Abstract
Supervisor support (SS) constitutes a core element in cultivating academic Master of Medical Science (MMS) students, yet the psychological mechanisms associated with academic adaptation (AA) remain insufficiently elucidated. This study investigates the pathways through which supervisor support influences academic adaptation via research self-efficacy (RSE) and psychological resilience (PsyRes). Employing a cross-sectional design, 1,486 academic MMS students from two medical universities in Xinjiang were surveyed through cluster sampling. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) validated variable associations, while Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) tested chain mediation effects. Results indicated significant positive correlations between supervisor support and research self-efficacy (r = 0.411, P < 0.001), psychological resilience (r = 0.379, P < 0.001), and academic adaptation (r = 0.623, P < 0.001). Research self-efficacy strongly correlated with psychological resilience (r = 0.760, P < 0.001) and academic adaptation (r = 0.619, P < 0.001), while psychological resilience positively was positively associated with academic adaptation (r = 0.634, P < 0.001). Redundancy analysis revealed the first canonical variable (U₁ = −0.643X1 − 0.374X2) explained 96.3% of supervisor support variance, with the second (U₂ = −2.654X1 + 2.705X2) explaining 3.7%. Further mediation analysis revealed a significant direct effect of supervisor support on academic adaptation was 0.377 (95% CI:0.346,0.408), accounting for 67.20% of the total effect. The total indirect effect through research self-efficacy and psychological resilience was 0.184 (95% CI:0.159,0.210), representing 32.80% of the total effect, confirming significant chain mediation (P < 0.001). The findings suggest that to enhance academic adaptation, we recommend strategically leveraging supervisor support, cultivating positive research mindsets, proactively tracking motivation and efficacy, and facilitating deep scientific engagement.
Keywords: Supervisor support, research self-efficacy, psychological resilience, academic adaptation, medical postgraduate education
Background
As high-caliber medical professionals, Master of Medical Science (MMS) students bear the critical mission of conducting scientific research, enhancing clinical quality, and propelling medical technology innovation. Compared to other disciplines, medical postgraduate training exhibits distinctive characteristics, requiring students not only to acquire robust medical knowledge but also to develop scientific thinking and research competencies essential for identifying and resolving medical challenges [1].
Academic adaptation refers to the dynamic process through which students proactively adjust psychological states to confront academic pressures and fulfill scholarly demands, representing their positive responses to academically induced stressors [2]. Unlike professionally oriented postgraduate programs, academic training prioritizes cultivating adaptability manifested through academic cognition and competencies [3]. Consequently, during initial academic training, students' abilities to appropriately perceive research, acclimate to scholarly life, and develop foundational research skills critically determine their persistence in academic careers and shape the cultivation of high-caliber medical research talent. However, substantial empirical evidence indicates that most medical postgraduates face significant survival and developmental pressures amid complex doctor–patient dynamics and discipline-specific challenges [4,5]. These stressors may diminish academic conviction and innovation [6], reduce learning motivation [7], and precipitate psychological issues including depression [8], substantially compromising training quality. Consequently, implementing tailored support mechanisms to enhance medical MMS students' capacity to navigate academic pressures is imperative.
Supervisor support constitutes a pivotal source of social support for medical academic master's students, playing an indispensable role in their academic adaptation and development. Research has demonstrated that the quality of supervisor support is a critical determinant of success in graduate education. Academic guidance and assistance from supervisors enable students to better master academic knowledge and skills, thereby enhancing their academic self-confidence and coping abilities [9]. Furthermore, encouragement and support from supervisors help students effectively navigate academic setbacks and failures, fostering greater learning motivation and engagement [9]. High-quality mentoring support can significantly enhance graduate students' academic capabilities and research output [10]. Additionally, relevant studies indicate that the extent of supervisor support and management style positively correlates with the enhancement of students' research innovation capabilities and scientific output [11]. Conversely, inadequate or ineffective supervision is associated with a significantly increased risk of delayed graduation or dropout [12]. Collectively, these studies provide valuable insights from diverse perspectives into the relationship between supervisor support and graduate students' academic adaptation and development, thus offering a comprehensive perspective for understanding the supervisor–student dynamic. However, prior research has predominantly focused on the mutual influences within the supervisor–student group, lacking in-depth exploration into the psychological behaviors and cognition of individual academic master's students. Triadic reciprocal determinism posits that individual behavior is often shaped by the interplay between personal factors and environmental factors. Therefore, this study targeting medical academic master's students, comprehensively examines the relationship between of supervisor support (an environmental factor) and research self-efficacy and psychological resilience (personal factors) in the context of on their learning adaptation. It aims to elucidate the potential psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation among medical academic master's students, thereby offering valuable insights for enhancing their academic adaptation capabilities.
