Student Engagement, Academic Self-efficacy, and Academic Motivation as Predictors of Academic Performance

Unveiling the association between 24-hour movement guidelines and academic engagement in adolescents

BACKGROUND

The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between adherence to different possible combinations of the 24-hour movement guidelines and academic engagement in adolescents.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study involved 742 students (median = 15.00; interquartile range = 3.00), aged 12 to 17 years (422 girls; 56.9%). Physical activity, screen time, sleep duration, and academic engagement were measured using self-report measurements. A generalized additive mixed model and a generalized linear mixed model were used to examine the association between adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines and academic engagement. Age, sex, socioeconomic status, body mass index, and school were considered as covariates.

RESULTS

Students who met all three guidelines showed the highest levels of academic engagement. Conversely, the lowest levels of academic engagement were observed in those who did not meet any of the guidelines. In addition, students' academic engagement was higher as more 24-hour movement guidelines were met.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest the importance of jointly promoting 24-hour movement guidelines, as it appears to have greater benefits on adolescent academic outcomes.

IMPACT

Not meeting any of the three 24-hour movement guidelines was associated with lower academic engagement. Meeting all three 24-hour movement guidelines was related to higher academic engagement. Previous research has focused on the association between the three 24-hour movement guidelines and academic performance. However, the relationships of these behaviors on academic engagement have been little studied. The results of this study highlight the importance of promoting these three behaviors in adolescent academic outcomes.

The mediating roles of academic self-efficacy and learning interest in the relationship between teaching style and math behavior engagement among junior high school students in China

Teacher guidance can positively impact students' learning interest and mathematical behavior engagement. As a crucial part of classroom teaching, effective teaching styles play an indispensable role in middle school students' mathematical behavior engagement. This study addresses the gap in understanding how different teaching styles influence junior high school students' math behavior engagement in China, by examining the underexplored mediating roles of academic self-efficacy and learning interest in this relationship, which are critical yet often overlooked factors in fostering student engagement and improving educational outcomes in mathematics. Students from grades 7 to 9 in six middle schools in Jiangsu Province, China participated in the survey. The results indicate that: (1) academic self-efficacy mediates the relationship between effective teaching styles (humorous and lively style, rigorous and logical style, caring and sharing style) and mathematical behavior engagement among Chinese middle school students; (2) math learning interest mediates the relationship between effective teaching styles (humorous and lively style, rigorous and logical style, caring and sharing style, innovative and exploratory style) and mathematical behavior engagement among Chinese middle school students. Recommendations include encouraging teachers to adopt diverse teaching styles that foster both self-efficacy and interest.

How study-related positive emotions and academic psychological capital mediate between teacher-student relationship and academic performance: a four-wave study among high school students

This article presents a theory-driven model in which teacher-student relationships and academic performance are indirectly related through study-related positive emotions and academic psychological capital. A sample of 1,054 Chilean high school students (50.4% females) aged 12-17 (M = 14.46, SD = 1.74) participated in the study. Through structural equation modeling, the direct and indirect effects of the proposed model were calculated. The results show that study-related positive emotions and academic psychological capital mediate between the teacher-student relationship and academic performance. These results have significant implications for improving teaching competencies through positive psychological interventions aimed at developing skills in students and thus improving students' academic performance and general well-being in educational settings.

Predictors of academic engagement of high school students: academic socialization and motivational beliefs

The potential of academic engagement to enhance academic outcomes and well-being has been empirically supported, yet studies addressing its predictors are too limited. Hence, the current study collected self-report cross-sectional data from randomly selected 614 (male = 323) high school students in Ethiopia and examined the relations of academic socialization (parental and peer), self-efficacy, and outcome expectations in explaining variance in academic engagement, guided by an integrative model of engagement. Structural equation modeling with the maximum likelihood method indicated that (a) the hypothesized model fit the data well, (b) direct paths from parental and peer academic socialization to self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and academic engagement were positive and significant, (c) the relationships of the constructs in the model explained a significant portion of the variance in academic engagement, and (d) self-efficacy and outcome expectations significantly and positively but partially mediated the pathway from academic socialization to academic engagement. The findings' implications for boosting student academic engagement were forwarded.

English language learning anxiety and academic burnout in Chinese freshmen: a chain mediating approach

Background

The university stage is critical for cultivating and enhancing students' practical English proficiency, encompassing listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translation skills. Losing interest in English studies at this stage not only hampers the development of practical English competence but also has a negative impact on future employment and personal growth.

Aims

This study aimed to explore to how English language learning anxiety (ELLA) affects academic burnout (AB) of freshman in China and explores the role of academic peer support (APS) and academic self-efficacy (ASE) in the relationship between the two.

Methods

The study involved 1,355 college students who completed English Language Learning Anxiety Scale, the English Academic burnout Scale, Academic Peer Relationship Scale, the Academic Self-efficacy Scale.

