Student Engagement, Life Satisfaction, and Academic Burnout Among Polish Tertiary Students: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
Abstract
Objective of the study: Given the scarcity of research in this area, the present study was carried out to examine the relationship between student engagement, life satisfaction, and academic burnout in the Polish academic setting. Additionally, a qualitative analysis was conducted to explore the factors that sustain student engagement.
Research method: This study uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. In Phase 1, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between the primary variables. In Phase 2, inductive thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data collected from seven respondents.
A short description of the context of the issue: Over the past two decades, educational researchers have become increasingly interested in the impact of positive factors on various aspects of human functioning (Dewaele et al., 2019). Despite extensive research in the area, it transpires that the nature of the relationship between some variables remains somewhat underexplored, including the interplay between student engagement, life satisfaction, and academic burnout. This study addresses this gap in the literature and delves into the factors that enhance student engagement within the Polish academic environment.
Research findings: The study identified a strong, negative correlation between levels of life satisfaction and several dimensions of academic burnout, including lack of engagement (-0.355) and fatigue (-0.454). The findings indicate that students who are content with their lives are significantly more likely to report higher academic engagement and are less susceptible to experiencing burnout. The qualitative analysis revealed three main sources of sustained engagement: a growing sense of personal agency, teacher approachability, and peer support.
Conclusions and recommendations: Given that the majority of participants reported difficulty in balancing their academic and personal responsibilities, it is recommended that academic curricula should be structured to facilitate a healthy balance between these domains. As this study shows that higher life satisfaction promotes student engagement, well-balanced curricula could not only contribute to higher life satisfaction among the active student population but also positively impact their academic involvement.
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