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(1)
The association between supervisor support and academic adaptation of medical academic master's students
Supervisor support refers to supportive behaviors where supervisors provide emotional, academic, and relational care to foster positive mentor-student relationships [13]. In this study, the terms ‘supervisor’ and ‘mentor’ are used interchangeably. Both refer exclusively to the dedicated advisor of an academic master's student, serving as the central figure who provides multidimensional support encompassing both academic and emotional aspects. No distinction or conflict in their roles is implied. Based on support modalities, perceived supervisor support typically comprises emotional support (demonstrated through care, reassurance, trust, empathy, and encouragement) and instrumental support (manifested through tangible assistance such as financial aid and scholarly guidance) [14]. Recent research has demonstrated that supervisors' emotional support indirectly promotes graduate students' academic cognitive adaptation by reducing their academic anxiety [15]. A nationwide survey revealed that over 80% of Chinese graduate students consider their supervisors' influence on their academic ideals, research interests, scientific self-efficacy, scholarly norms, and career planning as ‘substantial’ or ‘significant’ [16]. Academic adaptation specifically denotes students' adjustment to academic development during higher education, particularly at the graduate level. It reflects the dynamic congruence achieved between students and academic institutions [17] and represents the process through which graduate students strive to meet academic demands while coping with scholarly pressures [18]. High-quality supervisor support—a critical resource in postgraduate research—facilitates students' acquisition of research competencies, shapes academic identity and career trajectories, stimulates research engagement, fosters positive affect, and enhances critical thinking and innovative behaviors [19]. Consequently, we propose:
H1: Supervisor support is positively associated with academic adaptation among medical academic master's students.
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(2)
The mediating role of research self-efficacy
Research self-efficacy—the domain-specific manifestation of self-efficacy in scientific inquiry—refers to graduate students' confidence in their ability to execute designated research tasks during their academic training [20]. Self-efficacy is often related to individuals' decision-making and actions, while frequently serving as a mediating mechanism through which external social factors (e.g. social support) affect academic adaptation behaviors. Empirical evidence indicates that when research self-efficacy is accounted for, the positive effects of supervisor support and peer support on master's students' academic adaptation become significantly more pronounced [21–23]. Specifically, supervisor support is linked to students' perceived control over research tasks and strengthens their confidence in altering task outcomes [24]. Graduate students with high research self-efficacy believe that persistent effort enables them to generate novel ideas, identify solutions to research problems, adapt effectively to academic demands, and successfully complete scholarly assignments. In other words, supervisor support may be associated with academic adaptation through its potential links to on researchers' self-perceptions and confidence, ultimately manifesting in proactive attitudes and behaviors within scholarly pursuits. Thus, we hypothesize:
H2: Research self-efficacy mediates the relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation among medical academic master's students.
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(3)
The mediating role of psychological resilience
Psychological resilience, a core psychological trait for coping with adversity, refers to an individual's systemic capacity to effectively regulate their psychological state, sustain positive cognition, and rebound swiftly when facing research difficulties and academic pressure [25]. Studies have shown that resilience is positively associated with an individual's problem-solving skills, lowering perceived stress, and fostering creativity [26]. Within the graduate student population, resilience has been identified as a significant predictor of their ability to rebound from research setbacks, thereby promoting academic adaptation [27]. Specifically, encouragement and proactive guidance from supervisors foster optimism in graduate students. In the context of this enhanced optimism, students are more likely to adopt a positive perspective toward research difficulties and setbacks and maintain their expectation of academic success [28]. On the other hand, the support resources provided by supervisors bring hope to students engaged in scientific research, clarifying their academic goals and development trajectories, thereby stimulating intrinsic motivation. Additionally, when facing high academic pressure or failure, supervisor support is associated with higher levels of resilience, which is consistent with prompt recovery, adjusting research strategies, and continually adapting to new academic demands [29,30]. Overall, students with abundant psychological resilience are more likely to maintain positive attitudes toward difficulties, demonstrating greater confidence in overcoming challenges and achieving success. This proactive mindset is related to better adaptation to academic environments and higher academic adaptation capacities. In other words, as a potential mediating variable, psychological resilience transforms supervisor support into positive psychological forces for graduate students' scientific engagement, promoting the improvement of their academic adaptation. Accordingly, this study proposes Hypothesis 3:
H3: Psychological resilience mediates the relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation among medical academic master's students.
