Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study examined the impact of anxiety on academic burnout among migrant children who changed schools during the middle-to-upper primary grades. It further investigated the independent and sequential mediating roles of positive psychological capital and self-concept within this relationship. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 473 migrant children in grades 5 and 6. The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS), Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PPQ), Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale (PHCSS), and Adolescent Learning Burnout Inventory (ALBI) were administered. Data analysis included common method bias assessment, descriptive and correlational analyses, hierarchical regression, and bootstrap mediation analysis. RESULTS: Anxiety showed a significant positive association with academic burnout. Both positive psychological capital and self-concept independently mediated this relationship. Furthermore, a significant chain-mediating effect was observed: anxiety was linked to lower positive psychological capital, which was associated with a weaker self-concept, ultimately contributing to higher levels of academic burnout. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that internal protective resources play crucial roles in the link between anxiety and academic burnout among migrant children. Interventions aimed at reducing academic burnout may benefit from a dual focus on mitigating anxiety while proactively fostering positive psychological capital and a healthy self-concept.