Study Demands–Resources Theory: Understanding Student Well-Being in Higher Education

Abstract This article reviews the literature on student well-being (burnout and engagement) and their relationships with study demands and resources, student behaviors (proactive and self-undermining study behaviors), and student outcomes in higher education. Building on research that used Job Demands–Resources and Study Demands–Resources models to investigate student well-being, we develop the Study Demands–Resources (SD–R) theory to delineate the various processes, mechanisms, and behaviors involved in student burnout and engagement. Study demands and resources have unique and combined effects on higher education students’ well-being. In addition, students can influence their own well-being and study-related outcomes by either proactively optimizing their study demands and resources or displaying self-undermining behaviors that can adversely affect their study environment. We discuss several avenues for future research, including (a) rigorous tests of SD–R propositions; (b) trait versus state effects in SD–R theory; (c) the impact of the higher education climate and lecturer influence; and (d) an expanded SD–R theory.