Study Burnout and Engagement During COVID-19 Among University Students: The Role of Demands, Resources, and Psychological Needs

All "wrapped" up in reflection: supporting metacognitive awareness to promote students' self-regulated learning

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is the process of utilizing effective strategies to acquire knowledge or skills and is influenced by motivation, metacognitive processing, and study-related behaviors. We hypothesized that by using survey tools that allow reflection on and refinement of students' study strategies, we could nurture metacognitive skill development, encourage positive motivation and study-related behaviors, and hence promote academic success. Undergraduate students in a semester-long, second-year biology course were provided with resources to promote SRL and three survey instruments that encouraged them to create study plans and reflect on the effectiveness of their study strategies. Using a student-partnered approach, we sought to investigate the role of metacognition, motivation, and study-related behaviors on academic performance by (i) identifying the self-regulated learning strategies most utilized by students, (ii) investigating the role of reflection in enhancing metacognitive processing and academic performance, and (iii) understanding whether students created and/or modified their study strategies as an outcome of self-regulation. Survey responses allowed us to understand the repertoire of study strategies used by students. Our analyses suggest that students demonstrated metacognitive skill development through the use of the resources and reflection instruments, as they accurately reported on the effectiveness of their study strategies and indicated future plans to shift study-related behaviors from passive to active reviewing techniques. Students across the grade spectrum perceived the reflection instruments as beneficial in identifying areas of improvement and developing long-term study habits, suggesting that these instruments were effective in promoting metacognitive skill development for a variety of student learners. We conclude that supporting students with resources that promote SRL and providing opportunities for timely reflection can promote metacognitive skill development, a key feature of academic success.

Conditional reciprocal stressor-strain effects in university students: a cross-lagged panel study in Germany

University students worldwide are facing increasing mental health challenges. Traditional stress models, like the Job/Study Demand-Resources Model, link stressors directly to strain. Yet, recent studies suggest the influence of strain on stressors may be even stronger. Our research explored these reciprocal dynamics among university students, considering social support and mindfulness as potential moderators. We conducted a two-wave panel study with 264 university students. We ran separate cross-lagged panel structural equation analyses for three key health outcomes-emotional exhaustion, depression, and well-being-each paired with perceived study stressors, specifically workload and work complexity. Findings revealed significant stressor and strain effects, with social support notably moderating the impact of emotional exhaustion on workload. These insights challenge traditional stress theories and underscore the importance of mental health support and effective stress management strategies for students, emphasizing the need for proactive mental health initiatives in academic environments.

Social support, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and well-being during COVID-19 lockdown: A two-wave study of Danish students

Societal lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed everyday life across the globe, including requirements of social distancing that might limit the social support people derive from social interaction. Social support has proven to be a vital resource for well-being (i.e., perceived stress and satisfaction with life) and coping during societal challenges. The present study examined how social support is associated with perceived stress and life satisfaction through self-efficacy and self-esteem among Danish students (N = 204). These psychological constructs were examined both during and after lockdown, assessing the possible aversive psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results did not yield any significant changes in either the mean scores of the constructs or the indirect effects model across the two time points. Moreover, the results indicate that social support derived from a significant person, family, and friends - but not student peers - is negatively linked with perceived stress and positively associated with life satisfaction through both self-efficacy and self-esteem. Although societal lockdown did not yield significant psychological impact, the results highlight the importance of social support among students, both during and after lockdown.

Machine learning identifies a COVID-19-specific phenotype in university students using a mental health app

Background

Advances in smartphone technology have allowed people to access mental healthcare via digital apps from wherever and whenever they choose. University students experience a high burden of mental health concerns. Although these apps improve mental health symptoms, user engagement has remained low. Studies have shown that users can be subgrouped based on unique characteristics that just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) can use to improve engagement. To date, however, no studies have examined the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on these subgroups.

Objective

Here, we sought to examine user subgroup characteristics across three COVID-19-specific timepoints: during lockdown, immediately following lockdown, and three months after lockdown ended.

Methods

To do this, we used a two-step machine learning approach combining unsupervised and supervised machine learning.

Results

We demonstrate that there are three unique subgroups of university students who access mental health apps. Two of these, with either higher or lower mental well-being, were defined by characteristics that were stable across COVID-19 timepoints. The third, situational well-being, had characteristics that were timepoint-dependent, suggesting that they are highly influenced by traumatic stressors and stressful situations. This subgroup also showed feelings and behaviours consistent with burnout.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings clearly suggest that user subgroups are unique: they have different characteristics and therefore likely have different mental healthcare goals. Our findings also highlight the importance of including questions and additional interventions targeting traumatic stress(ors), reason(s) for use, and burnout in JITAI-style mental health apps to improve engagement.

Avoiding Academic Burnout: Academic Factors That Enhance University Student Engagement

Burnout is one of the major problems in higher education and is linked to a decline in students' academic performance and achievement. Burnout, when prolonged over time and added to stress and high workloads, promotes the intention to drop out of studies, which translates into negative consequences for individuals and groups. Academic engagement is proposed as an effective alternative to offer solutions to improve the quality of education and counteract current negative trends. This study is based on a correlational-descriptive research design. It aimed to find out to what extent students feel engaged in their university studies and to identify and analyze possible correlations between engagement and specific classroom variables. To this end, a sample of 764 college students was studied. The result showed that students feel connected to and interested in their studies and that the area of knowledge impacts student engagement. They also indicate how learning strategies used in the classroom positively impact academic engagement.