Results

AB was significantly impacted by ELLA. ELLA and AB were mediated by ASE. Another factor that acted as a mediator between ELLA and AB was APS. ELLA and AB were mediated by a chain reaction involving ASE and APS.

Conclusion

The chain mediation model validated in this study, providing valuable insights into the effects of freshmen's ELLA on AB in China, as well as practical insights into the prevention and intervention of ELLA and AB in other current college students.

How peer relationships affect academic achievement among junior high school students: The chain mediating roles of learning motivation and learning engagement

BACKGROUND

Despite the recognition of the impact of peer relationships, learning motivation, and learning engagement on academic achievement, there is still a gap in understanding the specific mechanisms through which peer relationships impact academic achievement via learning motivation and learning engagement.

METHODS

This study aims to investigate how peer relationships affect junior high school students' academic achievement through the chain mediating roles of learning motivation and learning engagement, employing the self-system model of motivational development as the theoretical framework. In January 2024, 717 participants were selected from two middle schools in eastern China (mean age = 13.49 years, SD = 0.5). The data analysis in this study was performed using the structural equation model (SEM) in AMOS 24.0 and SPSS 24.0.

RESULTS

The results showed that peer relationships were directly and significantly related to junior high school students' academic achievement, and that peer relationships were indirectly and positively related to junior high school students' academic achievement via learning motivation and learning engagement respectively. The results also revealed a significant indirect and positive relationship between peer relationships and junior high school students' academic achievement, mediated by the sequential mediating roles of learning motivation and learning engagement. Moreover, the path "peer relationship→learning motivation→academic achievement" has the strongest indirect effect.

CONCLUSION

For junior high school students to achieve academic success, the appropriate interventions should be implemented to improve peer relationships, learning motivation, and learning engagement.

An evaluation of nursing students' learning self-efficacy: A multi-dimensional instrument development and structural validation

BACKGROUND

Nursing learning self-efficacy (NLSE) is essential in nursing students' learning, and since it is a task-dependent construct, accurate measurements require a multidimensional instrument.

OBJECTIVE

This research aimed to develop and validate a multidimensional NLSE instrument to measure Taiwanese nursing students' views of nursing learning self-efficacy.

DESIGN

The cross-sectional study design was used for this investigation.

PARTICIPANTS

The study included 1143 nursing students from a nursing junior college.

METHODS

To assess the validity and reliability of the instrument's factors, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were utilized. Conceptual understanding, higher-order cognitive skills, practical work, everyday application, and nursing communication were identified as five factors. A comparison of five proposed models was also conducted.

RESULTS

The study found that the correlated and one-factor second-order models were acceptable and provided a simple structure for evaluating nursing students' perceptions of NLSE. Furthermore, a specific model with two second-order scales (Cognition and Application) and one first-order scale (nursing communication) was identified, highlighting the crucial role of nursing communication in nursing students' self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

Evaluating nursing students' learning self-efficacy using a valid and reliable instrument is crucial for understanding their learning confidence. The creation of such a scale constitutes the primary contribution of this study.

The influence of teacher-student relationship on Chinese high school students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject: the mediating role of academic emotions

Introduction

This study investigated the influence of teacher-student relationship on Chinese high students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject and the parallel mediating roles of positive and negative academic emotions on this influence.

Method

The participants of this study were 425 Chinese high school students. This study measured teacher-student relationship, academic motivation, and academic emotions through several self-reported questionnaires. Structural equation models were used to analyze data and investigate the direct and indirect influence of teacher-student relationship on Chinese high school students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject.

Results

Teacher-student relationship had a significant, positive, and direct impact on Chinese high school students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject. Moreover, positive and negative academic emotions, in parallel, mediated the relationship between these two factors.

Discussion

This study demonstrates the important influence of teacher-student relationships on Chinese high school students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject. A positive teacher-student relationship can directly increase students' academic motivation for this subject and indirectly enhance their motivation by generating positive academic emotions. Therefore, teachers should express care for their students, make friends with them, and be their partners in learning and life. Additionally, teachers need to pay close attention to students' academic emotions and provide them emotional support so that they can develop positive academic emotions while learning, and strive to establish and maintain a good teacher-student relationship.

Good learners or trouble makers? Study on the relationship between academic performance and antisocial behavior of junior high school students

The school bullying incident has aroused widespread concern in current society. How to manage students' anti-social behavior has become an increasingly serious problem for administrators. This study uses a sample of 8270 junior high school students to examine the mechanism of academic achievement on students' antisocial behavior. The results showed that academic performance has a U-shaped impact on antisocial behavior. This study further found that the U-shaped effect of academic performance on antisocial behavior was mediated by the praise; In addition, this study also found that moral identity moderates the U-shaped relationship between academic performance, praise, and antisocial performance. The findings provide the implications for school administrators and teachers to pay attention to the "moral trap" of academic achievement and praise, and pay attention to excellent students' moral education, to reduce the possibility of their anti-social behavior.