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(4)
The serial mediating effects of research self-efficacy and psychological resilience
Empirical research examining the relationships among research self-efficacy, psychological resilience, and academic adaptation has indicated that supervisor support is positively related to students' resilience, with research self-efficacy and proactive coping strategies potentially accounting for this link [31]. Social support theory posits that when individuals encounter stressors and life challenges, various forms of support derived from their social networks—including emotional support, informational support, and tangible assistance—show a beneficial association with psychological well-being and adaptive functioning. In the developmental trajectory of medical master's students, supervisor support extends beyond traditional academic guidance to encompass multidimensional elements, particularly emotional support. According to social support theory, such support is theorized to be linked to students' ‘positive psychological responses’. Specifically, effective social support is often associated with the activation of individuals' internal resources and vitality, which corresponds to higher confidence and the capacity to manage challenges. For medical master's students, sustained encouragement and structured guidance from supervisors are consistent with the accumulation of valuable research experience. These experiences are not only related to tangible academic achievements but also coincide with a positive sense of competence, reflected in higher levels of research self-efficacy. Grounded in social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1997), self-efficacy—defined as an individual's belief in their capability to execute actions required to achieve desired outcomes—is thought to shape cognitive appraisals and behavioral choices when confronting adversity. As research self-efficacy increases, students may be more likely to interpret research setbacks as manageable challenges rather than insurmountable obstacles. Consequently, they tend to demonstrate greater perseverance and more positive emotional responses under pressure—mechanisms that are theoretically central to the accumulation and consolidation of psychological resilience. In other words, research self-efficacy may provide a critical cognitive foundation for the development of resilience. Strengthened resilience, in turn, serves as a stable psychological resource associated with academic adaptation, potentially enabling students to pursue academic goals with enhanced persistence and confidence, thereby showing a positive link with their level of academic adjustment. Existing empirical evidence further substantiates this proposed mechanism. A survey of undergraduate nursing students revealed that self-efficacy was not only significantly and positively associated with academic adaptation, but also indirectly facilitated academic adaptation by enhancing individuals' psychological resilience [32]. Specifically, higher self-efficacy is consistent with more rapid adjustment to academic environments while simultaneously relating to academic adaptation indirectly via increased resilience [33,34]. Based on the aforementioned theoretical foundations and empirical evidence, the present study proposes the following hypothesis:
H4: Research self-efficacy and psychological resilience serially mediate the relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation among medical academic master's students.
Based on the above framework, this study constructs a serial mediation model to examine the relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation among medical academic master's students, while investigating the underlying mechanisms through which research self-efficacy and psychological resilience influence their academic adaptation capacity (Figure 1).
Figure 1.
Hypothesized model.
