Investigating the Mediating Role of Academic Self-Regulation in the Relationship between Risky Behaviors and Social Competence among High School Students with Learning Disabilities

Strengthening students with self-efficacy in emotional management and self-regulation can be a potent deterrent against risky behaviors. This study sought to explore the mediating effect of academic self-regulation on the relationship between risky behaviors and social competence among high school students with learning disabilities (LDs). This was a descriptive correlational study. The population encompassed all high school students with LDs in Ahvaz, Iran from February 2023 to April 2023. One hundred fifty-eight students were chosen using cluster sampling and received research questionnaires. The study tools comprised the Iranian Adolescents Risk-taking Scale (IARS), Social Competence Questionnaire (SCQ), and Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A). Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the hypothesized model underwent evaluation, and bootstrapping was utilized to assess indirect relationships. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 25. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for students’ risky behaviors, social competence, and academic self-regulation were 86.75±12.39, 112.18±24.25, and 42.05±9.86, respectively. The findings highlighted a significant relationship between social competence and academic self-regulation (β=0.71, P<0.001) and between academic self-regulation and risky behaviors (β=-0.65, P<0.001). However, the direct link between social competence and risky behaviors was insignificant (β=-0.16, P=0.115). However, the relationship between social competence and students’ risky behaviors became significant when mediated by academic selfregulation (P<0.001). In the final model, the values for CFI and RMSEA were 0.98 and 0.041, respectively. The study’s outcomes indicated that the final model was well-fitted and crucial for recognizing factors influencing risky behaviors in students with LDs. Enhancing social competence and academic self-regulation might offer a pathway to mitigate risky behaviors among these students.