Strength-Based Parenting and Academic Motivation in Adolescents Returning to School After COVID-19 School Closure: Exploring the Effect of School Belonging and Strength Use

The present study aimed to examine whether the level of strength-based parenting a student receives during remote learning affects their levels of academic motivation once returning to school. Additionally, the study sought to explore whether school belonging mediated the association between strength-based parenting and academic motivation and whether student strength use moderated this mediating relationship. The sample comprised of secondary school students who had recently returned back to campus, following a period of COVID-19 enforced remote learning (n = 404; age range: 11 to 18 years; M = 14.75, SD = 1.59; 50.2% female, and 3% non-/other gendered or declined to answer). Strength-based parenting had a significant predictive effect on student academic motivation with school belonging mediating the association between strength-based parenting and academic motivation. The mediating effect of school belonging on the association between strength-based parenting and academic motivation was moderated by strength use during remote learning. The results of the study are discussed using a positive education lens with implications for improving skills and strategies to foster positive student functioning in times of remote learning and crisis.

Modelling the associations between academic engagement, study process and grit on academic achievement of physical education and sport university students

OBJECTIVE

The present study examined the impact of academic engagement, study processes, and grit on the academic achievement of physical education and sport university students.

METHODS

An internet-based survey recruited 459 university students aged 19-25 years (M = 21 ± 1.3) in physical education and sports (PES) to fill out questionnaires on Physical Education-Study Process Questionnaire (PE-SPQ), Physical Education-Grit (PE-Grit), academic engagement (A-USEI), and Grade Point Average (GPA). A path analysis was carried out to understand variable relationships.

RESULTS

Data from each variable exhibited symmetrical and normal distribution, as indicated by the skewness and kurtosis values. The model's fit indices showed sufficient Comparative Fit Index (CFI = 0.92), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI = 0.90), Goodness of Fit Index (GFI = 0.99) and Normed Fit Index (NFI = 0.90) and showed acceptable levels. The results indicated a statistically significant positive impact of engagement (β = 0.299, p < 0.001) and study processes (β = 0.397, p < 0.001) on academic achievement. However, the effect of grit on achievement was non-significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Academic engagement as well as study processes are two important factors predicting academic achievement while grit seems to be not a major predictor. Hence, physical education and sport faculty and university administrators should prioritize student engagement as a determinant of academic outcomes by reforming or redesigning physical education and sport curriculum modules that can facilitate engagement.

Determinants of students' academic success in English as a medium of instruction (EMI) classes: A systematic review

With the rapid development of English as a medium of instruction (EMI), many education researchers have attempted to examine the extent to which EMI courses contribute to students' academic success. In a similar vein, several scholars have endeavored to locate the determinants of students' academic success in these courses. Given the fact that recognizing the predictors of academic success is of great help to educational administrators, teachers, and students, we aimed to uncover the various predictors of EMI students' academic success by scrutinizing the related research. In doing so, the relevant studies conducted on the antecedents of EMI students' academic success were identified through eight databases. Having gathered the related articles, we systematically reviewed the earlier investigations and their main findings. The review outcomes illuminated that English proficiency, vocabulary knowledge, academic self-concept, and self-efficacy are the important determinants of students' academic success. Finally, the limitations of prior studies, the directions for future inquiries, and the practical implications of the current study are briefly discussed.

The Relationship Between Motivation and Academic Performance Among Medical Students in Riyadh

BACKGROUND

Motivation is the process whereby goal-directed activities are initiated and sustained. Motivation is a crucial factor in academic achievement. The study aims to measure students' demographic factors and external environments' effect on their motivation and determine the impact of students' motivation and self-efficacy on their learning engagement and academic performance.

METHODOLOGY

This is a cross-sectional study that involved distributing an online digital questionnaire, which was applied in the capital of Saudi Arabia, "Riyadh." The students' motivation was assessed using three scales that are designed to measure the students' intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and learning engagement.

RESULTS

In this study, we collected 429 responses from our distributed questionnaire among medical students where males represented 60.1% of the sample. Moreover, we classified the satisfaction level into five subcategories: very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, unsatisfied, and very unsatisfied. We found that most of the students (38.7%) were satisfied with their academic performance, while 17.7% were strongly satisfied. The mean enrollment motivation score in this study was 19.83 (SD 2.69), and when determining its subcategories, we found that the mean intrinsic motivation score was 10.33 (out of 12) and the mean extrinsic motivation score was 10.23 (out of 12). Moreover, the mean self-efficacy score was 9.61 and the mean learning engagement score was 8.97 (out of 12). Moreover, we found that a longer duration needed by the students to reach the college from their residence is significantly associated with lower learning engagement reported by the students (8.54 vs. 9.13 in shorter times, P=0.034). Finally, we found that students who entered medical school as their first choice had significantly higher intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and learning engagement.

