Achievement goal orientations in college students: longitudinal trajectories, related factors, and effects on academic performance

The relationship between Freshman students' mental health and academic achievement: chain mediating effect of learning adaptation and academic self-efficacy

The relationship between the mental health and academic achievement of college students is not only related to their individual growth and development but also has a profound impact on the quality of higher education and the cultivation of social talent. Understanding the interaction and influencing mechanisms between mental health and academic achievement can help individuals adjust learning and psychological states and achieve a virtuous cycle between mental health and academic achievement. A survey was conducted on 3871 freshmen using the Symptom Check-List-90 (SCL-90), Academic Self-efficacy Scale (ASES), China College Student Adjustment Scale (CCSAS), and basic quality assessment scores. The results showed that (1) Mental health is significantly correlated with learning adaptation, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement, and mental health can significantly negatively predict academic achievement; (2) Learning adaptation partially mediates the relationship between mental health and academic self-efficacy; Academic self-efficacy plays a complete mediating role between mental health and academic achievement; (3) Learning adaptation and academic self-efficacy play a chain mediated role between mental health and academic achievement. Therefore, schools can enhance the cultivation of students' psychological qualities, cultivate their adaptability to changes in learning environments and learning methods, and systematically enhance the cultivation of students' academic self-efficacy to improve their academic achievements.

Factors affecting the wellbeing of mid-achieving university students: a case study from China

Background

The study aims to investigate the wellbeing of mid-achieving university students on campus and the factors affecting it. Given that this group represents a large yet often overlooked portion of higher education, the study endeavors to analyze the specific factors affecting their wellbeing to provide insights to foster a more comprehensive and inclusive educational environment.

Methodology

The study adopted a qualitative research method. A total of 30 mid-achieving university students from different departments at Guizhou Medical University in China were interviewed in-depth. The interviews were conducted via the online WeChat platform from 1st March 2024 to 13th September 2024. The semi-structured interviews focused on "moments in campus life that make mid-achieving university students feel happy or joyful." All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed into text, which was thoroughly coded and analyzed by the researcher using NVIVO 12 software to comprehensively assess the multiple factors that affect the wellbeing of students.

Results

The wellbeing of mid-achieving university students is affected by a combination of factors, including freedom and autonomy, social interactions, collective activities, campus environment and facilities, and academic achievement.

Conclusion

Enhancing the autonomy of mid-achieving university students can significantly improve their self-efficacy and overall wellbeing. While social interactions and collective activities provide emotional support, they also present interpersonal challenges. Sufficient recreational spaces and a diverse range of food options on campus can help alleviate students' stress and increase their satisfaction with campus services. Conversely, policies banning motorized bicycles may negatively affect students' sense of wellbeing. Theoretically, the study contributes to the literature on student wellbeing in higher education psychology, particularly by offering a deeper understanding of the large but often neglected group of mid-achieving students. Practically, the findings emphasize the importance of creating more supportive and responsive educational environments tailored to the needs of these students, thereby facilitating inclusive campus environments and fully harnessing the learning potential of mid-achieving students. The study also proposes specific improvement strategies, such as optimizing campus facilities, enhancing student autonomy, and bolstering social and academic support systems. These measures are expected to directly improve the daily experiences of mid-achieving students and enhance their overall wellbeing.

Achievement motivation and mental health among medical postgraduates: the chain mediating effect of self-esteem and perceived stress

Introduction

Medical postgraduates generally experience high levels of depression and anxiety. Previous studies have investigated the impact of various achievement motivations on depression/anxiety among medical students.

Methods

This study focused on self-esteem and perceived stress, examining the internal mechanisms through which achievement motivation affects depression/anxiety. 530 medical postgraduate students (66.04% female and 33.96% male) were administered the Achievement Goal Orientation Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale.

Results

Results indicated that: (1) mastery-approach goals were negatively correlated with depression/anxiety; mastery-avoidance goals were positively correlated with depression/anxiety; performance-avoidance goals positively predicted depression/anxiety; (2) self-esteem mediated the relationship between achievement motivation and depression/anxiety; (3) perceived stress played a mediating role in the relationship between achievement motivation and depression/anxiety; (4) self-esteem and perceived stress played a chain mediating role in the relationship between achievement motivation and depression/anxiety; (5) there was no significant linear correlation between mastery-approach goals and depression/anxiety.

Discussion

Although this study employed a cross-sectional design and self-report scales, both of which have certain limitations, the findings still hold significant theoretical and practical implications. The research reveals a mediating pathway between achievement goals and mental health, offering new insights into mental health education for medical graduate students.

Exploring the Interplay between Stress Perception and Approach-Avoidance Achievement Goal Orientation among Rural Students in College: A Longitudinal Study in China

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between stress perception and achievement goals among rural college students in China. Using a two-wave random intercept cross-lagged model, this study analyzed data from a longitudinal survey conducted at 15 public universities in Beijing. First, there was a significant decline in stress levels among Chinese rural students from their junior to senior years. Second, the achievement goal orientations of these students remained relatively stable during the period. Third, while no significant association was found between approach goals and stress perception, a clear positive reciprocal relationship emerged between avoidance goals and stress perception. These results suggest that educators should focus on alleviating the stress experienced by rural college students through academic, employment, and interpersonal support to break the vicious cycle of stress perception and avoidance goal orientation. Future research should further explore the influence of diverse group characteristics and emotional states on these outcomes.

