Perception of ability, challenge and relevance as predictors of cognitive and affective engagement in high school students

Abstract

This study evaluates the relationship between perception of ability, challenge, relevance of the task, and cognitive and affective engagement in 88 Colombian high school students during science classes. Likewise, it investigates if the variables: type of subject and gender; moderate the relationships between perception of ability, challenge, relevance, and engagement. Moreover, if there is a relationship between engagement and academic performance. The design of the study is descriptive, correlational and predictive. The experience sampling (ESM) method was used to take repeated measures of engagement and perceptions of ability, challenge, and relevance. Given the nested characteristics of the data, linear hierarchical analyzes were performed. Perceptions of ability, challenge and relevance predict cognitive and affective engagement. Gender and type of course emerge as moderators of the relationships between perception of challenge, ability, relevance and engagement. In turn, cognitive and affective engagement predicts academic performance in science. The educational implications of the study are discussed.