Conditional indirect influence of the satisfaction with life and student work engagement mediated by academic self-efficacy of undergraduate students

This study examined the conditional indirect influence of optimism on the relationship between satisfaction with life (SWL) and student work engagement (SWE), mediated by academic self-efficacy (ASE), among Indonesian undergraduates. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 166 undergraduate students from universities in Padang, Indonesia. Structural Equation Modeling (AMOS) was used to test direct and indirect effects, while the PROCESS macro (Model 8) examined moderated mediation with bootstrapped confidence intervals. SWL, ASE, and optimism were significant positive predictors of SWE. ASE mediated the relationship between SWL and SWE. Significantly, optimism moderated this mediated pathway: the indirect effect of SWL on SWE via ASE was significantly stronger among students with lower optimism. The findings confirm that life satisfaction enhances work engagement by boosting academic self-efficacy, especially for less optimistic students. This highlights the importance of fostering self-efficacy in academic settings, particularly as a targeted intervention for students with lower dispositional optimism. The study clarifies a key conditional mechanism in the well–being–engagement link within higher education. • Academic self-efficacy (ASE) mediates the relationship between life satisfaction and student work engagement. • Optimism moderates the mediating role of ASE in this relationship. • The indirect effect is significantly more substantial for students with lower optimism. • Pessimism did not show a significant predictive role in the model. • Findings support targeted self-efficacy interventions for less optimistic students in higher education.