Teachers, peers, and academic effort: How peer bullying victimization undermines the benefits of teacher support on students' persistence and effort

BackgroundEnhancing student motivation and effort in learning environments is a pivotal concern for educators. While the positive effects of teacher support on students' academic self-efficacy beliefs and efforts are well documented, the potentially adverse interaction effects of peer bullying victimization within this context remain unclear.AimsThis study aimed to investigate the mediating role of mathematics self-efficacy in the relationship between teacher support and persistence and effort in mathematics (PEM), and to examine whether peer bullying victimization moderates both the direct and indirect associations between teacher support and PEM.Samples and MethodsThis cross-sectional study utilized data from Turkey obtained during the PISA 2022 assessment. The study sample consisted of 6997 (F = 49.3%, M = 50.7%) 15-year-old students from 196 schools participating in the PISA 2022 assessment in Turkey.ResultsResults revealed that teacher support positively predicted PEM, and mathematics self-efficacy significantly mediated this relationship. However, peer bullying victimization played a significant moderating role in these associations, diminishing the positive predictive effects of teacher support and mathematics self-efficacy on PEM. Furthermore, the indirect impact of teacher support on PEM via mathematics self-efficacy weakened as levels of peer bullying victimization increased.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that establishing a supportive educational environment that promotes student learning and motivation requires fostering positive interactions, not only between teachers and students but also among peers.