Self-Regulation and Academic Optimism in a Sample of Iranian Language Learners: Variations Across Achievement Group and Gender

Bayesian analysis of psychological capital in peruvian university students: Differences by sex and age

Psychological capital (PsyCap) constitutes a positive personal resource that enhances better well-being and academic performance in university students. Initially addressed in the organizational realm and recently in the academic one. This study aimed to establish the differences in PsyCap according to gender and age in Peruvian university students. A quantitative, comparative, non-experimental, and cross-sectional study was conducted with 708 students (77.4 % women and 22.6 % men), aged between 18 and 61 years (M = 22.1; SD = 5.95), selected in a non-probabilistic manner, who completed the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-12). The results indicate very strong evidence supporting the existence of significant differences between different age groups, suggesting that the observed variations are not due to chance but reflect real differences between ages. Regarding gender, the data do not provide enough information to confidently assert whether there are significant differences between men and women in relation to psychological capital (PsyCap) and its dimensions. This implies that we cannot confirm whether gender influences these variables. These findings highlight the need to consider age when assessing and intervening in PsyCap in university students.

How Does the Optimism of Students Learning a Foreign Language Affect Their Creative Self-Efficacy? The Mediating Effects of Hope and Empathy

Creative self-efficacy (CSE) is a core influencer of creative behavior and has a positive impact on well-being and development. However, the positive psychological processes that help to promote CSE in foreign-language learning (FLL) remain under-studied. Focusing specifically on FLL students, the present study examined the associations among optimism, hope, empathy, and CSE and investigated the possible mediating roles of hope and empathy in the relationship between optimism and CSE. A sample of 330 FLL students from two Chinese universities participated in this study. The results showed that (i) optimism, hope, and empathy were all positively related to CSE and that (ii) optimism did not directly predict CSE but indirectly and positively predicted CSE through hope and empathy. These findings suggest that optimism, empathy, and hope potentially play positive roles in facilitating CSE in FLL students. Based on the present results, some practical approaches are discussed that could help improve the CSE of FLL students, paying particular attention to the effects that potentially motivate their positivity.

Self-Efficacy, Optimism, and Academic Performance as Psychoeducational Variables: Mediation Approach in Students

Background: During the various stages of education, adolescents undergo emotional and motivational experiences that can play key roles in their development. This study aims to analyse the relationship among academic self-efficacy, optimism, and academic performance. Methods: This study comprised 1852 adolescent (male, N = 956, 51.61% and female, N = 896, 48.38%) aged 12-19 years (M = 14.77; SD = 1.80) from twelve secondary schools in Spain. The instruments used for the evaluation were the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) and the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R); the students' average marks were used to measure their academic performance. Results: The results of the study revealed significant correlations among self-efficacy, optimism and academic performance. Conclusions: These results emphasise the importance of academic self-efficacy as a mediating variable between the other two variables as well as its central role in the promotion of adaptive behaviours in the classroom, leading to adequate personal development, helping to prevent early school dropout and contributing to a more satisfactory academic experience.

Game-based self-regulated language learning: Theoretical analysis and bibliometrics

Game-based learning and self-regulated learning have long been valued as effective approaches to language education. However, little research has been conducted to investigate their integration, namely, game-based self-regulated language learning (GBSRLL). This study aims to conceptualise GBSRLL based on the combination of theoretical analysis, thematic evolution analysis, and social network analysis on the research articles in the fields of game-based language learning and self-regulated language learning. The results show that GBSRLL is a new interdisciplinary field emerging since the period from 2018 to 2019. Self-regulated learning strategies that can be performed in GBSRLL, the effects of GBSRLL on learners' affective states, and the features in GBSRLL were the prominent research topics in this field. Its theoretical foundation centres on the positive correlations between learner motivation, self-efficacy, and autonomy and the implementation of game-based learning and self-regulated learning. It is feasible to conduct GBSRLL due to the strong supportiveness of game mechanics for various phases and strategies of self-regulated learning. More contributions to this new interdisciplinary field are called for, especially from the aspects of the long-term effects of GBSRLL on academic performance and the useful tools and technologies for implementing GBSRLL.