Low academic achievement and its relationship to mental health among middle school students

Abstract

This research aims to identify the level of low academic achievement and its relationship to mental health among middle school students, the differences in the level of low academic achievement and mental health according to gender, and the relationship between low academic achievement and mental health.The researchers adopted the descriptive approach, where the main research sample consisted of (300) male and female students who were randomly selected from middle school students in the General Directorate of Education of Kirkuk for the academic year, Hawija Education Department (2024-2025). To achieve the research objectives, the researchers developed a scale for academic underachievement, which in its final form consists of (33) items. They also adopted the mental health scale prepared by (Al-Qaisi, 2023), consisting of 28 items. The results were as follows:There is a general decline in academic performance among the research sample, no gender differences in academic decline, a general sense of mental well-being among middle school students, no differences in mental well-being according to gender, and a statistically significant negative correlation between academic decline and mental well-being.