Dual mediation model of geography learning engagement evidence from chinese high schools

Abstract

Student engagement is one of the most accepted constructs that determine academic success and learning over the long term. Based on Self-Efficacy Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, Self-Determination Theory, and Experiential Learning Theory, this paper designed a dual-mediation model to investigate the relationship between learning motivation, learning styles, and the ability to solve problems and the engagement in geography learning among high school students in Shandong Province, China. The proposed model exhibited a high level of theoretical consistency and empirical validation with the help of validated instruments and Structural Equation Modeling. Self-efficacy and critical thinking turned out to be the most significant direct predictors of engagement, and learning motivation, learning styles, and problem-solving ability also played significant direct roles. Bootstrap analyses also revealed that both critical thinking and self-efficacy were substantive mediators, which means that these cognitive and psychological functions are central in transforming learner characteristics into engagement. The analysis performed in the multi-group analysis found that urban and rural students differ significantly and a number of the structural relationships indicated stronger associations in urban students. Despite its foundation on cross-sectional evidence, the results contribute to the theoretical understanding of the mechanisms of engagement in the exam-based educational environment and have practical implications for enhancing education in geography and advancing educational justice