Social identity and engagement: An exploratory study at university

摘要

It is a common goal of higher education institutions to achieve successful academic performance of their students. Doing more than expected, suggesting new working objectives, and actively studying to achieve a degree are some examples of desirable behaviors in the new framework of higher education focusing on the achievement of professional skills and requiring a great deal of autonomous work from students. In recent years, attention has been focused on engagement, a significant predictor of academic performance. Engagement is defined as a positive, work-related state of mind characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption at work (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003). Apart from work setting, surveys on engagement have also been conducted to measure students’ academic performance. Results reveal that engagement in studying allows students a better management of difficulties encountered in the daily academic life (Salanova, Martínez, Bresó, Llorens, & Grau, 2005). Subsequent research has found that personal resources are among the aspects contributing to engagement (Xanthopoulou, Bakker, Demerouti, & Schaufeli, 2007). Personal resources are positive self-evaluations linked to resiliency and referred to individuals’ sense of their ability to control and impact upon their environment (Hobfoll, Johnson, Ennis, & Jackson, 2003). Proactive behavior has been identified as one of the resources contributing to an active performance (Lisbona & Freser, 2012; Salanova & Schaufeli, 2008). Furthermore, engagement is the positive pole of two underlying processes and is characterized by high energy levels at work and a strong identification with the organization (González-Romá, Schaufeli, Bakker, & Lloret, 2006).