Proactive Stress Coping, Perceived Academic Competence, and Perceived Language Competence as Simultaneous Predictors of School Satisfaction Among Junior High School Students

Nurul Hidayah (Universitas Ahmad Dahlan)
Dinda Khairunnisa (Universitas Muhammadiyah Mahakarya Aceh)

Alinea: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, dan Pengajaran
Vol. 6 No. 3 (2026): Alinea: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, dan Pengajaran

Early adolescence marks a critical educational transition during which students frequently encounter heightened academic pressures and socioemotional challenges that can diminish their overall school well-being. School satisfaction serves as a cognitive indicator of this well-being, directly influencing academic engagement and motivation. While existing research predominantly focuses on external environmental factors, internal psychological mechanisms such as stress management, self-competence, and linguistic confidence remain insufficiently explored, particularly in rural educational contexts. This study aimed to examine the role of proactive stress coping, perceived academic competence, and perceived language competence on school satisfaction among junior high school students. Utilizing a quantitative causal-correlational design, the study involved 123 seventh and eighth-grade students selected through proportionate stratified random sampling in a regency in Central Java. Data were collected using four validated Likert scales and analyzed through multiple linear regression and partial correlation. The findings demonstrated that proactive stress coping, perceived academic competence, and perceived language competence simultaneously exerted a significant positive effect on school satisfaction (F[3, 119] = 54.38; p < 0.001), accounting for 57.8% of its variance (R2 = 0.578). Individually, proactive stress coping (r = 0.324; p < 0.001; effective contribution 27.4%), perceived academic competence (r = 0.281; p = 0.002; effective contribution 19.3%), and perceived language competence (r = 0.246; p = 0.007; effective contribution 11.1%) all exhibited significant positive associations with school satisfaction, with proactive coping contributing most strongly. In conclusion, enhancing proactive coping strategies, fostering academic self-efficacy, and providing supportive language learning environments are essential educational interventions to improve student school satisfaction during middle school transitions.