Methods
Participants
This study employed a cluster sampling approach to recruit academic-oriented medical master's students from two key medical institutions in Xinjiang, Western China, between September and November 2024. These institutions were selected as the primary hubs for medical postgraduate education within the region. Xinjiang Medical University, located in Urumqi, is a premier provincial-level medical university. Shihezi University School of Medicine, situated in Shihezi, is a key component of Shihezi University, a national ‘Project 211’ key construction university, and exerts a significant influence on medical education in the region. Both institutions rank among the top in Xinjiang regarding postgraduate enrollment and training capacity. Consequently, the recruited sample provides a robust representation of the overall characteristics of academic-oriented medical master's students within the Xinjiang region. Preliminary analyzes (e.g. t-tests or ANOVA) showed no significant differences in the primary study variables between the two participating universities. Consequently, it was statistically justifiable to pool the data for integrated analysis. A total of 2,040 questionnaires were distributed, with 1,829 returned (response rate: 89.7%). After excluding invalid questionnaires (e.g. those with implausibly short completion times or incomplete responses), 1,486 valid questionnaires were retained (valid response rate: 81.24%). The sample comprised 474 males (31.9%) and 1,012 females (68.1%), 663 first-year (44.6%), 423 second-year (28.5%), and 400 third-year students (26.9%), with disciplinary distribution as follows: Public Health 65 (4.4%), Basic Medicine 52 (3.5%), Nursing 34 (2.3%), Traditional Chinese Medicine 42 (2.8%), Uyghur Medicine 27 (1.8%); clinical medicine, 1,126 (75.8%); pharmacy, 44 (3.0%); stomatology, 73 (4.9%); pediatrics, 18 (1.2%), and Other disciplines 32 (2.2%). This study received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of Xinjiang Medical University (No: XJYKDXR20240604002). All methods complied with the Declaration of Helsinki, and all participants provided electronic informed consent, affirming their voluntary involvement and comprehension of the study. We guaranteed the complete confidentiality and anonymity of all responses, and data were accessed exclusively by the research team for analysis.
Measurement tools
Supervisor support
The Supervisor Support Scale was adapted from the instrument developed by Overall et al. [35] and Zhao Leilei's Supervisor Support Evaluation Metrics [36]. To ensure linguistic and conceptual equivalence, the Chinese version was refined through a rigorous translation and back-translation procedure. Subsequently, two researchers specializing in educational psychology performed a cross-cultural adaptation of the items to ensure their suitability for Chinese medical postgraduate students. This 12-item scale comprises two dimensions: emotional support and instrumental support. Responses were recorded on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater perceived supervisor support. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency in this study (Cronbach's α = 0.977, X2/df = 4.548, CFI = 0.996, TLI = 0.991, RMSEA = 0.049, SRMR = 0.007).
Academic adaptation
The Academic Adaptation Scale, adapted from Zhao Leilei's evaluation metrics [14], assesses learning adaptation through two dimensions: academic cognition and academic competence, with a total of 9 items. The validated Chinese version of this scale [14] was employed in the present study. Responses were measured on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree), where higher scores indicate better academic adaptation. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency in this study (Cronbach's α = 0.886, X2/df = 2.739, CFI = 0.999, TLI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.034, SRMR = 0.010).
Research self-efficacy
Research self-efficacy was measured using a 5-item scale developed by Adedokun et al. [36]. To ensure linguistic and conceptual equivalence, the original scale underwent a rigorous translation and back-translation procedure. Subsequently, the cultural adaptability of the items was evaluated by two researchers specializing in educational psychology to develop the final Chinese version suitable for the target population. Responses were recorded on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating stronger research self-efficacy. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.942, X2/df = 5.540, CFI = 0.999, TLI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.055, SRMR = 0.004).
Psychological resilience
Psychological resilience was assessed using the resilience dimension of the Chinese version of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, developed by Luthans et al. [37,38]. The Chinese version of the scale has been widely validated across numerous studies in China, demonstrating robust reliability, validity, and cultural adaptability for use within the Chinese population. This subscale comprises six items. Responses were recorded on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree), with items 13, 20, and 23 reverse-scored. Higher total scores indicate greater psychological resilience levels among medical graduate students. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.849,X2/df = 2.930, CFI = 0.997, TLI = 0.995, RMSEA = 0.036, SRMR = 0.013).
Statistical analysis
Statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS 26.0. Common method bias was assessed through Harman's single-factor test applied to all self-reported items. Pearson correlation analyzes examined bivariate relationships among variables. Mediation effects were tested using Hayes' PROCESS macro v3.5. A significance level of α = 0.05 was used.
Result
Common method bias assessment
Harman's single-factor test was performed on all self-reported items to check for common method bias. The analysis yielded six factors with eigenvalues exceeding 1, with the largest factor accounting for 30.87% of the variance, below the 40% cutoff proposed by Podsakoff et al. [39], thus indicating no significant common method bias.
