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

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.