Engagement, Academic Motivation, and Adjustment of University Students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.26-3.15

Keywords:

Student adaptation, academic engagement, university education, higher education, motivation

Abstract

Introduction. The entrance of young people to the university is a challenging and important period in their life, both academically and personally. It is required to have a set of skills that allow them to adjust satisfactorily to the demands of the new context. This adjustment process to university life becomes a key variable since it allows facing the motivation, execution, and performance requirements of the university experience in the first years. It is necessary to know those variables that predict an adequate academic adjustment of the students to propose timely improvement interventions. Objective. The objective is to evaluate the predictive capacity of engagement and academic motivation in the adjustment process of university students. Method. Cross-sectional predictive design, and a sample of 512 first-year students from a Chilean university (Male = 297; Female = 215). Average age of 19 years (SD = 1.49). Results. The results reveal that the regression models were statistically significant. Engagement was the highest predictor of academic adjustment (β = .511; p <.01; r2 = .40), institutional (B = .30; p <.01; r2 = .37), social (β = .29; p <.01; r2 = .15) and personal-emotional (β = .30; p <.01; r2 = .10), followed by autonomous motivation. Conclusions. Academic engagement is relevant not only in promoting performance but also in the integration processes of university students. In conclusion, academic engagement and autonomous motivation are predictors of adjustment to university life.

Author Biographies

Rubia Cobo-Rendón, Universidad del Desarrollo

Psicóloga Magister Scientiarum en Psicología Clínica de la Universidad Rafael Urdaneta en Maracaibo-Venezuela. Doctora en Psicología de la Universidad de Concepción-Chile. Actualmente es docente en la Facultad de Psicología en la Universidad San Sebastián, sede Concepción. Desarrolla investigaciones en tópicos como Bienestar, Fortalezas del Carácter, Motivación y Adaptación a la vida universitaria.

Yaranay López-Angulo, Universidad de Concepción

Licenciada en Psicología y Magister en Psicología Educativa, Universidad de la Habana, Cuba.  Doctora en Psicología en la Universidad de Concepción, Chile. Profesora Asistente de la Universidad Santo Tomás, Concepción, Chile. Líneas de investigación: Variables cognitivos motivacionales relacionadas con el abandono de la Educación Superior

Fabiola Sáez-Delgado, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción

Licenciada en Educación, Magister en Educación y Doctora en Psicología por la Universidad de Concepción-Chile. Actualmente es académica en el Departamento Fundamentos de la Pedagogía, Facultad de Educación, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Chile. Se especializa en metodología de investigación y análisis cuantitativo de datos.

Javier Mella-Norambuena, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

Licenciado en Educación y Magíster en Psicología por la Universidad de Concepción. Actualmente es docente en el área de Educación Física en el Departamento de Ciencias, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Concepción, Chile. Se especializa en metodología de investigación y análisis cuantitativo de datos.

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Published

2022-08-22

How to Cite

Engagement, Academic Motivation, and Adjustment of University Students (R. Cobo-Rendón, Y. López-Angulo, F. Sáez-Delgado, & J. Mella-Norambuena , Trans.). (2022). Revista Electrónica Educare, 26(3), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.26-3.15

Issue

Section

Journal Articles (Peer Reviewed Section)

How to Cite

Engagement, Academic Motivation, and Adjustment of University Students (R. Cobo-Rendón, Y. López-Angulo, F. Sáez-Delgado, & J. Mella-Norambuena , Trans.). (2022). Revista Electrónica Educare, 26(3), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.26-3.15

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