CONCLUSION

A student's preference for entering medical school will affect their motivation, self-efficacy, and learning engagement. Moreover, intrinsic and extrinsic motivations significantly correlate with self-efficacy and satisfaction with academic performance; however, they have no effect on the grade point average (GPA) of the last semester. The only factor that positively correlates with students' GPA is learning engagement.

Impact of Self-Efficacy and Perfectionism on Academic Procrastination among University Students in Pakistan

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of self-efficacy and perfectionism on academic procrastination among university students and its differences among genders in Pakistan. It was hypothesized that self-efficacy and perfectionism would significantly impact academic procrastination and that there is a significant difference in students' views concerning their gender. The sample comprised 405 university students, 104 male and 301 female. The study used the general self-efficacy scale, the multidimensional perfectionism scale, and the academic procrastination scale to measure the constructs. SmartPLS 4 was applied for the analysis of the data. The results indicated that all three variables-self-efficacy, perfectionism, and academic procrastination-were present among university students. Perfectionism showed a significant effect on academic procrastination. However, self-efficacy showed no significant effect on academic procrastination. Further, no significant difference was found in students' views concerning their gender. The findings provide significant evidence for stakeholders to improve academic procrastination among university students.

A systematic review of the impact of future-oriented thinking on academic outcomes

Future-oriented thought is a broad construct that characterize the ability to generate mental representations of the future and project oneself into a variety of hypothetical states. It is well established that the degree to which one is focused more on the past, present, or future has a variety of implications on psychological functioning. This study focuses on the relationship between future-oriented thought and academic performance of students. To bridge this gap, we conducted the first systematic review investigating the benefit of future-oriented thought on promoting positive outcomes in academic settings. Our systematic review comprised 21 studies (k = 21). Results identified a clear relationship between future-oriented thought and positive outcomes in academic settings. Furthermore, our systematic review reveals important relationships between future-oriented thought and academic engagement, as well as future-oriented thought and academic performance. Our findings suggest that those who are more future-oriented demonstrate higher levels of academic engagement compared to those who were less future-oriented. Our findings suggest that probing and guiding students toward a future goal may increase their academic engagement and performance.

Motivation to succeed is not enough: motivated students need to know how to plan/organize their steps on their way to success

The study is based on dispositional (career motivation) and social-cognitive (generalized self-efficacy) theories of personality, further on the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation and future time perspective theory (task value, time, and study environment). The study aimed to explain the mechanism of the prediction relationship between motivation and students' performance. It was assumed that skills of planning and organizing (operationalized as generalized self-efficacy and learning strategies) mediate the prediction of motivation (career motivation and task value) on students' success (operationalized as academic achievement and employability). In two studies (N = 313, N = 219), the hypotheses of the mediation models were supported by structural equation modeling. Generally, the skills of organizing/planning fully mediated the students' performance, measured as academic achievement and employability (number of employers). The results show the importance of combining dispositional motivation characteristics with dynamic planning skills on the way to students' success. Traditional psychological predictors of performance, like general mental ability and conscientiousness, were not controlled. Higher education institutions could support motivated students on their way to success by teaching them how to plan and organize specific steps on their way to success.

Relationship between emotional intelligence and learning motivation among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A serial mediation model

The vital influence of emotional intelligence on college students' learning motivation has received considerable attention. This study analyzed not only the relationship between emotional intelligence and college students' learning motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the serial mediating roles that self-efficacy and social support play in this relationship. Using a cross-sectional survey design, we collected data from 336 college students across 30 provinces in China, using four well-established scales measuring emotional intelligence, learning motivation, self-efficacy, and social support. We analyzed the mediating effects using the Bootstrap method. The results showed that emotional intelligence positively predicted learning motivation, and that self-efficacy and social support played serial mediating roles between emotional intelligence and learning motivation. This finding suggests the need for interventions to help college students develop emotional intelligence during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that fostering college students' self-efficacy and providing multiple social supports would help improve their motivation and academic performance.

Analysis of Factors Affecting Academic Performance of Mathematics Education Doctoral Students: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Student academic performance is an important indicator of doctoral education quality, but limited research has focused on how multiple influential factors of doctoral students' academic performance work together. This study aims to explore the factors significantly affecting the academic performance of mathematics education doctoral students in Indonesia. Several factors were recognized from prior studies, such as the fear of delay, student engagement, parental support, teacher support, facilitating conditions, stress level, and well-being. An online questionnaire was designed and answered by a total of 147 mathematics education doctoral students. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was adopted to analyze the questionnaire data. The results suggested that teacher support had the strongest positive effects on mathematics education doctoral students' academic performance in Indonesia. Student engagement was the most significant positive factor in improving doctoral students' well-being, while parental support could most significantly reduce their stress levels. Practically, these results are expected to provide implications to universities and supervisors regarding the improvement of doctoral students' well-being to promote their academic success and further the quality of doctoral programs in education. Theoretically, these results can also contribute to building an empirical model that can be used to explore and explain how multiple factors could affect doctoral students' academic performance in other contexts.

