Reciprocal longitudinal relationships between hope and academic performance in college: The significant mediating role of academic goal setting

Although many studies have demonstrated a significant relationship between college students’ hope and academic performance, none has tested the potential reciprocal association between these two variables. Research on mediators that explain the longitudinal relationship between hope and academic performance is also scarce. Hence, this longitudinal study was conducted to examine how hope and academic performance predicted one another over time in college students, and whether academic goal setting, self-regulated learning strategies, and academic emotions mediated this association. A sample of college students in Hong Kong (N = 433, Medianage = 18 years old, 63.7% female) was recruited. Results from path analyses showed that academic hope in semester 1 significantly and positively predicted academic performance in semester 3 via academic goal setting in semester 2. Furthermore, academic performance in semester 1 significantly and positively predicted academic hope in semester 3 through academic goal setting in semester 2. The findings revealed a reciprocal process between college students’ hope and academic performance and the significant mediating role of academic goal setting in this process. In terms of practical implications, tertiary institutes and educators can improve students’ academic performance by enhancing their academic hope through helping them set higher and achievable goals and providing positive feedback.