Psychological capital and positive academic emotions as mediators between school connectedness and academic engagement

This study utilized a mediation model to examine the role of psychological capital and positive academic emotions in the relationship between school connectedness and academic engagement in adolescents. A sample of 389 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.43; 51.2% females) completed the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student (UWES-S), the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ), the Positive Psychological Capital Scale (PPCS), and the School Connectedness Scale (SCS). Structural equation modeling analysis yielded findings to suggest that higher school connectedness is associated with academic engagement. Psychological capital was associated with positive emotions, and higher psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between school connectedness and academic engagement. These results are consistent with the Ecological systems theory proposing that the interplay between individual characteristics (e.g., psychological capital and positive academic emotions) and contextual factors (e.g., school connectedness) in shaping developmental outcomes, such as academic engagement. On the basis of these findings, promoting academic engagement among adolescents would require student development supports including fostering a positive school climate, enhancing psychological capital through resilience-building programs, and encouraging positive emotional experiences in academic settings.