Impact of social media distraction on student evaluation of teacher effectiveness

Purpose

The study examines the impact of social media distraction on the relationship between student engagement and student evaluations of teachers (SET) in management education, part of the STEM disciplines. While it is widely accepted that student engagement and evaluation of teachers are two important constructs of active learning systems, their links, especially in the context of management education, have not been explored. This study seeks to fill this research gap as teachers' appraisal and career growth greatly depend on SET across higher education institutes worldwide.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 247 student participants from higher education institutes/universities using a questionnaire-based survey. Further, 15 students were interviewed to glean insights from their feelings regarding social media distractions and how it impacts their engagement and evaluation of teachers. For the quantitative and qualitative analyses, multiple regression and thematic analysis were applied, respectively. A word tree was developed to determine the association between experiences and contexts.

Findings

The results indicate that social media distraction moderates the relationship between students' cognitive engagement and their evaluation of teaching faculty. Social media distractions disrupt student engagement inside the classroom, leading to wrong/biased assessments of teachers' performance. Additionally, cognitive and emotional engagement significantly impacted student evaluations of the management college faculty.

Originality/value

The authors’ findings enable educators in higher education systems, specifically management education, to rethink the faculty feedback system and social media distractions impeding student engagement other than SET drawbacks.

Interparental and Intergenerational Co-parenting Conflict and Adolescent Academic Performance: The Mediating Roles of Adolescent Academic Engagement and Depression

While a link between co-parenting conflict and academic performance is frequently assumed, studies on this association have shown inconsistent results. In addition, academic engagement and depression can potentially mediate the association between co-parenting conflict and academic performance. However, studies have not tested this proposition. This paper examined the direct effect of co-parenting conflict on adolescent academic performance and the mediating effect of academic engagement and depression. Using data from a nationally representative survey, the 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we constructed a sample of 1989 dyads of adolescents (aged 10 to 15) and their primary caregivers in China. The structural equation model analysis revealed that co-parenting conflict was not directly linked with academic performance but was indirectly associated with adolescent academic performance through academic engagement and depression. The findings provide empirical support that academic engagement and depression play important mediating roles in the relationship between co-parenting conflict and adolescent academic performance. Future intervention programs aimed at promoting adolescent academic performance may consider a family-oriented approach to identify adolescents from families with co-parenting conflict and provide them with professional support.

Behaviour Patterns between Academic Motivation, Burnout and Academic Performance in Primary School Students

BACKGROUND

The final years of primary school (early adolescence) are regarded as key for the academic and personal development of students. This study aims to analyze the relationship between academic motivation, academic burnout, and academic performance, differentiating between adaptive and non-adaptive patterns according to the results of the three constructs studied.

METHODS

The sample comprised 398 students, both male (N = 224; 56.28%) and female (N = 174; 43.71%) with ages ranging from 11 to 13 years (M = 11.49; DT = 0.52). The instruments used were the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) and the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), as well as academic marks as a measure of performance.

RESULTS

The results revealed significant correlations between the three constructs under study, the variables that can be used to predict academic performance, and both adaptive and non-adaptive behavior patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

The importance of motivation, burnout, and academic performance in primary education is manifested, whose interrelation can give rise to adaptive behaviors based on high school motivation away from academic burnout that leads to a higher academic performance in students.

The relationship between perceived classroom climate and academic performance among English-major teacher education students in Guangxi, China: The mediating role of student engagement

The academic performance of teacher education students predicts their future career development and it is also a significant factor related to their future students' academic performance. However, little is known about the associations between perceived classroom climate, student engagement and academic performance, especially for English-major teacher education students. This study was to examine English-major teacher education students' academic performance in relation to perceived classroom climate, student engagement. The questionnaire consisted of the Emotional Classroom Climate Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale - Student Form-3 Item (UWES-SF-3), and the 5-item Academic Performance Scale. This study investigated 307 English-major teacher education students in Guangxi, China. Among them, 280 (91.2%) were females, and 27 (8.8%) were males, aged between 18 and 24 (M = 20.34, SD = 1.26). Results indicated that perceived classroom climate was positively associated with student engagement and academic performance among English-major teacher education students; their student engagement was positively associated with their academic performance, and student engagement partially mediated the relationship between perceived classroom climate and academic performance. The findings supported the motivational process of study demands-resources (SD-R) model and revealed that perceived classroom climate and student engagement were significant factors linked to academic performance, and practical suggestions were discussed.

