Abstract

Abstract
The study, titled “Predicting Students' Academic Adjustment Based on Problem-Solving Skills with the Mediating Role ofClassroom Environment Perception: A Structural Modeling Approach,” sits at the intersection of cognitive skills, learning environments, and statistical modeling. It aims to understand how students’ problem-solving abilities influence their academic adjustment—and how their perception of the classroom environment can mediate that relationship. The use of a structural modeling approach suggests a focus on testing a theoretical framework that specifies direct and indirect (mediated) pathways among variables.
Core concepts and relationships
Academic adjustment: This typically refers to how well students adapt to the academic demands of school or college. It can encompass facets like motivation, engagement, persistence, time management, achievement, and coping with academic stress. In short, it is the degree to which students align their behaviors, attitudes, and strategies with academic requirements to achieve positive outcomes.
Problem-solving skills: These are higher-order cognitive abilities that enable students to identify problems, generate and evaluate potential solutions, implement chosen strategies, and reflect on results. Strong problem-solving skills are associated with better academic performance, resilience, and adaptive learning in diverse subjects.
Classroom environment perception: This variable captures how students subjectively experience the classroom—its social climate (peer and teacher relationships), instructional quality, organizational structure, classroom safety, supportiveness, and opportunities for autonomy. Perceptions of a positive classroom environment can enhance motivation, engagement, and opportunities to apply cognitive skills.
Mediating role: By proposing mediation, the study hypothesizes that problem-solving skills influence academic adjustment not only directly but also indirectly through how students perceive their classroom environment. For example, a student with proficient problem-solving abilities might engage more effectively in activities, interact positively with peers and teachers, or seek supportive resources, which in turn shapes a favorable classroom climate and subsequently improves academic adjustment.
Structural modeling approach: This typically refers to structural equation modeling (SEM) or a related multivariate modeling framework. SEM enables researchers to test complex hypothesized relationships, including multiple direct and indirect paths, latent constructs, measurement validity, and overall model fit. It allows the simultaneous estimation of the relationships among problem-solving skills, classroom environment perception, and academic adjustment, while accounting for measurement error. The present study aimed to examine a structural model predicting students’ academic adjustment based on problem-solving skills with the mediating role of perceived classroom environment. In recent years, academic adjustment has emerged as a critical indicator of student success in higher education, as students’ ability to adapt to educational settings significantly influences their academic performance, psychological well-being, and motivation. Concurrently, problem-solving skills represent a fundamental cognitive and executive competency that enables students to navigate academic and social challenges effectively. The perception of the classroom environment, as a contextual and interpersonal factor, influences students’ interactions with the educational setting, their assessment of teaching quality, and their perceived social support. Understanding the interplay among these three variables is therefore essential for enhancing learning quality and academic well-being in university contexts.
This research employed an applied approach and a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The population consisted of all students at the Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht branch, in the academic year 2022–2023. Using Morgan’s table, a sample of 380 students was selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using the Heppner and Petersen Problem-Solving Inventory (1982), the Fraser Classroom Environment Perception Questionnaire (1991), and the Baker and Siryk Academic Adjustment Questionnaire (1999). Analyses were conducted using SPSS and AMOS, examining model fit indices, path coefficients, and both direct and indirect effects.
The findings indicated that the proposed model demonstrated good fit indices. The direct path coefficients from problem-solving skills to academic adjustment (β = 0.755, t = 16.926) and from perceived classroom environment to academic adjustment (β = 0.823, t = 21.492) were statistically significant. Furthermore, the indirect effect of problem-solving skills on academic adjustment through classroom perception was confirmed (β = 0.211, t = 19.209). These results suggest that problem-solving skills predict academic adjustment both directly and indirectly via the mediating effect of classroom perception.
These results highlight that students with higher problem-solving abilities utilize more adaptive strategies when encountering academic and interpersonal challenges, resulting in greater academic adjustment. Additionally, a positive perception of the classroom—including support from instructors, social interaction with peers, and favorable evaluations of teaching quality—serves as a facilitating factor, enhancing the impact of cognitive skills on academic adjustment. In other words, classroom perception strengthens students’ sense of belonging, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy. The findings align with prior research by Rahimlou & Moharrampour (2022), Parvar & Abuhamzeh (2022), Bozorgpouri, Rezaei & Kazemi (2021), Vafa, Bagheri & Abolmaali (2019), Elhampour, Abolmaali & Ganji (2018), Qadiri, Asadzadeh & Dartaj (2010), Ahadi et al. (2009), and international studies by Bart et al. (2021), Rouget et al. (2020), and Symonds et al. (2019), which emphasize the critical role of cognitive skills and supportive learning environments in students’ academic adaptation.
Overall, the findings indicate that enhancing academic adjustment requires simultaneous attention to individual skills and the learning environment. Policymakers and university administrators are encouraged to design interactive, supportive classrooms that promote both cognitive and emotional development. Providing collaborative learning opportunities, fostering instructor-student engagement, and conducting workshops on life skills and problem-solving can enhance self-regulation and adjustment. Attention to psychological aspects of the classroom, such as safety, mutual respect, and educational fairness, is also critical, as these factors influence students’ perceptions of the learning environment and their academic self-efficacy.
In sum, the proposed model offers a theoretical and empirical framework to explain academic adjustment through the interaction of individual factors (problem-solving skills) and environmental factors (classroom perception). By highlighting the importance of cognitive and contextual factors in academic adaptation, this study provides a foundation for developing targeted intervention programs and future research in higher education.