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Article
Publication date: 19 October 2023

Yalalem Assefa, Melaku Mengistu Gebremeskel, Shouket Ahmad Tilwani, Bekalu Tadesse Moges and Yibeltal Aemiro Azmera

The main purpose of this study is aimed to estimate the mediating role of student engagement in the structural relationships between students' field of study choice, learning…

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is aimed to estimate the mediating role of student engagement in the structural relationships between students' field of study choice, learning readiness and academic competence of undergraduate students in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

In the study process, a correlational design was employed. Data were collected from 419 participants who were selected through a simple random sampling technique. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The study findings showed neither field of study choice nor learning readiness has a significant direct effect on student's academic competence. However, when student engagement, entered the relationships between “field of study choice and academic competence” as well as “learning readiness and academic competence”, the indirect effects became significant. Both conditions, therefore, suggesting student engagement had a full mediation role in the structural relationship models.

Originality/value

Based on the results, it can be concluded that student engagement is shown as one of the key variables used to comprehend how students develop competence in the teaching-learning process. Hence, teachers and academic administrators could use engagement as a strong instrument to optimize students' learning and academic competence to enhance their academic success.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2023

Edem Maxwell Azila-Gbettor

The paper aims to propose a mediation moderated model to examine the influence of academic reliance on students' intellectual engagement.

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to propose a mediation moderated model to examine the influence of academic reliance on students' intellectual engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Four hundred and seventy-one respondents who completed a self-reported questionnaire were chosen to participate in the study using a convenient sampling technique. The hypotheses were tested using PLSc.

Findings

Findings from the study reveal academic resilience and academic diligence positively predicts students' intellectual engagement. Academic diligence positively predicts students' intellectual engagement and further mediates the effect of academic resilience on intellectual engagement. Finally, learning support positively predicts intellectual engagement and further moderates the effect of the association between academic resilience and academic diligence on intellectual engagement.

Practical implications

This research shows that higher education administrators must establish effective and efficient policies that integrate students' academic resilience, academic diligence and learning assistance.

Originality/value

This paper is amongst the first to have tested a model including resilience, academic diligence, intellectual engagement and learning support in a university setup from a developing country perspective.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 November 2022

Edem Maxwell Azila-Gbettor, Christopher Mensah, Martin Kwasi Abiemo and Mavis Agbodza

The study examines a mediated, moderated process of students' intellectual engagement from optimism, academic self-efficacy and academic burnout.

Abstract

Purpose

The study examines a mediated, moderated process of students' intellectual engagement from optimism, academic self-efficacy and academic burnout.

Design/methodology/approach

Five hundred and twenty-seven participants who completed a self-reported questionnaire were selected using a convenient sampling technique. PLSc was used to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

Results showed that optimism positively affects students' intellectual engagement and academic self-efficacy. Additionally, academic self-efficacy correlates positively with students' intellectual engagement and further mediates the relationship between optimism and intellectual engagement. Finally, the moderation effect of academic burnout was positive and non-significant.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first to have tested a model including optimism, academic self-efficacy, intellectual engagement and academic burnout in a university setup from a developing country perspective.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 December 2020

Lata Bajpai Singh, Alok Kumar and Shalini Srivastava

This paper aims to assess the relationship between academic burnout-student engagement relationships on management students of the Delhi-NCR region of Northern India. It further…

3252

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the relationship between academic burnout-student engagement relationships on management students of the Delhi-NCR region of Northern India. It further attempts to study the moderating impact of internal locus of control and mediating impact of loneliness on the academic burnout-student engagement relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The data was collected using standardized instruments from 264 respondents. Descriptive statistics, correlation and moderated-mediated regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The study found a negative association between student engagement and academic burnout and loneliness. A positive association between academic burnout and loneliness and a moderating impact of internal locus of control on academic burnout and student engagement relationship. Loneliness acted as a partial mediator for the moderated relationship between the academic burnout-student engagement relationship.

Research limitations/implications

Sample size and sampling units are the limitations of the study.

Practical implications

The conclusion of the presented study offers different inferences including validating the self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000) and possible courses of actions to be taken by academic institutions and students themselves. It ranges from careful investigation of student’s behaviors, design and implements collaborative projects along with student’s involvement in social networking based groups for collaborations and help.

Social implications

With the help of the study, the society including parents, family, friends, officials and academicians at educational institutions can offer useful insights to students through recreational and social activities for behavior modifications.

Originality/value

The major contribution of the study is to understand the psyche of the budding professionals perceiving increased stress and pressure. Limited studies are found in the Indian context and no studies in the past have used the study variables together. Internal locus of control as a personality variable has not been studied with respect to student’s burnout and engagement. Furthermore, none of the studies done in the past have deliberated upon loneliness with respect to the student community.

