Psychological resilience as a selective perceptual amplifier in post-crisis learning: a dual-pathway model of academic motivation, perceived school support, and cognitive engagement – a multi-country study based on PISA 2022

BACKGROUND: The global educational crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has posed persistent challenges to students' deep learning. Understanding the mechanisms through which academic motivation (AM) and perceived school support (PSS) translate into cognitive engagement strategies (CES), and identifying factors that amplify this translation, is essential for building resilient educational systems. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022, comprising 574,514 students from 80 countries/economies. Full Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) estimation addressed missing data while retaining the full sample. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the measurement model. Design-corrected regression analyses incorporating PISA's complex sampling weights and 80 replicate weights tested main effects and moderation hypotheses, controlling for ESCS. Mediation was tested using structural equation modeling with bootstrap confidence intervals. RESULTS: AM significantly predicted CES both directly (β = 0.089, [Formula: see text] .001) and indirectly through enhanced PSS (β = 0.221, [Formula: see text] .001), with perceived support strongly predicting engagement (β = 0.464, [Formula: see text] .001). The indirect effect accounted for 53.6% of the total effect (bootstrap 95% CI [0.102, 0.104]). Psychological resilience (PR) significantly moderated the motivation→support path (β = 0.008, p = 0.007) but not the motivation→engagement or support→engagement paths. OECD membership attenuated both motivation→support and motivation→engagement paths, while gender only moderated the motivation→engagement path. CONCLUSIONS: PR functions as a selective "perceptual amplifier" in post-crisis learning, primarily strengthening motivated students' ability to recognize PSS. The robust support→engagement pathway across national and gender groups underscores the universal importance of supportive school environments. Educational interventions could shift toward resilience-sensitive differentiated support.