Academic engagement among Nigerian undergraduate students: Roles of academic resilience, achievement motivation and self-efficacy

Abstract

Previous research showed that resilience, motivation, and self-efficacy contribute to academic engagement, but prior research has not simultaneously examined the impacts of these factors on academic engagement. Literature is also sparse concerning the nature of associations of the current predictor variables with academic engagement. The present study investigated the roles of academic resilience, achievement motivation and self-efficacy in academic engagement. Three hundred and fifty-five (355) undergraduate students in a Nigerian university participated in the study. Four instruments and a socio-demographic questionnaire were used for data collection in the study: Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Students version (UWES- S), Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30), Nigerian adaptation of Herman’s (1970) Questionnaire Measure of Achievement Motivation, and New General Self-efficacy Scale. Data was analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. Findings revealed that achievement motivation positively predicted academic engagement, indicating that greater achievement motivation was associated with increased academic engagement. Academic resilience and self-efficacy did not significantly predict academic engagement. It
was suggested in this study that educational administrators and policy makers should give attention to student’s achievement motivation in efforts to improve academic engagement in the university.