Academic Engagement and Intention to Drop Out: Levers for Sustainability in Higher Education

Exploring the relationship between burnout, learning engagement and academic self-efficacy among EFL learners: A structural equation modeling analysis

This study examined the role of learning engagement and academic self-efficacy in the feelings of burnout among English as a foreign language (EFL) students from China (N = 197). Three closed-ended scales were employed in the quantitative phase of this study to explore the relationship between the latent variables. Additionally, a hypothetical model was created and verified using Pearson's correlation analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), path analysis, and mediating effect test. The investigation results demonstrated that while learning engagement was positively correlated with medium levels of academic self-efficacy, student burnout was inversely correlated with both variables. Among Chinese EFL students, academic self-efficacy and learning engagement are predictive of burnout, and learning engagement can act as a mediator to reduce the impact of academic self-efficacy on burnout. The implications for EFL teaching and learning are discussed in light of those findings, including enhancing EFL students' self-efficacy to reduce pessimism and increase academic achievement.

Validation study for the Academic Maladjustment Questionnaire on a Romanian sample

Introduction

The problem of academic dropout in the first year of studies represents an important issue for higher education, in that it accounts for an important indicator of quality but also for the negative consequences it produces on individual, institutional and social level. The main aim of the study is to validate and evaluate a robust measure of overall academic maladjustment.

Method

The participants were 809 first-year students from various Romanian universities.

Results

The results showed a reliable version of the instrument with a factorial structure that did not deviate significantly from the authors' initial model. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a unified score including six dimensions, procrastination, dishonesty - unethical behavior, test anxiety, machiavellian attitude, neuroticism, and somatization. Our results confirmed that besides academic achievement, personal factors are important indicators of adjustment, showing that personal resources management, emotional and behavioral strategies are components of adjustment. Our study revealed a medium and positive correlation between overall maladjustment and academic dropout intention, procrastination seemed to be the most relevant predictor of dropout intention.

Discussion

Academic adjustment acts as a safeguard against dropping out, and it is crucial to acknowledge that most students enter college with the intention of completing their studies.

Can Moving More and Sitting Less Improve the Academic Engagement of Adolescents?- A Study Based on Junior High School Students in Shanghai, China

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between academic engagement and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), muscle-strengthening exercise (MSE) and sedentary behavior (SB) among adolescents, so as to provide evidence from the perspective of exercising for students to learn efficiently, teachers to improve classroom teaching, and schools to improve educational quality.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was conducted in 12 junior high schools in Shanghai, China, which were selected by a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method. Then, with the valid data of 2078 students collected from the survey. A data analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics 26.0. Multiple linear regression models were adopted to analyze the factors affecting adolescent academic engagement and to determine whether MVPA, MSE, and SB play roles in it.

Results

(1) The differences in academic engagement depended on the exercise adherence to the recommended amount of MVPA, MSE, and screen-based SB. (2) In terms of the three independent variables of total time, MSE (β = 0.206) and MVPA (β = 0.175) showed a significant positive correlation with academic engagement, while SB (β = -0.155) was negatively correlated with academic engagement. (3) From the linear regression model of eight combination groups divided by the exercise adherence to the recommended amount of MVPA, MSE and SB, the group that met none of the recommendations (β = -0.235) showed a significant negative effect on academic engagement, while the groups that met any two or all three of the recommendations demonstrated strong positive correlations with academic engagement (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Increasing adolescents' muscle-strengthening exercise and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior can effectively promote academic engagement. Therefore, adolescents are suggested to reach the recommended amounts of physical activity, muscle-strengthening exercise, and sedentary behavior so as to improve academic engagement more effectively.

Predictors of Romanian Psychology Students' Intention to Successfully Complete Their Courses-A Process-Based Psychology Theory Approach

Student retention is a frequently researched issue due to the incidence of student dropout and its significance to learning outcomes. However, there are research gaps that need to be addressed in understanding the factors influencing student dropout in the context of higher education in Romania. This cross-sectional investigation aims to fill these gaps by examining the relationships between satisfaction with the specialization, self-regulation of learning behavior, students' perceived stress, perceived acceptance from family and friends, and the intention to complete studies. The study utilizes various statistical analysis techniques, including mediation analysis and correlation analysis, to analyze the collected data. An online questionnaire was administered to non-randomized students majoring in Psychology, and a total of 144 valid and consented responses were obtained. The results reveal significant influences of satisfaction with the specialization, self-regulated learning, and students' perceived stress on the intention to successfully complete courses. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy was found to fully mediate the relationship between satisfaction with the specialization and academic adjustment. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the student dropout process in the Romanian higher education system. By identifying the factors associated with student retention, this study provides insights that can inform the development of interventions aimed at improving students' retention and overall learning outcomes.

