Strengths use and deficit improvement: The relationship with engagement and fit with study course amongst first-year students |
| |
Authors: | Gabrielle van Niekerk Leon T. de Beer |
| |
Affiliation: | WorkWell Research Unit for Economic and Management Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa |
| |
Abstract: | This study sought to test a model of students’ proactive behaviour to use their strengths and improve their deficits and how this relates with their self-reported perceptions of their fit with a study course and engagement. Participants were 692 first-year students from a higher education institution in South Africa (females=60.3%; blacks=71.3%; mean age=19.71; SD=1.93). They completed measures of strengths use, deficit improvement, perceptions of fit with a study course and engagement. Structural equation modelling was utilised to examine the relationship between students’ strengths use and deficit improvement, perceptions of fit with a study course and student engagement. In addition, the bootstrapping method was used to identify possible mediating effects of fit with a study course. The results indicated that only deficit improvement showed a significant relationship with engagement. Perceptions of fit with a study course mediated the relationship between students’ strengths use and deficit improvement. |
| |
Keywords: | strengths use deficit improvement student engagement fit with study course first-year students |
|
|