DEMOGRAPHIC AND ACADEMIC PREDICTORS OF EDUCATION ENGAGEMENT IN AUSTRALIAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENTS

Background: Engagement is a positive psychology construct composed of the three factors: vigor, defined as high levels of energy and mental flexibility and capacity to spend effort in one’s studies; dedication, referred to... [ view full abstract ]

Background: Engagement is a positive psychology construct composed of the three factors: vigor, defined as high levels of energy and mental flexibility and capacity to spend effort in one’s studies; dedication, referred to as a sense of importance, enthusiasm, inspiration and self-esteem; and absorption, defined as being fully concentrated and happily absorbed in one’s study, by which time passes rapidly (1). The aim of the study was to investigate what demographic and academic factors of undergraduate occupational therapy (OT) students were predictors of their education engagement.

Methods: Participants were 225 Australian undergraduate OT students from Monash University completed the Utrecht Work engagement scale for students. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed.

Results: Year level of enrolment and hours of indirect time spent working on OT studies were significant predictors of vigor, explaining 26% its variance while age, gender, hours of indirect time spent working on OT studies, and hours spend per week engaged in self-care activities accounted for 21% of the variance of dedication. Finally, age, year level of enrolment, and hours of indirect time spent working on OT studies explained 26% of the variance of absorption.

Conclusion: several demographic and academic variables were found to be significant predictors of three components of the education engagement, those being vigor, dedication and absorption.

Application to Practice: Being familiar with the demographic and academic factors that are significant predictors of the factors that underpin students’ education engagement can provide valuable insights for educators in the university context.