Details

Journal of International Education in Business, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-469X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2021

Hafiz Muhammad Basit Feroz, Salman Zulfiqar, Sadaf Noor and Chunhui Huo

Knowledge acquisition is a pivotal concern for the students and many sources help them to obtain knowledge. In this paper, the authors theoretically examine three engagements such…

1070

Abstract

Purpose

Knowledge acquisition is a pivotal concern for the students and many sources help them to obtain knowledge. In this paper, the authors theoretically examine three engagements such as social media, peer and academic engagement by the theoretical foundation of engagement theory which tells that students interact and collaborate, sharing information for the acquisition of knowledge that enhances their academic performance. But due to the abundance of information, knowledge and resources available to students for the acquisition of knowledge, it becomes difficult for them to comprehend the most relevant information. In this vein, this study examined the impact of information overload on the relationship between social media, peer and academic engagement and knowledge acquisition of students.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model and structural relationships were validated using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique through AMOS, version 24.0. To empirically test the hypothesized model, data are collected from the universities of the Sahiwal region (Sahiwal, Okara, Pakpattan) using structured questionnaires.

Findings

The findings revealed that social media engagement and academic engagement are positively associated with knowledge acquisition, whereas peer engagement is negatively associated with knowledge acquisition. Moreover, the results of the study further suggested that information overload dampens the positive relationship between social media, peer and academic engagement and knowledge acquisition, which causes negative consequences on students' knowledge acquisition and learning outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

Researchers can use this study as the literature as many of the previous studies focused on the positive side of social networking sites and technologies for knowledge purposes, but this study extends the research and focused on the other side of the picture which has been ignored earlier by researchers. The authors theoretically explained the adverse effects of information overload on students' academic progress caused by social media and the abundance of irrelevant information these advanced technologies offer daily. The current research focused on identifying the critical role of social media, peer and academic institutions providing a lot of information to students which caused stress, anxiety and other psychological issues in them. So, this study adds to the literature by highlighting the adverse effects of unnecessary information provided by multiple resources to students.

Practical implications

Educationalists can adopt this study as a tool in academic institutions for promoting learning and to actively engage students in collaborative learning activities. As the findings of the study confirm that information overload is caused by the imbalanced use of information technology (IT) and social media sites, so teachers can help students in developing creativity and maintaining the balance between using technology and innovation in their studies pattern. Universities and institutions can play a vital role by exploring further opportunities for students and by making such policies that can help students in their learning progress. For this purpose, the authors developed a model based on the literature and theories that could change the academic system of Pakistan and enhance students’ practical knowledge by motivating students in taking part in learning activities by making the higher education system of Pakistan more engaging.

Social implications

The authors are presenting simulation games-based learning as an alternate approach to learning and teaching that can positively influence students' engagement with learning activities in Pakistan. By adopting this model, the education system of Pakistan could improve as it can lead to better academic performance of students, which ultimately leads to a better education system. Thus, games if correctly designed and implemented in the education system of Pakistan, it can make a great difference in students' value of learning experience. The enjoyment, interactive and realistic nature of the simulation games appears to produce this value, and students tend to engage more toward these types of games rather than traditional learning methods. Simulation games provide students with an opportunity to engage in both hard (financial management, strategy making, decision-making) and soft skills (negotiation, collaboration) in business by challenging their thinking and decision-making power in a safe learning environment.

Originality/value

The phenomena of overload have become increasingly viable due to abundance of resources providing unnecessary information to students as they can get information from peers, teachers, social media platforms, blogs, wikis and many other platforms, which ultimately exhaust their capacity and leading them toward poor academic performance and other negative consequences (Yu, 2019; Bosch, 2016). This study focuses on students of higher education in Pakistan (Sahiwal region) and discusses the major challenges and opportunities that they had to face with the advancement of technology and the current social state of the knowledge in society.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 11 April 2021

Terje Slåtten, Gudbrand Lien, Solveig Beyza Narli Evenstad and Terje Onshus

The overall aim of this study is to explore factors associated with academic performance among university students. Specifically, it explores whether a supportive study climate is…

5342

Abstract

Purpose

The overall aim of this study is to explore factors associated with academic performance among university students. Specifically, it explores whether a supportive study climate is directly related to academic performance and whether students’ psychological capital (PsyCap), positive emotions and study engagement play a role in the relationship between supportive study climate and academic performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 588 bachelor students from a range of academic programs participated in a survey. The partial least squares (PLS)-based structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the conceptual models and the hypothesized relationships, using the software SmartPLS.

