The research of the correlations between psychological factors and students’ learning engagement: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Student learning engagement-the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional investment in academic activities-is a key determinant of academic success. Three psychological factors have been identified as predictors: motivation, self-efficacy, and psychological resilience. However, primary studies report inconsistent effect sizes (β = 0.16-0.97) and typically examine these constructs in isolation. No comprehensive meta-analysis has simultaneously evaluated all three predictors' relative strength within an integrated framework, limiting the empirical basis for designing targeted educational interventions. Objective: Grounded in the broaden-and-build theory, this systematic review and meta-analysis examines the strength and consistency of associations between motivation, self-efficacy, psychological resilience, and learning engagement, explores their underlying mechanisms, and offers evidence-based recommendations for enhancing psychological support in educational settings. Methods: , Cochran's Q, funnel plots, Egger's test, trim-and-fill adjustments, and sensitivity analyses. Results: = 81-96%), indicating context-dependent variability in effect magnitudes. Conclusion: As the first meta-analysis to concurrently examine motivation, self-efficacy, and psychological resilience as predictors of learning engagement, this study demonstrates consistent positive associations across diverse educational contexts. Given the cross-sectional nature of the included studies, findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects. These results provide a robust empirical foundation for developing targeted, psychologically informed educational interventions.