The Relationship Between Multi-Layered Ecological Support, Intrapersonal Traits, and Secondary School Students’ Self-Esteem

This study aimed to examine the relationship between intrapersonal and environmental variables and self-esteem among secondary school students who received school counseling services. We conducted hierarchical multiple regression analysis using national data collected from 8th-and 10th-grade students in 2024 (N = 1636), as a part of the Monitoring the Future research study that has collected longitudinal data since 1975. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that intrapersonal traits, including academic achievement, happiness, and future readiness, were significantly associated with positive/negative self-esteem in secondary school students. In addition, in terms of multi-layered environmental factors, we found that parental academic support was significantly associated with positive self-esteem in secondary school students, whereas school counseling support was significantly associated with negative self-esteem. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence on adolescents’ self-esteem development, grounded in ecological frameworks proposed in the fields of education and school counseling. Implications and recommendations for counseling researchers and school personnel are provided.