Predicting student engagement from self-efficacy and autonomous motivation: A cross-sectional study

This prospective study was designed to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy, autonomous motivation and engagement within a higher education setup. A convenient sample of 512 students participated in the study through the completion of self-reported questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and PLS-SEM. Results from the analysis showed self-efficacy and autonomous motivation enhances peer and intellectual engagement. Additionally, autonomous motivation positively mediates the effect of self-efficacy on both peer and intellectual engagement. The findings of the study provide important implication for management of higher education students. Management of higher education institutions must develop effective and efficient policies that assist students to develop and manage their self-efficacy. © 2021 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.