Descriptive statistics and correlation analyzes
The results demonstrated significant positive correlations between supervisor support and research self-efficacy (r = 0.411, P < 0.001), psychological resilience (r = 0.379, P < 0.001), and academic adaptation (r = 0.623, P < 0.001). Research self-efficacy showed significant positive correlations with both psychological resilience (r = 0.760, P < 0.001) and academic adaptation (r = 0.619, P < 0.001). psychological resilience was significantly positively correlated with academic adaptation (r = 0.634, P < 0.001). Table 1.
Table 1.
Descriptive statistics and correlations among variables (N = 1,486).
| M | SD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SS | 4.342 | 0.744 | 1 | |||
| 2 | RSE | 3.823 | 0.800 | 0.411*** | 1 | ||
| 3 | PsyRes | 3.827 | 0.664 | 0.379*** | 0.760*** | 1 | |
| 4 | AA | 4.100 | 0.660 | 0.623*** | 0.619*** | 0.634*** | 1 |
Note: ***p < 0.001, ‘SS’ = supervisor support, ‘RSE’ = research self-efficacy, ‘PsyRes’ = psychological resilience, ‘AA’ = academic adaptation.
Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) between supervisor support and academic adaptation
To elucidate the overall multivariate relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation, and to provide a broader empirical context for the subsequent mediation analyzes, a Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) was performed. The analysis included two variable sets: the dimensions of supervisor support(instrumental support as X₁ and emotional support as X₂) as the predictor set, and the dimensions of academic adaptation(academic cognition as Y₁ and academic competence as Y₂) as the criterion set. The results yielded two statistically significant canonical variate pairs (both $P < 0.001$). Specifically, the first canonical variate pair demonstrated a strong canonical correlation coefficient of 0.71, while the second pair exhibited a significantly weaker correlation of 0.11. Table 2.
Table 2.
Canonical correlations and redundancy analysis between supervisor support and academic adaptation.
| Canonical variates | R | λ | Wilk's | F | df | Error df | P | Redundancy analysis |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X × X | X × Y | Y × Y | Y × X | ||||||||
| 1 | 0.71 | 1.03 | 0.487 | 320.76 | 4.000 | 2964.00 | <0.001 | 0.963 | 0.489 | 0.674 | 0.342 |
| 2 | 0.11 | 0.01 | 0.989 | 16.66 | 1.000 | 1483.00 | <0.001 | 0.037 | 0.000 | 0.326 | 0.004 |
Based on standardized canonical coefficients, the linear combination for the first canonical variate of supervisor support (U₁) is expressed as:U₁ = −0.643X1 − 0.374X2, while the first canonical variate for academic adaptation (V₁) is:
V₁ = −0.832Y1 − 0.309Y2. The second canonical variate for supervisor support (U₂) is defined as: U₂ = −2.654X1 + 2.705X2, and the second canonical variate for academic adaptation (V₂) is: V₂ = 0.719Y1 − 1.055Y2. Table 3.
Table 3.
Canonical variate coefficients for supervisor support and academic adaptation.
| Variate | Canonical weights |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | ||
| Supervisor support(X) | Instrumental(X1) | −0.643 | −2.654 |
| Emotional(X2) | −0.374 | 2.705 | |
| Academic adaptation(Y) | Cognition(Y1) | −0.832 | 0.719 |
| Competence(Y2) | −0.309 | −1.055 | |
Note: X1 = instrumental support, X2 = emotional support, Y1 = academic cognition, Y2 = academic competence.
In the first canonical variate pair, instrumental support (X₁) exhibits the largest coefficient within the supervisor support indicators, indicating that U₁ predominantly reflects instrumental support dynamics rather than emotional support. For academic adaptation, academic cognition (Y₁) demonstrates the strongest contribution to V₁, signifying that V₁ primarily represents academic cognition processes. The congruent negative signs of coefficients for X₁ and Y₁ reveal an inverse compensatory relationship between instrumental support and academic cognition demands, contradicting the initial proportional interpretation. The second canonical variate pair shows a weak canonical correlation (r = 0.11), indicating negligible practical significance (1% shared variance). To elucidate multivariate relationships, Figure 2 plots canonical loadings between raw dimensions and their variates (U/V).
Figure 2.
