study aims to explore the influencing factors and internal mechanisms of learning engagement among South Korean middle school students, considering both external factors (parents and teachers) and internal factors (grit). Methods This study surveyed 2,590 Korean middle school students (1,405 boys and 1,185 girls) to explore the mediating effect of grit (including Grit - PE and Grit - CI) between positive parenting style, positive teacher - student relationships, and learning engagement. Participants were assessed with the Positive Parenting Scale, the Positive Teacher - Student Relationships Scale, the Grit Scale, and the Learning Engagement Scale. Correlations between variables were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation analyses were performed with AMOS 21.0 software. Result Positive parenting and positive teacher-student relationships significantly predicted learning engagement. Grit played a fully mediating role between positive parenting and learning engagement, and a partial mediating role between positive teacher-student relationships and learning engagement. Grit-PE and Grit-CI each played a partial mediating role between positive parenting and student engagement. The predictive power of Grit-PE for learning engagement is significantly greater than that of Grit-CI. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that to improve Korean middle school students’ learning engagement, interventions could consider factors such as the external environment of family and school, as well as the internal development of a gritty personality.