Abstract

MERHI, Richard; SANCHEZ-ELVIRA-PANIAGUA, Ángeles  and  PALACI, Francisco José. The role of psychological strengths, coping strategies and well-being in the prediction of academic engagement and burnout in first-year university students. Acción psicol. [online]. 2018, vol.15, n.2, pp.51-68.  Epub July 31, 2023. ISSN 2255-1271.  https://dx.doi.org/10.5944/ap.15.2.21831.

Two of the most significant challenges that higher education institutions are currently addressing is the prevention of students' failure and drop-out, and the promotion of students' retention, success, and wellbeing. Within the framework of the demands-resources model, the present study explored the role that different variables play in predicting academic engagement and burnout, two relevant and distinct characteristics that have been previously related to students' well-being and academic performance. We applied a multivariate approach with this aim in mind to analyse the contribution of relevant psychological strengths in academic environments (resilience, personal initiative, and academic motivation), the perception of academic demands, procrastination and different coping strategies when approaching studies (persistence, avoidance and anxiety), student's affect and academic satisfaction. The contribution of the efficacy subscale of academic burnout as an independent personal resource and the consideration of the so-called core burnout were also assessed. A sample of 173 first-year students of 20 face-to-face teaching universities participated in this study. The results showed, on the one hand, the positive nature of academic engagement, predicted by personal resources, characterised by intrinsic motivation and efficacy, as well as academic persistence, high levels of well-being and academic satisfaction. On the other hand, the predictors of academic burnout were mainly the perception of academic demands, procrastination, and negative affect, besides, in a negative sense, low levels of engagement and intrinsic motivation. Likewise, core burnout showed the same pattern of predictors as burnout, except for engagement and intrinsic motivation.

Keywords : Academic burnout; Academic engagement; Psychological strengths; Academic demands; Firstyear students; Student's well-being.

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