Factors Contributing to High School Students’ Academic-Cognitive Engagement: Studying in Northwest Province, Cambodia

This study examined different factors influencing high school students’ learning in Battambang, Cambodia. The respondents were 290 students (118 males and 172 females). Data was collected from various factors relating to the student's Academic-cognitive engagement impacted by Psychological engagement, Self-efficacy, and Teacher-student involvement. The data has been analyzed at four levels: (a) Excel for entering data (b) SPSS to rescue and remove the data and to check scales’ reliabilities, using the Cronbach Alpha Coefficient; (c) Mplus for analyzing correlations between the variables, and structural equations model to predict Academic-cognitive engagement. The most influential factor was Psychological engagement (.723), impacting the predictor of Academic-cognitive engagement. Our findings suggested parents and educators should also construct self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience to improve students’ motivation support and enhance their engagement. This study is an impactful contribution to understanding the academic challenges in Cambodia, offering evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes. Its alignment with national educational goals adds strategic relevance, making it a valuable resource for policymakers and educators.