A, Neelakantan M. The role of classroom engagement on academic grit, intolerance to uncertainty and well-being among school students during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India

The forced changes and disruptions in educational systems and learning experiences due to the pandemic has impacted students' mental health and well-being. The present study aims to understand the effects of the determinants of well-being on students in India during the second wave (April to August 2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic. The determinants of well-being in this study are academic grit, intolerance to uncertainty and students' engagement in an online learning environment. In this study, well-being is characterized as students' confidence and satisfaction in an online learning and pandemic environment. The data collected from 1174 students (12-19 years) from various states, using standardized tools, were analyzed to find out about the mediating effect of students' engagement on the relationship between academic grit and well-being, and between intolerance to uncertainty and well-being. Further, the model fit analysis of the determinants of well-being is explored. The paper reports that students' classroom engagement does mediate in the path of academic grit and well-being, and in the path of intolerance to uncertainty and well-being. It also evidence the model fit of the influence of the determinants of well-being on that of school students during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also draws implications and suggestions for educators using the current model of students' well-being.

Impact of role conflicts and self-efficacy on academic performance of graduate-entry healthcare students: A lagged study

Graduate entry healthcare students experience many challenges during their academic journey. The impact of these challenges needs to be considered to support students through their training and education. In this study, we examined the impact of experiencing these role conflicts (at the outset of the academic year), for example, family and caring responsibilities, activities with family/friends, and daily tasks/chores, on the academic performance (at the end of the academic year) of graduate‐entry healthcare students. We also investigated the potential of students' self‐efficacy for learning to mitigate the extent to which such role conflicts impact academic performance. Findings demonstrate that the more graduate entry healthcare students experienced conflicts between their life responsibilities and their academic responsibilities, the worse their academic performance was across the year. This negative relationship was somewhat mitigated by high self‐efficacy for learning. The practical implications of our research suggest the need to provide specific mitigation strategies to support healthcare students regarding conflicts between their life/family responsibilities and their academic work.

What Affects Sports Participation and Life Satisfaction Among Urban Residents? The Role of Self-Efficacy and Motivation

As a result of the global pandemic, new awareness and perceptions of physical and mental health are changing. How to promote people's participation in sports to improve their physical fitness and how to increase their life satisfaction are urgent issues for attention. This study is aimed to discover the mechanisms that influence sports participation and life satisfaction among urban residents, focusing on the role of self-efficacy and motivation. A questionnaire survey on sports participation of Shanghai residents in China found that self-efficacy significantly and positively influenced sports participation; sports participation significantly and positively influenced life satisfaction; and motivation positively influenced sports participation and mediated between self-efficacy and sports participation, but sports participation did not mediate between self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Therefore, it is important to enhance people's self-confidence in sports participation and establish the concept of sports for all people, so as to strengthen people's motivation to participate in sports, and to guide people to exercise actively through national fitness, so that more people can be happy in sports.

A Data-Driven Approach to Quantify and Measure Students' Engagement in Synchronous Virtual Learning Environments

In face-to-face learning environments, instructors (sub)consciously measure student engagement to obtain immediate feedback regarding the training they are leading. This constant monitoring process enables instructors to dynamically adapt the training activities according to the perceived student reactions, which aims to keep them engaged in the learning process. However, when shifting from face-to-face to synchronous virtual learning environments (VLEs), assessing to what extent students are engaged to the training process during the lecture has become a challenging and arduous task. Typical indicators such as students' faces, gestural poses, or even hearing their voice can be easily masked by the intrinsic nature of the virtual domain (e.g., cameras and microphones can be turned off). The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology and its associated model to measure student engagement in VLEs that can be obtained from the systematic analysis of more than 30 types of digital interactions and events during a synchronous lesson. To validate the feasibility of this approach, a software prototype has been implemented to measure student engagement in two different learning activities in a synchronous learning session: a masterclass and a hands-on session. The obtained results aim to help those instructors who feel that the connection with their students has weakened due to the virtuality of the learning environment.

Emotional and Social Engagement in the English Language Classroom for Higher Education Students in the COVID-19 Online Context

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to perspective shifts in the approach of English language classrooms in the online higher education context. The current empirical study aims to understand the behaviour of 394 university students enrolled in agricultural, veterinary, and overall life science programmes in one of the main Romanian universities while learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in terms of their classroom engagement during the 2020–2021 academic year. Following the application of an online questionnaire, a principal component analysis (PCA) was undertaken to determine the factors that determine students’ engagement (predominantly emotional and social), while learning EFL and ESP in the online system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the PCA results were used to identify clusters of students expressing similar behaviours towards the English learning process. Two clusters were identified: Cluster 1 consisted of moderately engaged students, and Cluster 2 consisted of highly engaged students. The clusters differed by the anxiety students express during class, the perception of the online system, the level of involvement and enjoyment, as well as class environment and dynamics, with the second cluster being the only one revealing a difference between the face-to-face and online experience. This study on students’ behaviours, attitudes, and preferences places students in the centre of the process of foreign language teaching and learning, as their enjoyment and engagement lead to a less stressful environment, especially during challenging times, and ultimately to long-term language proficiency and sustainable educational development.

