سجاد سراوانی

This study examined the role of achievement goal orientation and academic enthusiasm in predicting the academic retention of male high school students in Zabol during the 2025–2026 academic year. The research employed a descriptive–correlational design, and the data were analyzed using multivariate linear regression. The statistical population consisted of all 12th-grade male students in Zabol (N = 1,240), from whom 293 students were selected through a stratified random sampling method. Data were collected using the Achievement Goal Questionnaire–Revised (AGQ‑R) developed by Elliot and McGregor (2001), the Academic Enthusiasm Questionnaire (Fredericks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004), and the Academic Retention Scale (Martin & Marsh, 2008). After collection, the data were coded and analyzed using SPSS version 27. The results indicated that academic enthusiasm had a positive and significant relationship with academic retention (r = 0.456, p < .01). In addition, mastery orientation and performance orientation were positive predictors of academic retention, whereas mastery avoidance and performance avoidance negatively predicted it. Overall, academic enthusiasm—particularly the behavioral enthusiasm component—played the most significant role in explaining students’ academic retention.