Integrating High-Impact Practices (HIPs) In Medical Curriculum At Northern Border University: Strengths, Challenges, and Examples

BACKGROUND

High-Impact Practices (HIPs) are educational practices that have been shown to increase rates of student retention, engagement, and persistence to graduation which help them to become high achievers and lifelong learners. Universities strongly encourage faculty members to incorporate one or more of these HIPs in order to improve active learning among students. Students are met with a variety of experiences that are not entirely of their choice, including expectations for academic performance, interactions with faculty, staff, and peers, and extracurricular activities that may or may not match their expectations and skills. Higher retention and high-grade achievement rates are attributed to HIPs. The mechanism by which HIPs improve retention is poorly understood.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

There are numerous analyses of the objectives particular to undergraduate medical education in recent years. There have been proposed three major target categories. Undergraduate medical education has been positioned within a liberal education framework, where the main objective is to equip students with the critical thinking abilities, broad general education, and subject-specific knowledge they will need to be able to effectively problem-solve, adapt to new roles, and apply public health thinking and practices to a variety of situations. We tried to incorporate HIPs in a medical curriculum at the Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, by giving them topics that can be used to create public awareness about the selected objectives which may help the community greatly.

METHODOLOGY

Students were asked to make posters or videos on the topics and were asked to write reflections about their experience and give feedback to the coordinators for improvements and to make these HIPs better so that they can be included uniformly in the other courses as well.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Based on results from a random sample of undergraduate students, we draw the conclusion that HIPs are correlated with engagement, which is the alignment of the student's critical thinking and ability to work in effective teams, group projects, learning communities, and sequence courses. HIPs have an impact on involvement among students across the world. HIPs are effective to the extent that they engage pupils, encouraging a greater commitment, which is one way to understand their success.

Detrimental Effects of Disempowering Climates on Teaching Intention in (Physical Education) Initial Teacher Education

Previous research has looked at the positive consequences generated by teacher-generated climates on the motivational experiences of pre-service teachers. However, there is scant research focusing on the adverse motivational consequences that affect the perceptions of future teachers during the training process. The objective of this study was to explore the dark side of Duda's multidimensional conceptualization, its influence on academic engagement, and the intention of pre-service teachers to be educators. A total of 1,410 university students in initial teacher training (including physical education pre-service teachers) (59.6% women; 40.3% men; 0.1% other; M_age = 23.85; SD = 5.13) participated. The following scales were used: disempowering motivational climate, frustration of basic psychological needs, academic motivation, academic engagement, and the intention to choose teaching. The results of the structural equation model with latent variables show the positive prediction of the disempowering climate on the dark side and its negative influence on the intention to be a teacher. Controlled motivation preceded by academic engagement significantly mediates the relationship between a disempowering climate and the intention to be a teacher, increasing the total effect on the latter variable. Therefore, this research highlights for both teachers and researchers the impact of a disempowering motivational style, as well as its influence on the dark side as a negative promoter in trainee teachers regarding their intention to become teachers.

The Association between University Students’ Achievement Goal Orientation and Academic Engagement: Examining the Mediating Role of Perceived School Climate and Academic Self-Efficacy

Enhancing academic engagement in university students can help enrich students’ educational experience. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources Model and the Job Demand-Resources Model, this study aims to explore the links between undergraduates’ achievement goal orientation and academic engagement (AE), by examining the mediating functions of perceived school climate (PSC) and academic self-efficacy (ASE). Using whole-group sampling, 571 Chinese undergraduates were selected using a self-reporting method to explore the impacts of mastery-approach goals (MAGs) and performance-avoidance goals (PAGs) on AE, as well as the chain mediating effects of PSC and ASE. The findings show that both MAGs and PAGs have a positive, direct, predictive effect on university students’ AE. Additionally, both goal orientations indirectly predict AE through PSC and ASE, separately. The results showed there was also a significant chain mediating effect of PSC and ASE, where for both goal orientations, AE was positively predicted. This study highlights the role of environmental as well as personal factors in facilitating self-regulated learning among university students, and it discusses implications for future research.

