Modeling the Mediating Role of COVID-19-Related Anxiety in the Relationship Between Assertiveness and Achievement Motivation Among Female Upper Secondary School Students

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the mediating role of COVID-19-related anxiety in the relationship between assertiveness and achievement motivation among female upper secondary school students. A descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling was employed. The population comprised 3,807 female students in District 3 of Tehran during the 2021–2022 academic year. Using multistage cluster random sampling, 380 students were selected, and after excluding incomplete responses, data from 330 participants were analyzed. Instruments included the Gambrill and Richey Assertiveness Questionnaire (1975), the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (Alipour et al., 2021), and the Hermans Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (1977). Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 and AMOS-27 through Pearson correlations and SEM. Results indicated that assertiveness was positively associated with achievement motivation (β = 0.44, p<0.001) and negatively predicted COVID-19 anxiety (β = -0.42, p<0.001). COVID-19 anxiety negatively predicted achievement motivation (β = -0.31, p<0.001). The indirect effect of assertiveness on achievement motivation via COVID-19 anxiety was significant (β = 0.13, p<0.01), and the total effect was β = 0.57. These findings suggest that assertiveness enhances achievement motivation partly by reducing COVID-19-related anxiety, indicating its protective role in supporting students’ motivation during crises