Redefining education: The role of study crafting in enhancing students' well-being, self-direction, and academic achievement

In this study, we examine the concept of “study crafting”, whereby students personalize their education in line with their strengths, interests, and goals. It is based on the concept of job crafting that has gained traction in work and organizational psychology. Study crafting could be valuable in higher education, where personalized learning experiences are increasingly vital. We developed a measurement for study crafting and analyzed its relationships with related constructs in a sample of 382 Dutch university students. Study crafting was positively associated with psychological need satisfaction, self-directed learning skills, and academic satisfaction, and negatively with burnout. Structural equation modeling revealed that study crafting had an indirect effect on self-directed learning, burnout, academic satisfaction, and academic achievement through psychological need satisfaction. While our findings suggest significant associations between study crafting and various student outcomes, it is important to note that cross-sectional designs limit the ability to draw causal inferences. This study introduces “study crafting” as a concept for creating personalized learning experiences that embrace students' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and ambitions. It finds that students can actively shape their education to match their strengths, interests, and goals, which in turn impacts their psychological well-being, self-directed learning skills, as well as academic satisfaction and success. The research highlights that learners can proactively design their education to experience a more engaged, empowered, and healthier life. By fostering a partnership between students and educators, the study suggests a shift towards a more student-centered education, where learners have a significant say in their educational journey, enhancing its relevance and impact on their lives. • Students can craft their education in line with their strengths, interests, and goals. • Study crafting is positively associated with students' well-being. • Study crafting is positively connected to students' self-directed learning skills. • Study crafting is indirectly related to the GPA measured at the end of the year.