The Relationship between Stress and Academic Self-Efficacy among Students at Elite Colleges: A Longitudinal Analysis

Stress and academic self-efficacy are crucial factors in the psychological health of college students. Previous research has shown that stress is associated with academic self-efficacy, but their longitudinal relationships among students at elite colleges remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal relationships between stress and academic self-efficacy among students from five elite colleges in China. Descriptive statistics indicated that students experienced a slight reduction in stress accompanied by a marginal increase in academic self-efficacy from the junior year to the senior year. Correlation analysis revealed that stress was negatively correlated with academic self-efficacy. According to cross-lagged models, heightened stress significantly predicted lower levels of academic self-efficacy. However, greater academic self-efficacy did not significantly predict lower stress. In conclusion, stress exhibited a unidirectional negative prediction on academic self-efficacy over time among students at elite colleges. The results of this study suggested that elite colleges should pay more attention to the mental health of students and provide appropriate guidance, such as establishing a positive mental health atmosphere in the educational environment and employing advanced technological means.

Exploring age-related differences in metacognitive self-regulation: the influence of motivational factors in secondary school students

Introduction

Metacognitive self-regulation is a crucial factor that promotes students' learning and achievement. However, the evidence regarding age differences in metacognitive skills is rather mixed, with some evidence pointing toward further refinement and development and other evidence suggesting declining levels. Academic motivation, an important antecedent of metacognitive self-regulation, has also been reported to decline steeply in adolescence. Hence, this raises the question whether there are any age-related differences in academic motivation and metacognitive self-regulation of adolescents and whether age differences in academic motivation drive decreases in metacognitive self-regulation.

Method

A large sample size of 1,027 Greek adolescents (ages 12-16, M age = 13.95, SD = 0.78) was utilized in the present study. Multigroup measurement invariance analyses were deployed to compare the latent means of motivational factors (self-efficacy, task value, mastery, and performance goals) and metacognitive self-regulation across age groups. Cholesky decomposition was applied to test the independent contribution of motivational factors to and the indirect effects of age on metacognitive self-regulation.

Results

Invariance analyses revealed scalar invariance for metacognitive self-regulation, language self-efficacy, mastery and performance goal orientations and partially scalar invariance for task value. Older adolescents scored lower on metacognitive self-regulation, mastery and performance goals, and self-efficacy. Older students scored lower on metacognitive self-regulation via indirect effects through Cholesky decomposed motivational factors.

Discussion

Self-efficacy, mastery and performance goals, and task value are similarly understood across adolescents in different age groups. Decreased mastery and performance goals and task value can lead to reduced metacognitive self-regulation in adolescents. The implications of the findings underscore the key role of making students more engaged with lessons' content in order to promote greater academic motivation and prevent decreases in metacognitive self-regulation.

Longitudinal trajectories of self-esteem, related predictors, and impact on depression among students over a four-year period at college in China

Self-esteem plays a crucial role in the psychological development of college students. Based on four-wave longitudinal data, this study empirically investigated the longitudinal trajectories of self-esteem, related predictors, and the impact on depression in a sample of Chinese college students. Piecewise growth mixture modeling was utilized to identify potential self-esteem trajectories. Furthermore, multinomial logistic regression models were employed along with the Kruskal‒Wallis test to analyze the factors that influence self-esteem development trajectories and assess variations in depression. The results showed that college students’ self-esteem trajectories can be divided into three categories: slowly decreasing (81.04%), rising then falling (16.94%), and falling then rising (2.02%). Various personal factors (e.g. ethnicity, family residence, self-reported health status, extroversion) and socioeconomic factors (e.g. closeness with classmates, family economic level, family social status, and the mother’s educational level) can influence the classification of students’ self-esteem development trajectories. Moreover, notable differences in depression were observed among students in different self-esteem trajectory groups. The results emphasize the imperative of implementing interventions to enhance self-esteem among college students.

More romantic or more realistic: trajectories and influencing factors of romantic love among Chinese college students from entering college to graduation

College is a significant transition in the growth of individuals, and romantic relationships play an important role in the future development of individuals. Understanding young people’s attitudes toward love is helpful for formulating strategies to guide them to form correct attitudes toward love, promote the formation of positive and healthy attitudes toward marriage and life. This study aimed to explore the trajectories of college students’ attitudes toward love, reveal the development law of their attitudes toward love, and identify the influencing factors that lead to changes in their attitudes toward love. Descriptive and correlation analyses were performed on participants’ attitudes toward love, followed by utilization of a growth mixture model to explore latent trajectory classes and a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze influencing factors across trajectories.The results indicated that romantic attitudes could be divided into three groups: “high-increasing”, “low-decreasing” and “low-increasing”, and realistic attitudes could be divided into three groups: “high-increasing”, “low-increasing” and “high-decreasing”. Gender, major, extroversion, and hometown location were factors influencing whether students fell into different trajectory classes. Overall, society and colleges should pay more attention to changes in college students’ attitudes toward love, provide timely intervention and guidance, and prevent them from suffering from behavioral, physical, and psychological problems.

Bidirectional reduction effects of perceived stress and general self-efficacy among college students: a cross-lagged study

Perceived stress and general self-efficacy are important issues closely related to the mental health and academic performance of college students. Previous studies have explored the correlation between perceived stress and general self-efficacy, but the understanding of the reciprocal effects of these two factors is still limited. Based on two-wave longitudinal data, this study investigated the bidirectional relationship between perceived stress and general self-efficacy in a sample of Chinese college students. The correlation results showed that perceived stress was significantly negatively correlated with general self-efficacy. Furthermore, by cross-lagged analysis, it was found that perceived stress can significantly negatively predict subsequent general self-efficacy and that general self-efficacy can significantly negatively predict subsequent perceived stress. Bidirectional reduction effects between perceived stress and general self-efficacy are observed among Chinese college students. The results emphasize the necessity of timely stress intervention for college students and the establishment of measures to enhance general self-efficacy.