Predicting Academic Performance: Analysis of Students' Mental Health Condition from Social Media Interactions

Social media have become an indispensable part of peoples' daily lives. Research suggests that interactions on social media partly exhibit individuals' personality, sentiment, and behavior. In this study, we examine the association between students' mental health and psychological attributes derived from social media interactions and academic performance. We build a classification model where students' psychological attributes and mental health issues will be predicted from their social media interactions. Then, students' academic performance will be identified from their predicted psychological attributes and mental health issues in the previous level. Firstly, we select samples by using judgmental sampling technique and collect the textual content from students' Facebook news feeds. Then, we derive feature vectors using MPNet (Masked and Permuted Pre-training for Language Understanding), which is one of the latest pre-trained sentence transformer models. Secondly, we find two different levels of correlations: (i) users' social media usage and their psychological attributes and mental health status and (ii) users' psychological attributes and mental health status and their academic performance. Thirdly, we build a two-level hybrid model to predict academic performance (i.e., Grade Point Average (GPA)) from students' Facebook posts: (1) from Facebook posts to mental health and psychological attributes using a regression model (SM-MP model) and (2) from psychological and mental attributes to the academic performance using a classifier model (MP-AP model). Later, we conduct an evaluation study by using real-life samples to validate the performance of the model and compare the performance with Baseline Models (i.e., Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) and Empath). Our model shows a strong performance with a microaverage f-score of 0.94 and an AUC-ROC score of 0.95. Finally, we build an ensemble model by combining both the psychological attributes and the mental health models and find that our combined model outperforms the independent models.

The Influence of Student Engagement on Mathematical Achievement among Secondary School Students

Student engagement is a multidimensional construct that predicts learning performance. However, student engagement receives limited attention, especially in mathematics. Thus, this study conducts a survey to determine the influence of student engagement on mathematical achievement. Stratified random sampling was employed to select secondary school students (n = 1000). Questionnaires and end-of-year examination grades were collected as data on student engagement and respective mathematics achievement. The findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between cognitive engagement, affective engagement, behavioural engagement, and mathematical achievement. The results of multiple linear regression analysis show that affective engagement is the largest predictor of mathematical achievement (β = 0.743, p < 0.001), followed by behavioural engagement (β = 0.585, p < 0.001), and cognitive engagement (β = −0.375, p < 0.01). This suggests that policymakers should formulate a curriculum that enables the improvement of affective and behavioural engagement. Furthermore, this study recommends that school administrators and teachers plan and implement activities that stimulate such engagement.

Academic Self-Perception and Course Satisfaction among University Students Taking Virtual Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia (KSA)

This research study examines academic self-perceptions and course satisfaction among university students and associated factors during virtual classes. A cross-sectional online survey of (n = 328) undergraduate and postgraduate Saudi students who took virtual classes during the second semester of the academic year 2019–2020 and the first semester of the academic year 2020–2021 during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The findings demonstrated students’ scores on negative academic self-perceptions (mean (M) = 9.84; standard deviation (S.D.) = 3.09) are significantly higher in comparison to positive academic self-perceptions (M = 7.71; S.D. = 2.46) and the difference was statistically significant, t(327) = 3.69, p < 0.001. The analysis demonstrated that mean differences were significant across ‘year of study’, ‘field of study’, ‘CGPA’ (cumulative grade points average), ‘employment status’, ‘on-site work’ and ‘being a parent of young child’ (p < 0.01). Correlation analysis shows a linear positive association between perceptions of workload and low technical support with negative academic self-perceptions (p < 0.001) and an inverse relationship with positive academic self-perceptions (p < 0.001). The multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the predictor variables in the model (perceptions of workload and technical support) explain 62% variance in negative academic self-perceptions and 41% variance in positive academic self-perceptions. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrated that positive academic self-perceptions bring a 32% variance in course satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of balancing workload during online studies in higher education and provision of adequate technical support to reduce the negative academic self-perceptions which are associated with lower levels of course satisfaction. Students’ academic self-perceptions and course satisfaction during virtual studies are important factors to retain students’ motivation in learning and academic performance.

Nursing students' academic self-efficacy: A longitudinal analysis of academic self-efficacy changes and predictive variables over time

AIM

To analyse any changes seen in the academic self-efficacy of nursing students during the three years of their academic education as well as the associated predictive factors.

DESIGN

A longitudinal study design was applied.

