ABSTRACT
Academic engagement is considered one of the most essential elements to achieve educational success and decrease levels of school dropout. However, there is a need to develop reliable, practical and valid instruments that evaluate the academic engagement of adolescents taking into account their multidimensionality. The main aim of this research was to design and validate the General Scale of Academic Engagement for Spanish Adolescents that overcomes this limitation. The elaboration process began with the creation of items that are relying on the evaluation of existing literature, then the items were refined thanks to the reviews of the experts and discussion groups with adolescents. Data from 1158 students in compulsory secondary education were analyzed. The instrument's psychometric properties were determined by comprehension validity, analysis of content, reliability and construct validity. An Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed with the first sample (n = 356), while the second sample (n = 802) was used to verify the factor structure identified through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Evidence of reliability and validity was provided for the instrument using SPSS Version 27 and SPSS AMOS. The results of the analyses resulted in a questionnaire of 17 items grouped into three factors (Cognitive, Affective-Emotional and Behavioral), and confirm that the General Scale of Academic Engagement for Spanish Adolescents (CAADE) has an adequate construct validity and reliability. In summary, this study has resulted in the development of a tool that can be utilized by educators or any institution concerned in evaluating student academic engagement, a construct that does not yet to have consensus.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Resilience and academic engagement have become some of the most important elements in the academic context, due to their relationships with school adjustment, the protective role against risky behaviors and the well-being of adolescents. Purpose: Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the relationships established between the variables of resilience and academic engagement, the differences according to sex, as well as to determine the mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between resilience and academic engagement in adolescence. Participants and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. The sample consisted of 802 secondary school students, with an average age of 13.65 years (SD = 1.24) (where 50.6% were women and 49.4% men) who filled out the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 10), the General Academic Engagement Scale for Spanish Adolescents (CAADE) and the Spanish version of the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS-S). Results: The results showed the existence of positive relationships between resilience and factors of academic engagement. Furthermore, the mediation models showed the direct effect of emotional intelligence on this relationship. On the other hand, with respect to sex, men showed significantly higher averages in resilience and emotional intelligence, with no significant differences in the variable of academic engagement. Conclusion: Concluding, design of emotional intelligence intervention programs in secondary is recommended as an effective measure for promoting resilience and a positive academic trajectory.