Canonical correlation analysis of supervisor support and academic adaptation dimensions. Notes: X1 = instrumental support, X2 = emotional support, Y1 = academic cognition, Y2 = academic competence. The values on the plot represent canonical loadings of each dimension on the corresponding canonical variates. U1 and V1 are the first canonical variates of supervisor support and academic adaptation, respectively (r = 0.71, P < 0.001). U2 and V2 are the second canonical variates (r = 0.11, P < 0.001).
Redundancy analysis revealed that the first canonical variate U₁ from supervisor support explains 96.3% of the variance within its own variable set (instrumental and emotional support), while the second variate U₂ explains the remaining 3.7%. For academic adaptation, the first canonical variate V₁ accounts for 67.4% of the variance within its dimensions (academic cognition and competence), with the second variate V₂ explaining 32.6%.
Testing the serial mediation effects of research self-efficacy and psychological resilience
After controlling for academic year and gender, serial mediation analysis was conducted to examine the roles of research self-efficacy (RSE) and psychological resilience (PsyRes) in the relationship between supervisor support (SS) and academic adaptation (AA). Regression results (Table 4) revealed:
Table 4.
Regression analysis of the serial mediation model involving research self-efficacy and psychological resilience.
| Outcome variable | Predictor variables | R | R2 | F | β | t |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | Grade | 0.641 | 0.411 | 345.097 | 0.121 | 7.551*** |
| Sex | −0.052 | −1.839 | ||||
| SS | 0.561 | 31.639*** | ||||
| RSE | Grade | 0.419 | 0.175 | 105.086 | −0.052 | −2.285* |
| Sex | −0.100 | −2.461* | ||||
| SS | 0.437 | 17.181*** | ||||
| PsyRes | Grade | 0.765 | 0.585 | 522.803 | 0.042 | 3.130** |
| Sex | −0.014 | −0.601 | ||||
| SS | 0.073 | 4.473*** | ||||
| RSE | 0.607 | 39.612*** | ||||
| AA | Grade | 0.784 | 0.615 | 472.664 | 0.127 | 9.800*** |
| Sex | −0.011 | −0.468 | ||||
| SS | 0.377 | 23.847*** | ||||
| RSE | 0.189 | 8.969*** | ||||
| PsyRes | 0.299 | 12.032*** |
Note: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ‘SS’ = supervisor support, ‘RSE’ = research self-efficacy, ‘PsyRes’ = psychological resilience, ‘AA’ = academic adaptation.
SS was positively associated with AA (β = 0.561, P < 0.001), SS showed a significant positive link with significantly and positively predicted RSE (β = 0.437, P < 0.001), RSE was positively related to PsyRes (β = 0.607, P < 0.001), and SS exhibited a significant association with PsyRes (β = 0.127, P < 0.001).
When SS, RSE, and PsyRes were simultaneously entered into the model to account for variance in AA: RSE remained a significant correlate of AA (β = 0.189, P < 0.05), PsyRes showed a strong positive association with AA (β = 0.299, P < 0.001), and SS maintained significant direct effects on AA (β = 0.377, P < 0.001). These results are consistent with the theoretical model where RSE and PsyRes sequentially mediate the relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation among medical graduate students. The data support the existence of statistically significant serial mediation effects, although the cross-sectional design precludes the determination of temporal precedence between these variables.
Further mediation analysis results are presented in Table 5 and Figure 3. The results indicate that the direct effect of supervisor support on the academic adaptation of medical academic master's students is 0.377, accounting for 67.20% of the total effect. The total indirect effect value is 0.184, accounting for 32.80% of the total effect. Specifically, the path effect value mediated by research self-efficacy is 0.082, contributing 14.62% to the total effect. The path effect value mediated by psychological resilience is 0.022, accounting for 3.92% of the total effect. The chain mediating path effect value mediated by research self-efficacy and psychological resilience is 0.079.
Table 5.
Mediation effect analysis of research self-efficacy and psychological resilience.
| Bootstrap 95%CI |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model effects | β | SE | LLCI | ULCI | Proportion of the total effect |
| Total effect | 0.561 | 0.018 | 0.526 | 0.595 | 100.00% |
| Direct effect | 0.377 | 0.016 | 0.346 | 0.408 | 67.20% |
| Indirect effect | 0.184 | 0.013 | 0.159 | 0.210 | 32.80% |
| SS→RSE→AA | 0.082 | 0.012 | 0.060 | 0.106 | 14.62% |
| SS→PsyRes→AA | 0.022 | 0.006 | 0.011 | 0.033 | 3.92% |
| SS→RSE→PsyRes→AA | 0.079 | 0.010 | 0.061 | 0.099 | 14.08% |
Note: ‘SS’ = supervisor support, ‘RSE’ = research self-efficacy, ‘PsyRes’ = psychological resilience, ‘AA’ = academic adaptation.
