Academic Burnout and Parent–Child Discrepancies in Educational Expectations Among Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model

Based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, previous research has shown that burnout results from excessive demands combined with insufficient resources. This study evaluated the relationship between academic burnout and parent-child discrepancies in educational expectations, with the mediating role of academic stress and the moderating role of grit. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 531 middle school students (Mage = 14.77, SD = 0.63; 47.08% female) in Zhengzhou, China, using self-report measures. The results showed that the expectation discrepancies were positively related to burnout, and academic stress partially mediated this association. In addition, grit moderated the effect of academic stress on burnout, indicating that grit could serve as a protective factor against academic burnout. These findings provide a better understanding of how expectation misalignment contributes to student burnout and highlight the protective role of grit. Suggestions for reducing academic stress and burnout among adolescents are discussed.