Findings

No support was found for a direct relationship between supportive study climate and academic performance. However, the results show that PsyCap, positive emotions and study engagement have a mediating role between supportive study climate and academic performance. In addition, the findings reveal a multifaceted pattern among PsyCap, positive emotions and study engagement that promotes academic performance.

Originality/value

This is the first study that simultaneously explores the role of PsyCap, emotions and study engagement between supportive study climate and academic performance among university students. Consequently, it broadens and deepens previous research and offers both theoretical and practical implications.

Details

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-669X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 December 2023

Tali Gazit

The purpose of this study was to obtain valuable insights into students’ engagement and experiences within the virtual learning environment, especially in the context of crises…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to obtain valuable insights into students’ engagement and experiences within the virtual learning environment, especially in the context of crises. Among the innumerable challenges people throughout the world faced during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, those of students in institutions of higher education needing to engage in online academic studies are of special interest. Using an online survey, this study could predict students’ online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic through three theoretical frameworks: the students’ academic motivation to study, the Big Five personality traits, and loneliness, and with a new tool measuring the participation in the Zoom platform.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the psychological and technological factors predicting the students’ engagement, this study surveyed 547 students from different academic institutions of higher learning.

Findings

Findings show that the less lonely the students felt, the less neurotic they were, and the higher they scored in levels of extroversion, agreeableness, consciousnesses and openness to experience, the greater their engagement in their academic studies. In addition, students who were older, more educated, with higher intrinsic motivation and lower lack of motivation were more engaged in their online academic studies. Finally, participating in classes through the Zoom platform and experiencing it positively was a significant predictor of higher academic engagement.

Originality/value

Recognizing these factors can enable educators, institutions of higher learning, counselling services and students to obtain tools for higher engagement in online learning.

Details

Information and Learning Sciences, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 September 2020

Edem M. Azila-Gbettor and Martin K. Abiemo

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between academic self-efficacy, study engagement and perceived lecturer support within a higher education setup.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between academic self-efficacy, study engagement and perceived lecturer support within a higher education setup.

Design/methodology/approach

A convenience sample of 376 respondents from a technical university in Ghana took part in the study by completing self-reported questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and partial least square-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

Findings suggest academic self-efficacy and perceived lecturer support are positive and significant predictors of study engagement. In addition, perceived lecturer support was a significant moderator between academic self-efficacy and study engagement.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first to have tested a model including academic self-efficacy, study engagement and perceived lecturer support in a technical university setup from a developing country perspective.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 March 2020

Mohammed Aboramadan, Khalid Dahleez and Mohammed H. Hamad

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of servant leadership on work engagement and affective commitment among academics in higher education. Moreover, the paper…

13302

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of servant leadership on work engagement and affective commitment among academics in higher education. Moreover, the paper highlights the role of job satisfaction as an intervening mechanism among the examined variables.

Design/methodology/approach

Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to academics working in the Palestinian higher education sector. We used structural equation modelling to examine the hypotheses.

Findings

A positive relationship was found between servant leadership and affective commitment. The relationship between servant leadership and work engagement is fully mediated by job satisfaction, whereas partial mediation was found between servant leadership and affective commitment. Both work engagement and affective commitment have a positive impact on academics’ job performance.

Practical implications

The paper provides a fertile ground for higher education managers concerning the role of leadership in stimulating work engagement and organisational commitment among academics.

Originality/value

First, the paper is one of the few studies that empirically examines servant leadership in higher education using data coming from a non-Western context because most of the servant leadership research is conducted in the Western part of the world (Parris and Peachey, 2013). Second, we empirically provide evidence for the argument that servant leadership is needed in higher education. Third, the paper contributes to the limited body of research on work engagement and commitment in the higher education sector.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 29 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 December 2023

Liu Wanmei

This study examined the students' academic performance through psychological capital, academic engagement and academic persistence. It also investigated the function of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examined the students' academic performance through psychological capital, academic engagement and academic persistence. It also investigated the function of psychological capital in mediating the relationship between academic engagement, persistence and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilized a quantitative method and structural equation modeling using PLS-SEM version 3. A total of 900 questionnaires were issued to Chinese university students, and 814 data were analyzed.

Findings

Findings suggest that academic engagement and persistence significantly and positively impact psychological capital. Psychological capital is also mediated between academic engagement, persistence and performance. Additionally, the study made several recommendations for upcoming researchers and industry professionals.

Originality/value

Analyzing the pupils' academic achievement after COVID-19 reopening as it indicates their attention and engagement in the study. Although previous studies explored students' academic performance regarding the post-COVID effect, the role of psychological capital and engagement in academia in the study has been studied in a post-COVID context.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

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