Predictors of Learning Engagement in the Context of Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The main aim of the present research is to analyze the predictive value of individual characteristics such as online self-efficacy, adaptability to uncertainty, and sources of stress during online learning on learning engagement. We also aimed to highlight if these relationships could be mediated by the online self-regulated learning strategies, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were 529 university students and the design was cross-sectional. The results showed significant associations of the sources of stress in online learning with self-efficacy, leaning engagement and self-regulated learning strategies. Self-regulated strategies—task strategies and goal setting represent mediators of stressors perceived by the students under the conditions of the sudden shift to online activity and online learning engagement. The most relevant self-regulation strategies seemed to be goal setting and task strategies, which confirm the need for a clear structure of learning in the context of online activities. The implications of this study reside in the increased awareness regarding how learning engagement in online learning can be predicted by individual characteristics.

A Path Model of University Dropout Predictors: The Role of Satisfaction, the Use of Self-Regulation Learning Strategies and Students’ Engagement

University dropout is a phenomenon that is a concern in many countries all over the world. However, although there are studies in which the direct relationship of the personal and contextual variables is observed individually to predict dropout, there is little research to know whether any of these variables mediate each other in a more dynamic and complex model. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the extent to which the intention to drop out of university courses is predicted by (i) satisfaction and expectations with the course, (ii) engagement with the course, and (iii) by the use of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategies. Eight hundred and seventy-seven students from two Spanish universities completed the CARE questionnaire. Path analyses were performed using Mplus 8.3. The data obtained indicate that the intention to drop out is directly and significantly explained by students´ engagement (in 17.8%) and indirectly explained by the use of SRL strategies through engagement. Changes in engagement and in the use of SRL strategies were seen to be associated with satisfaction. Finally, the effect of satisfaction and the use of SRL strategies explained a proportion of students’ engagement (53.6%). It is important for research or interventions focused on students’ intention to drop out to understand that there are multiple variables that both directly and indirectly influence those intentions.

Early and Dynamic Socio-Academic Variables Related to Dropout Intention: A Predictive Model Made during the Pandemic

Social and academic integration variables have been shown to be relevant for the understanding of university dropout. However, there is less evidence regarding the influence of these variables on dropout intention, as well as the predictive models that explain their relationships. Improvements in this topic become relevant considering that dropout intention stands as a useful measure to anticipate and intervene this phenomenon. The objective of the present study was to evaluate a predictive model for university dropout intention that considers the relationships between social and academic variables during the first university semester of 2020. The research was conducted using a cross-sectional associative-predictive design, with a convenience sampling (n = 711) due to the restrictions of the pandemic period. The results showed a good fit of the proposed hypothetical model that explained 38.7% of dropout intention. Both social support and perceived social isolation predicted the sense of belonging and, through it, engagement. Previous academic performance predicted early academic performance and, through it, engagement. The set of variables predicted the intention to quit through engagement. These results are a contribution both to the understanding of the phenomenon and to guide potential interventions in the early stages of the university experience.

Emotional and Behavioural Engagement among Spanish Students in Vocational Education and Training

The purpose of this study is to analyse the importance of student engagement in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Spain. In accordance with this concept, we analyse how emotional engagement (relations with teachers, relations with peers, family support for learning, and perception of family commitment) influences the behavioural engagement (school effort and commitment, school indiscipline) in academic activities of students in basic and intermediate VET. The sample comprises 1180 students (65.4% male), 28.8% in basic VET and 71.2% in intermediate VET, ranging in age from 14 to 19 years. Data analysis bases on linear regression and regression trees enable the prediction of behavioural engagement according to the subdimensions of emotional engagement, sociodemographic characteristics of the subpopulations, and level of studies. Significant differences were found (t(1013.8) = 8.37, p < 0.001) for the variable of sex (a higher value in females), and variable of the level of studies (t(579.1) = 3.60, p < 0.001) in behavioural engagement. All correlations between the indicators for the behavioural and emotional dimensions were significant. The results provide favourable profiles of behavioural engagement related to having good relationships with the teaching staff, being female, and being enrolled in intermediate VET. These findings imply the reorientation of educational intervention.

Curricular Analytics to Characterize Educational Trajectories in High-Failure Rate Courses That Lead to Late Dropout

Late dropout is one of the most pressing challenges currently facing higher education, and the process that each student follows to arrive at that decision usually involves several academic periods. This work presents a curricular analytics approach at the program level, to analyze how educational trajectories of undergraduate students in high-failure rate courses help to describe the process that leads to late dropout. Educational trajectories (n = 10,969) of high-failure rate courses are created using Process Mining techniques, and the results are discussed based on established theoretical frameworks. Late dropout was more frequent among students who took a stopout while having high-failure rate courses they must retake. Furthermore, students who ended in late dropout with high-failure rate courses they must retake had educational trajectories that were on average shorter and less satisfactory. On the other hand, the educational trajectories of students who ended in late dropout without high-failure rate courses they must retake were more similar to those of students who graduated late. Moreover, some differences found among ISCED fields are also described. The proposed approach can be replicated in any other university to understand the educational trajectories of late dropout students from a longitudinal perspective, generating new knowledge about the dynamic behavior of the students. This knowledge can trigger improvements to the curriculum and in the follow-up mechanisms used to increase student retention.

