Exploring the interaction between self-esteem, grit, and resilience in pre-service teachers: A mediation analysis

This study examined the mediating role of grit in the relationship between resilience and self-esteem among pre-service teachers. A total of 281 pre-service teachers, selected through convenience sampling appropriate for the study, which employed a correlational survey method, participated in the study. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Self-Love and Self-Efficacy Scale, the Brief Grit Scale, and the Brief Resilience Scale. The analysis was executed using SPSS 26 and AMOS 24 software. A regression-based path analysis was conducted in AMOS 24 to perform the mediation analysis. Correlation analysis revealed a significant and positive relationship between the predictor and predicted variables. Regression analysis showed that an individual’s level of resilience and grit significantly predicted self-esteem. It was found that the effect of resilience (independent variable) on self-esteem (dependent variable) decreased after including the grit variable in the model. Thus, grit was found to play a partially mediating role in the relationship between resilience and self-esteem. The results suggest that including activities in teacher-education programmes that are designed to foster resilience and grit may boost pre-service teachers' self-esteem.