Engagement, Flow, Self-Efficacy, and Eustress of University Students: A Cross-National Comparison Between the Philippines and Argentina

ABSTRACT This study examined how self-efficacy, eustress, and flow interact with academic engagement. First, it aimed to test a theoretical model that proposes that self-efficacy and eustress promote both flow and engagement and that, in turn, the state of flow promotes academic engagement in undergraduate student. We hypothesized that the theoretical model would be invariant for two countries: the Philippines and Argentina. Secondly, this research aimed to compare the levels of self-efficacy, eustress, study-flow and academic engagement experiences in students from both countries. One hundred seventy-six Filipinos and 171 Argentinean students participated in the study by completing inventories using the Utrecht Student Engagement Scale (Schaufeli, Martínez, et al., 2002), Optimal Experience Survey (Mesurado, 2008), Self-efficacy Scale (O’Sullivan, 2011), and Eustress Scale (O’Sullivan, 2011). Results show that the theoretical model fits the data well in both countries and is invariant across the Philippines and Argentina. Self-efficacy has a positive effect on flow and engagement, whereas eustress has a significant positive relationship with flow but is not directly associated with engagement. However, eustress has an indirect effect, through flow, on student engagement. On the other hand, there are different levels of engagement, flow, self-efficacy, and eustress. Argentinean students scored higher on absorption, dedication, self-efficacy, and flow. Filipino students, meanwhile, scored higher on eustress.

[1]  W. Schaufeli,et al.  How obstacles and facilitators predict academic performance: the mediating role of study burnout and engagement , 2010, Anxiety, stress, and coping.

[2]  J. H. Steiger.  Structural Model Evaluation and Modification: An Interval Estimation Approach. , 1990, Multivariate behavioral research.

[3]  Kerstin Mueller,et al.  Lisrel 8 Users Reference Guide , 2016 .

[4]  Alexander Bakker,et al.  An Evidence-Based Model of Work Engagement , 2011 .

[5]  Rex B. Kline,et al.  Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling , 1998 .

[6]  R. Abouserie,et al.  Sources and Levels of Stress in Relation to Locus of Control and Self Esteem in University Students , 1994 .

[7]  Romin W. Tafarodi,et al.  Individualism-Collectivism and Global Self-Esteem , 1996 .

[8]  Paul R. Pintrich,et al.  THE ROLE OF SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS INSTUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNING INTHECLASSROOM , 2003 .

[9]  Allan B. I. Bernardo.  Exploring Filipino adolescents' perceptions of the legitimacy of parental authority over academic behaviors , 2010 .

[10]  A. Bandura.  Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control , 1997, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

[11]  A. T. Church,et al.  Personality research in a non-Western culture: The Philippines. , 1987 .

[12]  R. Schwarzer,et al.  Is General Self-Efficacy a Universal Construct ? * Psychometric Findings from 25 Countries , 2002 .

[13]  J. de Jonge,et al.  Stress and Student Job Design: Satisfaction, Well-Being, and Performance in University Students , 2002 .

[14]  Alexander D. Stajkovic,et al.  Social cognitive theory and self-efficacy: Goin beyond traditional motivational and behavioral approaches , 1998 .

[15]  Ronald Fischer,et al.  Testing measurement invariance across groups: applications in cross-cultural research. , 2010 .

[16]  David Zyngier,et al.  How Motivation Influences Student Engagement: A Qualitative Case Study. , 2012 .

[17]  D. Offer,et al.  Loneliness and the adolescent. , 1978, Adolescent psychiatry.

[18]  G. Felsten,et al.  Influences of Stress and Situation-Specific Mastery Beliefs and Satisfaction with Social Support on Well-Being and Academic Performance , 1992, Psychological reports.

[19]  M. C. Hill,et al.  Evaluating Model Fit , 2005 .

[20]  G. Hofstede,et al.  Culture′s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values , 1980 .

[21]  Keith A. Markus,et al.  Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling by Rex B. Kline , 2012 .

[22]  H. Markus,et al.  Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. , 1991 .

[23]  Mingsheng Li,et al.  Asian students’ perceptions of group work and group assignments in a New Zealand tertiary institution , 2008 .

[24]  M. Bassi,et al.  Psychological Selection and Optimal Experience Across Cultures , 2011 .

[25]  Gordon W. Cheung,et al.  Evaluating Goodness-of-Fit Indexes for Testing Measurement Invariance , 2002 .

[26]  Robert M. Klassen,et al.  Optimism and realism: A review of self‐efficacy from a cross‐cultural perspective , 2004 .

[27]  David J. Shernoff,et al.  Flow in Schools Cultivating Engaged Learners and Optimal Learning Environments , 2008 .

