Purpose and Background:The present study aimed to investigate the predictive role of reduced social communication and response inhibition in the decline of academic skills among lower secondary school students during the 2020–2021 academic year. Given the special circumstances

of education during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on social relationships and cognitive functions, identifying the factors affecting academic decline has gained increasing importance.

Rersearch Method:This was a descriptive-correlational study. The statistical population included all male and female lower secondary school students in Tehran during the 2020–2021 academic year. A sample of 350 students was selected using Fidel and Tabachnick’s (2007) formula and a multi-stage cluster sampling method based on geographic school zones. Instruments included the Study and Learning Strategies Questionnaire (Kangas, 2009), the Social Communication Questionnaire (Zaboff, 2010), and the BRIEF Executive Function Rating Scale (2000), all administered online. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality, and simple and multiple regression analyses.

Findings:The results indicated that reduced social communication significantly predicted declines in academic skills. Additionally, the response inhibition component of executive functioning explained part of the variance in students' academic skills. Subcomponents such as working memory, initiation, and planning positively and significantly predicted academic skills. In contrast, components like shifting attention, emotional control, organization of materials, and monitoring/control did not significantly predict academic skills.

Discussion and Conclusion: Based on the findings, improving social communication and enhancing specific executive functions—such as response inhibition and working memory—can contribute to the development of students' academic skills. These results can inform educational and counseling interventions in the post-COVID period, particularly in addressing academic setbacks experienced by students.