Social support in class and learning burnout among Chinese EFL learners in higher education: Are academic buoyancy and class level important?

The prevalence and adverse effects of learning burnout are a major concern in higher education. Based upon JD-R and COR theories, this study modeled the associations among social support that teachers and peers provide in class, academic buoyancy, learning burnout, and class level with respect to the degree of English proficiency. A sample of 1955 Chinese EFL learners in higher education participated in the cross-sectional survey. Structural equation modelling via partial least squares technique was utilized for statistical analysis. The results corroborated the protecting role that social support in class played against EFL students' learning burnout. In particular, the findings revealed that academic buoyancy both mediated and moderated the nexus between social support on EFL learners' burnout. Moreover, this study found that class level with respect to English proficiency moderated the relation between academic buoyancy and learning burnout and that the negative impact of academic buoyancy on burnout increased in classes in which students had lower English proficiency. Based upon the findings, certain targeted suggestions for educational practice were provided.

The multiple mediating effects of grit and learning agility on academic burnout and learning engagement among Korean university students: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

This article reports the results of a study conducted to assess the mediating effects of grit and learning agility on the relationship between academic burnout and learning engagement among undergraduate students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-report questionnaire. Undergraduate students (N = 344) were recruited from one university in South Korea (58.0% female; average age 21.43) to complete assessments of academic burnout, grit, learning agility, and learning engagement. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, hierarchical regression and bootstrapping to verify the multiple parallel mediation effect.

RESULTS

We found that the direct effect of academic burnout on learning engagement (B= -0.26, p<.001) and the indirect effect of academic burnout as mediated by learning agility (B= -0.13; 95% CI, -0.20∼-0.06) were significant. This finding confirmed that 33.3% of the total effect of academic burnout on learning engagement was the result of indirect effects via learning agility.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate the necessity of developing an educational programme that focuses not only on reducing academic burnout but also on improving learning agility to increase undergraduate students' learning engagement. This study contributes to the development of a curriculum aimed at increasing the effectiveness of university education, promoting learning engagement, and reducing academic burnout.KEY MESSAGEOur study reports that academic burnout has both a direct effect on learning engagement and an indirect effect via learning agility. Learning agility mediates the relationship between academic burnout and learning engagement among undergraduate students.Although grit has been reported by many previous studies to mediate the relationship between the tendency to pursue happiness and the willingness to continue learning and effectively improving one's academic achievement and ability, our study did not find any mediating effect via grit in this context.

University students' profiles of burnout symptoms amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and their relation to concurrent study behavior and experiences

Burnout symptoms are prevalent among university students. This study examined students' understudied profiles of burnout symptoms and their relation to procrastination, dropout intentions, and study- and life satisfaction. We used cross-sectional data from two online-studies conducted in Germany in April 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic (N _study1 = 597, N _study2 = 857). Latent profile analyses indicated three profiles in both studies: (1) well-functioning, (2) moderately exhausted-inefficacious, and (3) burned-out. Most students belonged to Profiles 1 and 2 with low to moderate burnout symptoms. Students in Profile 3 reported the highest symptoms, most procrastination, strongest dropout intentions, and lowest study- and life satisfaction. The distinct profiles broaden knowledge about intra-individual differences in students' burnout experiences and underpin the need for tailored interventions.

Students' Burnout at University: The Role of Gender and Worker Status

Students' burnout has been widely investigated in recent decades, mainly showing a higher risk for female students across academic levels. To our knowledge, few studies have investigated whether employed students experience higher academic burnout risks. In this regard, previous findings have shown mixed results. The current study investigated the differences in burnout experience based on students' gender and worker status. We expected to find differences among study groups in their burnout levels. The participants were 494 Italian university students (49.6% female students; 49.4% working students) who completed the short version of the Burnout Assessment Tool Core dimensions (BAT-C). Firstly, we investigated the BAT-C measurement invariance across gender and worker status subgroups. Secondly, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed significant gender differences in burnout levels. Specifically, female students showed higher levels of exhaustion, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment than male students. Nevertheless, no interactive effects between gender and worker status were observed in the current sample. To sum up, gender is a key factor for understanding several BAT symptoms, and it should be considered by academic staff interested in preventing burnout at university and its dropout consequences.

Distinct Patterns of University Students Study Crafting and the Relationships to Exhaustion, Well-Being, and Engagement

Job crafting has been established as a bottom-up work design instrument for promoting health and well-being in the workplace. In recent years, the concepts of job crafting have been applied to the university student context, proving to be positively related to student well-being. Building on person-centered analyses from the employment context, we assessed approach study crafting strategy combinations and the relationships to students’ exhaustion, study engagement, and general well-being. Data from 2,882 German university students were examined, collected online during the summer term in 2020. Using latent profile analysis, we found five distinct crafting groups, which showed discriminate validity with regard to emotional exhaustion, engagement, and well-being. The results underscore the positive role of study crafting for students’ health and well-being. They further indicate a less important role of increasing social resources for emotional exhaustion when combined with a moderate increase in structural resources and a moderate increase in challenging demands. Our findings imply that interventions to promote study crafting should be considered to promote student health and well-being.