Figure 3.
Mediation model of research self-efficacy and psychological resilience between supervisor support and academic adaptation. Note: ‘SS’ = supervisor support, ‘RSE’ = research self-efficacy, ‘PsyRes’ = psychological resilience, ‘AA’ = academic adaptation.
Discussion
The association between supervisor support on academic adaptation
This study found that supervisor support was significantly and positively associated with academic adaptation in medical academic master's students, providing support for Hypothesis H1. Consistent with prior research, higher levels of perceived support are closely linked to enhanced academic adaptation capabilities [40]. Our findings align with substantiating existing evidence regarding the relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation, demonstrating a significant linkage between supervisory support and academic adaptation among medical master's students. Specifically, academic adaptation performance in this population serves as a key evaluative metric for supervisory effectiveness. According to Bandura's triadic reciprocal determinism theory [41], behavioral evolution depends not only on intrinsic drivers but also on contextual influences from external environments. Concretely, adequate supervisor support showed a robust association with successful domain-specific adaptation. Consequently, enhancing supervisory support systems is imperative for optimizing academic adaptation outcomes.
Canonical correlation analysis between supervisor support and academic adaptation revealed the strongest correlation in the first pair of canonical variates (r = 0.71). The canonical variable U1 primarily captured dimensions of supervisor-provided instrumental support, manifested mainly through tutors' substantive help with economic support and academic guidance. Conversely, canonical variable V1 comprehensively reflected holistic academic cognition development, spanning multiple dimensions including: profound mastery of disciplinary knowledge, enhanced critical thinking capabilities, proficient application of research methodologies, and cultivation of rigorous academic attitudes. Notably, increasing levels of instrumental support demonstrated a dose-response relationship with progressively positive trajectories in academic cognition among medical master's students. This establishes instrumental support as an indispensable factor in the academic adaptation process. Consequently, these findings necessitate prioritized integration of instrumental support mentoring practices within medical graduate training frameworks to optimally foster students' academic-professional development.
Mediating effects of research self-efficacy and psychological resilience between supervisor support and academic adaptation
The results demonstrate that supervisor support influences medical master's students' academic adaptation through three indirect pathways. Crucially, supervisor support exerts not only a direct effect on academic adaptation but also significant indirect effects mediated through research self-efficacy and psychological resilience. This aligns with Bandura's social cognitive theory, which emphasizes the triadic reciprocity among personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. Within medical graduate training contexts, supervisor support serves as a pivotal external environmental factor that functions as an orienting influence on students' cognition (e.g. research self-efficacy) and behavioral resources (e.g. psychological resilience), ultimately shaping academic adaptation outcomes.
The results provide support for the model where psychological resilience mediates the relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation. From the perspective of positive psychology, which emphasizes the role of individuals' positive traits and psychological states in behavior and development [42,43], supervisor support—whether emotional or instrumental—is associated with the activation of positive psychological states in medical master's students. This heightened psychological resilience is consistent with greater optimism toward academic challenges and increased resilience when confronting setbacks. Concurrently, Conservation of Resources (COR) theory posits that individuals strive to acquire, preserve, and utilize resources to manage external pressures and achieve goals [44]. Supervisor support constitutes a critical external resource. When graduate students receive such support, they not only receive practical assistance but also experience value affirmation and recognition, which is linked to psychological resource accumulation. Students with substantial psychological resilience tend to demonstrate a greater capacity to mobilize these positive psychological resources when confronting academic adaptation challenges, enabling effective stress counteraction and implementation of evidence-based strategies to navigate academic environments.
