Psychological variables and their impact on academic achievement in higher education

Abstract

Studies emphasize the role of psychological variables as favoring knowledge acquisition and transversal competencies in Higher Education, as well as students’ performance and academic success. Among the psychological variables, self-efficacy perception, motivation to learn and learning strategies stand out. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between these variables and their impact on academic success, as assessed by the performance coefficient. The study enrolled 521 students of both sexes, of different year of study, in the three areas of knowledge. Data indicate a correlation between the studied psychological variables, which explained about 11% of the variation in academic performance, with fluctuations in this percentage explained according to the scientific area of the courses. Strong correlations were observed between self-efficacy and extrinsic motivation with academic performance, highlighting the need for new investigations about learning strategies.

Conceptual Utility Model for the Management of Stress and Psychological Wellbeing, CMMSPW™ in a university environment: theoretical basis, structure and functionality

“…Academic performance , in the sense of not just an average grade but of the acquisition of skills as applied to a given field of knowledge and practice. This dependent variable has—for obvious reasons—been examined by many researchers ( de la Fuente et al, 2010 ; Barattucci et al, 2021 ; Casiraghi et al, 2022 ). Some models have assumed that academic performance entails the acquisition of learning or conceptual, procedural and attitudinal subcompetencies in an integrated way ( de la Fuente et al, 2005 ).…”