METHODS

The sample included 220 students who attended a large university in central Italy. The students' academic self-efficacy was measured using the Academic Nurses' Self-Efficacy Scale. Data were collected annually from 2014/2015 to 2017/2018 at the beginning of the first year (T0), at the end of the first year (T1), at the end of the second year (T2) and at the end of the third year (T3). A repeated measure univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to detect any possible changes in the students' academic self-efficacy scores over the four measurement points. To identify the factors that are predictive of academic self-efficacy, a linear regression model was used.

RESULTS

Overall, the students' academic self-efficacy did not change significantly over the three-year period of their education. Both sex (female) and age (24-50 years) during T0-T2 significantly predicted changes in the students' academic self-efficacy over time. Moreover female students started with lower academic self-efficacy scores than male students, although their academic self-efficacy increased over time, while the male students' academic self-efficacy actually decreased over time. In addition, students with a scientific background reported higher academic self-efficacy than other students.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the students' academic self-efficacy did not change over time, from a theoretical perspective, academic self-efficacy can be developed using a number of strategies such as a well-organised tutorial during the clinical learning phase and feedback or encouragement.

IMPACT

Academic staff should monitor nursing students' academic self-efficacy over time, particularly in the case of male and younger students, students with a partner and students with a humanities background during the first 2 years of the course.

Family environment and school engagement:An investigation of cross-lagged effects

INTRODUCTION

Although an extensive body of work has shown that family functioning is linked to adolescent outcomes, less is known about how the family affects school outcomes and vice versa. The present longitudinal study tested reciprocal relationships between the family environment and school engagement during the middle school years.

METHODS

A cross-lagged latent model tested these effects in 378 Turkish youth (53.7% males; M = 11.73, SD = 0.53) evaluated annually (Waves 1, 2, and 3) in grades 6 through 8.

RESULTS

Findings showed the family environment positively predicted developmental changes in school engagement at each time point (β range = 0.18 to 0.24); school engagement also positively predicted developmental changes in the family environment (β range = 0.12 to 0.28). Follow-up multigroup tests by age, sex, and family structure showed that the reciprocal links between the family environment and school engagement were invariant.

CONCLUSIONS

Study findings supported reciprocal longitudinal links between developmental changes of the family environment and school engagement. They extend previous research by highlighting the continued importance of the home environment on developmental changes in academic performance in adolescents, and thus, inform parents, educators, and policymakers on the relevance of the family in promoting academic engagement and achievement in adolescence.

Psychometric properties of the UWES-9S in Peruvian college students

The objective of this study was to evaluate the internal structure dimensionality of the Utrech Work Engagement Scale – Student (UWES–9S) and its association with the academic procrastination reported by 321 psychology students from a private university in Cajamarca (Peru) ranging between 17 and 41 years old (79% women; Mage = 22.50 years; 84% between 17 and 25 years old). The UWES-9S and the Academic Procrastination Scale (APS) were used and both a confirmatory and a bifactor analysis were conducted on the UWES–9S, as well as a structural regression analysis that specified the influence of the general and specific dimensions of engagement on the dimensions of academic procrastination. Regarding the results, the bifactor model is the one that best defines the construct, whereas the general dimension of engagement has a greater influence on the dimensions of academic procrastination than the specific ones. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed, as well as the need to focus on the students’ positive resources in order to achieve greater involvement in their academic work.

Student Disaffection: The Contribution of Greek In-service Kindergarten Teachers in Engaging Each Preschooler in Learning

Engaging each student in learning comprises a continuous challenge and concern for the contemporary teacher. Educational research confirms the alarming increase of the disengaged students, relating student disaffection to adverse effects on students' academic development. In the present research through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews, we investigate 80 Greek in-service kindergarten teachers' opinions with regards to the significance of engaging the disengaged students in learning activities in preschool environments. The interviews based on Creswell's (2009) interview model, incorporate open-ended and close-ended questions that offer a well-rounded view of the subject. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis of teachers' opinions show that engaging each disengaged preschooler has multiple benefits on students' academic development, class climate, and cohesion, and teacher's self-efficacy, as well. Specifically, teachers' engaging actions offer students the opportunity to develop their abilities, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging. The interviewees also recognise that increased student engagement levels decisively affect teachers-students' interactions, offering at the same time clear feedback to the teacher.

The influence of behavioral and emotional characteristics on academic achievement of middle school students: A growth modeling approach

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between behavioral and emotional characteristics and middle school student achievement across different grades based on a growth modeling approach. Using a total of 1,874 students, target predictor variables (i.e., attention, aggressiveness, behavioral control, social withdrawal, depression, self-esteem) and dependent variables (i.e., Korean language arts, mathematics) were extracted from a national and longitudinal data set, and four predictor models were formulated to examine the influence of behavioral/emotional characteristics on student growth trajectories. Results showed that (a) students' initial performance at seventh grade did not predict their over-time growth; and (b) self-esteem and behavioral control variables impacted on the seventh graders' achievement as well as their growth from the seventh to ninth grade. Based on the findings, practical implications and future research are discussed.