Study engagement in university students: A longitudinal study

Study engagement plays a crucial role for students’ negative and positive academic outcomes which is related to various factors. This study investigated the associations among university students’ study engagement, school burnout, resilience, and self-regulation, as well as temporal changes and directional relationships between these variables. The sample comprised 362 undergraduate students (M = 21.93, SD = 2.58). Significant correlations were observed among all constructs at both Time 1 and Time 2. Findings from the cross-lagged panel analysis indicated a decrease in study engagement over time, with earlier engagement predicting subsequent increases in school burnout. School burnout also showed an upward trend and exerted a negative influence on later study engagement. Furthermore, self-regulation was found to increase across the two time points but demonstrated a negative association with resilience. In turn, resilience declined over time, while positively predicting self-regulation and negatively predicting study engagement. The implications of these findings are discussed with reference to the existing literature, along with recommendations for future research and educational practice.