This study established a significant chain mediation pathway through which research self-efficacy and psychological resilience link supervisor support to academic adaptation. From the perspective of achievement motivation theory, supervisor support functions as an extrinsic motivator [45,46]. When supervisors provide substantial support to medical master's students, it is often accompanied by an activated drive for academic accomplishment. In cases where research self-efficacy increases, students' achievement aspirations may intensify, which is related to more proactive engagement in scholarly pursuits. From the perspective of self-determination theory (SDT), supervisor support fulfills graduate students' innate psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness [47–49]. Emotional support is consistent with satisfies relatedness needs through positive mentor–mentee connections, while instrumental support corresponds to competence needs by enabling students to feel capable when executing research tasks. When these needs are met, medical master's students often exhibit higher intrinsic motivation, manifested as heightened research self-efficacy. Elevated research self-efficacy is further associated with autonomy and intrinsic motivation, which aligns with proactive exploration and adaptation within academic environments. Concurrently, this positive psychological state corresponds to the accumulation of psychological resilience—characterized by increased confidence and sustained optimism—thereby showing a positive link with coping capabilities when confronting academic stressors.
Limitations and future directions
First, the cross-sectional design of the present study permits only the examination of associations among variables and does not allow for definitive conclusions regarding temporal precedence or causal pathways. Although the serial mediation model was grounded in established theoretical frameworks (e.g. Social Support Theory and Social Cognitive Theory), the underlying mechanisms among the variables should be regarded as strictly correlational in nature. Future studies are encouraged to adopt longitudinal designs (e.g. cross-lagged panel analysis) or experimental approaches to more rigorously test the directional relationships and confirm the potential causal mechanisms linking supervisor support, research self-efficacy, psychological resilience, and academic adaptation.
Second, the reliance on cross-sectional self-report data may introduce certain biases, such as common method bias or social desirability bias. Although statistical techniques were employed to assess these issues, participants' subjective perceptions of supervisor support and their own psychological states might not perfectly align with objective reality. Future research could benefit from integrating multi-source assessments, such as supervisor evaluations of student adaptation or objective academic performance metrics, to enhance the robustness of the findings.
Third, the representativeness of the sample is limited. Participants were drawn exclusively from academic-oriented medical master's students at two key medical institutions in Xinjiang, China. Although the inclusion of both a premier provincial-level university (Xinjiang Medical University) and a national ‘Project 211’ key construction university (Shihezi University) provides a robust representation of medical postgraduate education within this specific region, the findings may be influenced by unique regional cultural contexts and institutional characteristics. Therefore, caution is warranted when generalizing the results to other regions of China with different socio-economic backgrounds, other countries, or medical programs within non-medical comprehensive universities. Furthermore, doctoral students were not included in this study, which limits our understanding of the proposed psychological mechanisms across the broader postgraduate population. Future research should consider larger-scale, multi-centered studies spanning diverse geographical locations, academic levels (e.g. doctoral vs. master's), and disciplines to further validate the generalizability and robustness of the present model.
Conclusion
This study examines the relationship between supervisor support and academic adaptation among academic-oriented medical master's students. as well as the mediating roles of self-efficacy and psychological resilience. The results indicate that supervisory support is a significant positive correlate of academic adaptation. Both self-efficacy and psychological resilience were found to be significant mediators of this association. Furthermore, these two variables collectively form a significant serial mediation path within the statistical model. Furthermore, these two variables collectively form a significant serial mediation path within the statistical model. These findings suggest that supervisory support, as a crucial environmental factor, is closely linked to academic adaptation both directly and indirectly through its associations with students' self-efficacy and psychological resilience. At the practical level, this study implies that medical colleges and supervisors should consider strengthening the provision of both instrumental and emotional support. Emphasis could be placed on fostering students' self-efficacy and supporting their resilience through targeted training. These measures may hold significant importance for improving the academic adaptation abilities of academic-oriented medical master's students and enhancing the overall quality of medical postgraduate education.
Funding Statement
This work was funded by the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project of Xinjiang Medical University (2025): ‘Research on the Construction of a Three-Wholeness Education System for Graduate Students’ (No. 2025XYRW16). Autonomous Region Graduate Education Teaching Reform Project: "Construction and Practice of Supervisor Training System under the New Medical Education Background—A Case Study of Newly Established Medical Universities" (No. XJ2025GY28).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Ethics approval statement
The study was approved by the ethics committee of Xinjiang Medical University (No. XJYKDXR20240604002). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
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Associated Data
This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.
Data Availability Statement
The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.