Abstract
<jats:p>The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between automatic thoughts during learning and school achievement, with emphasis on the mediating role of the cognitive and physiological aspects of test anxiety. A total of 256 sixth- and seventh-grade elementary school students (52.8% female; Mage = 12.80 years, SDage = 0.73) participated in the study. Validated questionnaires assessing automatic thoughts and test anxiety were used, and the data on students' overall academic success and self-assessment of satisfaction with themselves as students were collected. The path analysis revealed a positive direct effect of positive automatic thoughts on the student's satisfaction, while thoughts reflecting a lack of motivation and interest in learning had a positive direct effect on the final grade. Thoughts reflecting fear of failure showed a negative direct effect on measures of school achievement, partially mediated by the physiological signs of test anxiety. The findings contribute to the understanding of emotional-cognitive mechanisms underlying school functioning and imply the importance of their integration into school prevention and intervention programmes.</jats:p>