[28]  K. White,et al.  Culture and Social Comparison Seeking: The Role of Self-Motives , 2005, Personality & social psychology bulletin.

[29]  E. L. Gaier,et al.  Causal Attributions for College Success and Failure , 1994 .

[30]  C. Leung,et al.  The psychological adaptation of overseas and migrant students in Australia , 2001 .

[31]  J. A. M. Murcia,et al.  Motivación autodeterminada y flujo disposicional en el deporte , 2006 .

[32]  W. Schaufeli,et al.  When good is good: A virtuous circle of self-efficacy and flow at work among teachers , 2011 .

[33]  Fred Luthans,et al.  The power of positive psychology: Psychological capital and work engagement. , 2010 .

[34]  Ara Norenzayan,et al.  Cross-Cultural Differences in Helping Strangers , 2001 .

[35]  Marisa Salanova Soria,et al.  Hacia un modelo espiral de las creencias de eficacia en el estudio del "burnout" y del "engagement" , 2005 .

[36]  M. Csíkszentmihályi,et al.  The Concept of Flow , 2014 .

[37]  R. Arribas.  Individualismo y colectivismo en el análisis sociológico , 1999 .

[38]  W. Mau,et al.  Cultural Differences in Career Decision-Making Styles and Self-Efficacy. , 2000 .

[39]  A. Bakker,et al.  Where to go from here : Integration and future research on work engagement , 2009 .

[40]  R. Gonzalez.  Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences , 2003 .

[41]  Jeanne Nakamura,et al.  Optimal experience and the uses of talent , 1988 .

[42]  S. Brooks,et al.  Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences , 1993 .

[43]  B. Avolio,et al.  . , 2005, The Leadership Quarterly.

[44]  Paul Mallery,et al.  Social comparison, individualism-collectivism, and self-esteem in china and the United States , 1999 .

[45]  P. Bentler,et al.  Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis : Conventional criteria versus new alternatives , 1999 .

[46]  F.J.R. van de Vijver,et al.  Methods and Data Analysis for Cross-Cultural Research , 1997 .

[47]  A. Bakker,et al.  The Measurement of Engagement and Burnout: A Two Sample Confirmatory Factor Analytic Approach , 2002 .

[48]  D. Páez,et al.  Independent and Interdependent Self-construals and Socio-cultural Factors in 29 Nations , 2005 .

[49]  Christina Maslach,et al.  Burnout: A Multidimensional Perspective , 1993 .

[50]  G. O'sullivan.  The Relationship Between Hope, Eustress, Self-Efficacy, and Life Satisfaction Among Undergraduates , 2011 .

[51]  Barbara A. Greene,et al.  Identification with academics, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy as predictors of cognitive engagement , 2006 .

[52]  M. Csíkszentmihályi,et al.  Talented Teenagers: The Roots of Success and Failure , 1993 .

[53]  Validez Factorial y Fiabilidad del Cuestionario de Experiencia Óptima (Flow) para niños y adolescentes , 2008 .

[54]  G. Caprara,et al.  Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Quality of Experience in Learning , 2007, Journal of youth and adolescence.

[55]  A. Bakker,et al.  Job demands, job resources, and their relationship with burnout and engagement: a multi‐sample study , 2004 .

[56]  M. Bassi,et al.  Psychological Selection and Optimal Experience Across Cultures: Social Empowerment through Personal Growth , 2010 .

[57]  David J. Shernoff,et al.  Student engagement in high school classrooms from the perspective of flow theory. , 2003 .

[58]  U. R. Florenzano,et al.  El Bienestar Subjetivo: Hacia una Psicología Positiva , 2011 .

[59]  C. Chiu,et al.  The Influence of Culture and Context on Students’ Motivational Orientation and Performance , 2001 .

[60]  Myron H. Dembo,et al.  Differences in the Motivational Beliefs of Asian American and Non-Asian Students. , 1997 .

[61]  A. Bakker,et al.  Burnout and Engagement in University Students , 2002 .

[62]  C. Maslach,et al.  The Truth about Burnout: How Organizations Cause Personal Stress and What to Do about It , 1997 .

[63]  R. Schwarzer,et al.  Is General Self-Efficacy a Universal Construct?1 , 2002 .

[64]  TALENTED TEENAGERS: THE ROOTS OF SUCCESS & FAILURE (Authors: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Kevin Rathunde, & Samuel Whalen) , 1997 .

[65]  Michael P. Leiter,et al.  Work Engagement : A Handbook of Essential Theory and Research , 2010 .

[66]  H. Markus,et al.  Emotion and culture: Empirical studies of mutual influence. , 1994 .

[67]  David J. Shernoff,et al.  Continuing motivation beyond the high school classroom. , 2001, New directions for child and adolescent development.