scholarly journals Adjustment to COVID-19 Lockdown Among Italian University Students: The Role of Concerns, Change in Peer and Family Relationships and in Learning Skills, Emotional, and Academic Self-Efficacy on Depressive Symptoms

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuela Calandri ◽  
Federica Graziano ◽  
Tatiana Begotti ◽  
Elena Cattelino ◽  
Silvia Gattino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Learning Skills ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

In Italy strict containment measures against COVID-19 pandemic were implemented from March to May 2020 with home confinement and schools and universities closed. Students shifted to remote learning, experienced a forced isolation from peers and an increased sharing of time and spaces with the family. The influence of these aspects on the psychological adjustment of university students is largely unexplored. This paper was aimed at investigating the role of some correlates of depressive symptoms specific to the lockdown condition experienced by young university students, namely contagion concern, perceived worsening of family, and peer relationships and perceived worsening of learning skills. Moreover, the possible mediating effects of emotional and academic self-efficacy in these relationships were examined. Data were collected from 296 Italian university students (aged 18–25 years; 83% female students) through an online survey by means of a snowball sampling methodology in May 2020. Significant depressive symptoms were reported by 67% of participants. Contagion concerns were related to depressive symptoms through the mediating effect of emotional self-efficacy. Worsening of learning skills was related to depressive symptoms through the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy. Depressive symptoms were directly related to worsening of family relationships but unrelated to worsening of peer relationships. Results are discussed in relation to the need of preventive interventions for this specific population in view of academic activities planning in the post-COVID 19 period.

scholarly journals The Influence of Discrepancies between Parents’ Educational Aspirations and Children’s Educational Expectations on Depressive Symptoms of Left-Behind Children in Rural China: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11713
Author(s):  
Xiaoou Man ◽  
Jiatong Liu ◽  
Yutong Bai
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Educational Aspirations ◽  
Educational Expectations ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

Although long-term separation has made discrepancies between parents’ educational aspirations and children’s own educational expectations among families with left-behind children (LBC), limited researches on the influence of these discrepancies on children’s mental health are carried out at present. Based on China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) conducted in 2018, we selected 875 LBC aged 9~15 as the sample, explored the influence of the direction and degree of these discrepancies on LBC’s depressive symptoms by hierarchical regression, and examined the mediating role of children’s academic self-efficacy and mediation effect pathway with Baron and Kenny method and Bootstrap mediation analysis methods. Results showed that LBC’s mental health was worse when parents’ educational aspirations were higher than their children’s educational expectations, compared to that without discrepancies. The degree of such discrepancies was negatively associated with LBC’s mental health. In the relationship between the direction of discrepancies and LBC’s depressive symptoms, academic self-efficacy played a mediating role partially. In addition, the study indicated that mothers played a significant role in the development of LBC’s mental health. These findings also provided critical evidence for the intervention practice of LBC’s mental health.

scholarly journals “Want to Learn” and “Can Learn”: Influence of Academic Passion on College Students' Academic Engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Zhao ◽  
Xiaoxian Liu ◽  
Chunhui Qi
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Academic Engagement ◽  
Henan Province ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Developmental Feedback ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy ◽  
Positive Effect

Although research exists on the relationship between passion and engagement among employees, the mechanisms of academic passion on academic engagement among students needs to be elucidated. Guided by the broaden-and-build and situated cognition theories, we explored the positive effect of academic passion on academic engagement, the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy, and the role of teacher developmental feedback as a moderator in the relationship between academic passion and academic engagement. Based on a sample of 1,029 college students from universities in the Henan Province of China, the results showed that academic passion was positively related to academic engagement, academic self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between academic passion and academic engagement, and teacher developmental feedback effectively moderated the relationship between academic passion and academic engagement. These findings explained the mechanism underlying the relationship between academic passion and academic engagement. Moreover, the findings highlighted important factors that promote college students' academic engagement.

scholarly journals Exploring the Protective Function of Positivity and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy in Time of Pandemic COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13171
Author(s):  
Eriona Thartori ◽  
Concetta Pastorelli ◽  
Flavia Cirimele ◽  
Chiara Remondi ◽  
Maria Gerbino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Protective Function ◽  
Containment Measures

Despite several empirical studies on the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that have highlighted its detrimental effect on individuals’ mental health, the identification of psychological factors that may moderate its impact on individuals’ behavior and well-being remains partly unexplored. The present study was conceived to examine the mediation role of regulatory emotional self-efficacy in the relationship between positivity and anxiety, depression, and perceived self-efficacy in complying with the containment measures to contrast the COVID-19 spread. Furthermore, the moderation role of age was tested. A sample of 1258 participants (64.2% women; Mage = 42.09, SD = 13.62) enrolled from the Italian general population answered an online survey aimed at investigating the role of individual differences in facing the COVID-19 pandemic. We opted for a snowball recruiting procedure to find participants. The online survey was disseminated through email invitation and using social media platforms (i.e., Facebook, Instagram). A multi-group path analysis model was performed using Mplus 8.4 to explore the hypothesized relations among variables. The following criteria were employed to evaluate the goodness of fit: χ2 likelihood ratio statistic, CFI and TLI > 0.95, RMSEA < 0.06 and SRMR < 0.08. The findings corroborated the protective role of both positivity and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in reducing individuals’ anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as in fostering individuals’ capabilities in complying with the containment measures imposed by the government to reduce the risk of illness and to contain the spread of the virus COVID-19. Specifically, regulatory emotional self-efficacy beliefs partially mediated the relations between positivity and anxiety and depressive symptoms and fully mediated the effect of positivity on perceived self-efficacy beliefs in complying with the containment measures. These paths were equal across ages. The results of the present study appear relevant to implementing psychological interventions aimed to reduce the deleterious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health through the promotion of individuals’ optimistic orientation and emotion regulation.

scholarly journals How Do University Students’ Perceptions of the Instructor’s Role Influence Their Learning Outcomes and Satisfaction in Cloud-Based Virtual Classrooms During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Wang ◽  
Jiying Han ◽  
Chuanyong Liu ◽  
Hongji Xu
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Instructional Support ◽  
Perceived Learning ◽  
Virtual Classrooms ◽  
Learning Satisfaction ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

This study examined the relationships between the role of the instructor and university students’ learning outcomes in cloud-based classrooms during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The results of an online survey of 7,210 university students in mainland China revealed that the students’ perceived learning outcomes and learning satisfaction were positively related to instructor innovation and negatively related to instructor performance. Instructional support was positively related to the students’ perceived learning outcomes but not directly related to their learning satisfaction. The students’ academic self-efficacy mediated the influence of instructional support and instructor innovation on their perceived learning outcomes and learning satisfaction. The results contribute to knowledge of the role instructors play in facilitating students’ learning outcomes in higher education and suggest ways to improve the learning environment and learning outcomes, especially in cloud-based virtual classrooms.

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