Influences of Learning Approaches, Student Engagement, and Satisfaction with Learning on Measures of Sustainable Behavior in a Social Sciences Student Sample

In this empirical study, we address the relationship between the dimensions of learning in higher education (i.e., student engagement, approaches to learning, and satisfaction with learning) and sustainability (i.e., austerity altruistic, pro-ecological and equitable behavior). The results demonstrate that there is a positive linear relationship between engagement with learning and deep and strategic approaches, motivation and strategies, and altruistic, equitable and pro-ecological behavior. Austerity, however, only correlated with high dedication to learning. Satisfaction with learning was associated with altruistic and equitable behavior and an overall measure of sustainability, and was independently associated with austerity and pro-ecological behavior. Engagement with learning was associated with sustainable behavior, especially with altruistic and pro-ecological behavior in its three expressions, namely, vigor, absorption and dedication. In contrast, austerity was found to be only associated with engagement with learning. As a whole, and in line with Bronfenbrenner’s theory, the results of this study suggest that the aforementioned systems are interconnected and mutually influence each other.

Early Dropout Prediction Model: A Case Study of University Leveling Course Students

The school-dropout problem is a serious issue that affects both a country’s education system and its economy, given the substantial investment in education made by national governments. One strategy for counteracting the problem at an early stage is to identify students at risk of dropping out. The present study introduces a model to predict student dropout rates in the Escuela Politécnica Nacional leveling course. Data related to 2097 higher education students were analyzed; a logistic regression model and an artificial neural network model were trained using four variables, which incorporated student academic and socio-economic information. After comparing the two models, the neural network, with an experimentally defined architecture of 4–7–1 architecture and a logistic activation function, was selected as the model that should be applied to early predict dropout in the leveling course. The study findings show that students with the highest risk of dropping out are those in vulnerable situations, with low application grades, from the Costa regime, who are enrolled in the leveling course for technical degrees. This model can be used by the university authorities to identify possible dropout cases, as well as to establish policies to reduce university dropout and failure rates.

Predictive Models for Imbalanced Data: A School Dropout Perspective

Predicting school dropout rates is an important issue for the smooth execution of an educational system. This problem is solved by classifying students into two classes using educational activities related statistical datasets. One of the classes must identify the students who have the tendency to persist. The other class must identify the students who have the tendency to dropout. This problem often encounters a phenomenon that masks out the obtained results. This study delves into this phenomenon and provides a reliable educational data mining technique that accurately predicts the dropout rates. In particular, the three data classifying techniques, namely, decision tree, neural networks and Balanced Bagging, are used. The performances of these classifies are tested with and without the use of a downsample, SMOTE and ADASYN data balancing. It is found that among other parameters geometric mean and UAR provides reliable results while predicting the dropout rates using Balanced Bagging classifying techniques.

Architectural Design: Sustainability in the Decision-Making Process

This article discusses the potential of introducing sustainability in the architectural design method so that building solutions can contribute to sustainable development. Sustainability has introduced a new pattern to the architecture practice, which involves important modifications in the teaching of architecture in what regards to the design methods to students but also practitioners, in order to provide more comfort for present and future generations. In the design phases of the architectural design, the subject of the three pillars of sustainability—economic, social and environmental factors—are not always considered by the architect in the decision-making process. The topic involves actions that will influence the overall performance of the building throughout its lifecycle. Sustainability has not been a priority in the training of the architect. The existing tools, Sustainability Assessment and Certification Systems, although adequate to evaluate the sustainability component of a building, do not prove to be the most appropriate tool to support architects during the design process. Therefore, the implementation and evaluation of strategies that integrate the sustainability principles need to be included in the early stages of the architectural design method. In addition to collecting data through literature review, a survey was conducted among 217 architects and architecture students in order to access the need for a tool that supports architects in the issue of sustainability. The results concluded that, although all the respondents agree about what concerns the implementation of sustainability principles in the architectural design method, only few respondents guarantee that these principles are implemented by means of a rigorous evaluation. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to identify a set of guidelines that can help architects to change the current approach of architectural practice towards more sustainable strategies in building design. This means the introduction, implementation and evaluation of sustainability principles in different phases of the architectural design method. The proposal stresses the main strategies that need to be considered in each phase of the architectural project and defines a level of recommendation in each guideline that allows the architect to evaluate the implementation of sustainability.