Academic engagement and its relation to academic competence among secondary school students, from the perspectives of school counselors

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between academic engagement and academic competence among secondary school students from the perspectives of school counselors. The population of the study consisted of all school counselors in the Al Kharj educational district in Saudi Arabia; the sample included 70 counselors. The study's research design was a correlational descriptive one, and selected research instruments were the Academic Engagement Scale and the Academic Competence Scale. The study obtained several findings, most importantly the following: "levels of academic engagement among secondary school students" were rated as moderate from the perspectives of school counselors; academic competence was rated as moderate from the perspectives of school counselors; and there is a positive correlation between levels of academic engagement and academic competence among secondary school students. Findings of the study indicate that academic engagement is an important catalyst for academic competence in secondary school students. Therefore, promoting academic engagement should be taken into careful consideration by educational administrators. Designing school counseling programs in secondary schools across Saudi Arabia, with a focus on promoting and enhancing academic engagement among students; training teachers and school counselors in Al Kharj on applying evidence-based methods for fostering academic engagement among school students; and organizing specialized activities in teachers' professional development programs focusing on approaches and methods for improving students' levels of academic competence.