Grit as a Predictor of Student Engagement in Learning Activities

Grit, defined by perseverance and passion in achieving long-term goals, can be considered a predictor of students' academic engagement and success. The present study investigates the relationship between students’ level of Grit and the engagement they demonstrate in their educational path. Student engagement can be characterized by active participation in learning activities, increased motivation for achieving performance, and self-study related discipline. The study has made use of the questionnaire-based survey as a quantitative data collection method and the focus group method as a qualitative method. The level of engagement was assessed through the Academic Engagement Scale (Academic Engagement Scale), developed by D. Rovan and collaborators (2016), having 15 items, structured across three dimensions: behavioral, emotional and cognitive. To measure the level of Grit, the Grit Scale has been used which has been developed by A. Duckworth and consists of 10 items. The sample of participants consisted of 76 students, enrolled in the specialization Primary and Preschool Educational Pedagogy. The results showed that a high level of Grit can enhance student involvement in learning activities, thus leading to better results and implicitly to increased performance. In order to be able to improve both the level of Grit and academic engagement, it is important to provide students with attractive, personalized learning experiences according to their individual needs.