Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Character Strengths and Online Student Engagement: The Role of Academic Support and Authentic Learning


Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Arts Faculty Extension Building, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


The present study aimed to understand the mediating role of authentic tasks and academic support from peers and teachers on the relationship between character strengths and online student engagement. Data were collected from 117 college students attending online classes to assess their character strengths, support from peers and teachers, and their level of engagement in online classes. Parallel mediation analysis revealed that authentic tasks fully mediate the relationship between character strengths and online student engagement. Peer and teacher support did not significantly mediate the relationship between character strengths and online student engagement. It was concluded that the authentic nature of the course content is the most critical factor influencing the relationship between character strengths and online student engagement. This study has important implications for designing authentic tasks and assessments for online classes to enhance college students' engagement levels.

Keywords

student engagement, character strengths, peer support, teacher support, authentic learning
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Alioon, Y., & Delialioğlu, Ö. (2019). The effect of authentic m‐learning activities on student engagement and motivation. British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(2), 655-668.
  • Chen, J. J. L. (2005). Relation of academic support from parents, teachers, and peers to Hong Kong adolescents' academic achievement: The mediating role of academic engagement. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 131(2), 77127.
  • Cho, M. H., & Cho, Y. (2014). Instructor scaffolding for interaction and students'academic engagement in online learning: Mediating role of perceived online class goal structures. The Internet and Higher Education, 21, 25-30.
  • Corso, M. J., Bundick, M. J., Quaglia, R. J., & Haywood, D. E. (2013). Where student, teacher, and content meet: Student engagement in the secondary school classroom.American Secondary Education, 41(3), 50-61.
  • Crawford, J., Butler-Henderson, K., Rudolph, J., Malkawi, B., Glowatz, M., Burton, R., & Lam, S. (2020). COVID-19: 20 countries' higher education intra-period digital pedagogy responses. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 3(1), 1-20.
  • Datu, J. A. D., & Bernardo, A. B. (2020). The blessings of social-oriented virtues: Interpersonal character strengths are linked to increased life satisfaction and academic success among Filipino high school students. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(7), 983-990.
  • D'Errico, F., Paciello, M., & Cerniglia, L. (2016). When emotions enhance students'engagement in e-learning processes. Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society, 12(4), ISSN 1826-6223 e-ISSN 1826-6223.
  • Dixson, M. D. (2015). Measuring student engagement in the online course: The Online Student Engagement Scale (OSE). Online Learning, 19(4), n4.
  • Harzer, C., & Ruch, W. (2013). The application of signature character strengths and positive experiences at work. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(3), 965-983.
  • Hope, J. (2021). Pandemic hampers student engagement, highlights inequities.Enrollment Management Report, 24(12), 9-9.
  • Jayawickreme, E., Forgeard, M. J., & Seligman, M. E. (2012). The engine of well-being. Review of General Psychology, 16(4), 327-342
  • Johnson, N., Veletsianos, G., & Seaman, J. (2020). US faculty and administrators' experiences and approaches in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online Learning, 24(2), 6-21.
  • Kholid, A. (2015). Hubungan efikasi diri dan dukungan teman sebaya dengan keterlibatan siswa pada sekolah (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta).
  • McGrath, R. E. (2017). Technical report: The VIA assessment suite for adults: Development and evaluation. Cincinnati, OH: VIAInstitute on Character.
  • Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification (Vol. 1). Oxford University Press.
  • Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879-891.
  • Qudsyi, H., Sa'diyah, S. K., & Mahara, R. (2016). Student engagement among highschool students in Indonesia: prediction of family functioning and peer support. A content analysis on satirical news articles of the adobo chronicles from June 2013Jun e, 247.
  • Quinlan, D. M., Swain, N., Cameron, C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2015). How 'other people matter'in a classroom-based strengths intervention: Exploring interpersonal strategies and classroom outcomes. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(1), 7789.
  • Reeves, T. C., Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2002). Authentic activities and online learning, in quality conversations. Proceedings of the 25th HERDSA Annual Conference, Perth, Western Australia, 7-10 July 2002: pp 562. Available here This Conference Proceeding is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworks/3900
  • Skinner, E. A., & Pitzer, J. R. (2012). Developmental dynamics of student engagement, coping, and everyday resilience. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, and C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 21-44). Springer, Boston,MA.
  • Steinberg, L., Dornbusch, S. M., & Brown, B. B. (1992). Ethnic differences in adolescent achievement: An ecological perspective. American Psychologist, 47(6),723.
  • Thompson, B., & Mazer, J. P. (2009). College student ratings of student academic support: Frequency, importance, and modes of communication. Communication Education, 58(3), 433-458.
  • Villacís, J. L., de la Fuente, J., & Naval, C. (2021). Good character at college: The combined role of second-order character strength factors and phronesis motivation in undergraduate academic outcomes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8263.
  • Xu, B., Chen, N. S., & Chen, G. (2020). Effects of teacher role on student engagement in WeChat-Based online discussion learning. Computers and Education, 157, 103956

Abstract Views: 247

PDF Views: 0




  • Character Strengths and Online Student Engagement: The Role of Academic Support and Authentic Learning

Abstract Views: 247  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Aanchal Chopra
Department of Psychology, Arts Faculty Extension Building, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
Dinesh Chhabra
Department of Psychology, Arts Faculty Extension Building, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

Abstract


The present study aimed to understand the mediating role of authentic tasks and academic support from peers and teachers on the relationship between character strengths and online student engagement. Data were collected from 117 college students attending online classes to assess their character strengths, support from peers and teachers, and their level of engagement in online classes. Parallel mediation analysis revealed that authentic tasks fully mediate the relationship between character strengths and online student engagement. Peer and teacher support did not significantly mediate the relationship between character strengths and online student engagement. It was concluded that the authentic nature of the course content is the most critical factor influencing the relationship between character strengths and online student engagement. This study has important implications for designing authentic tasks and assessments for online classes to enhance college students' engagement levels.

Keywords


student engagement, character strengths, peer support, teacher support, authentic learning

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.15614/ijpp%2F2022%2Fv13i4%2F218471