Student engagement and burnout profiles among elementary school students – stability and relations to academic performance

This study examined engagement and burnout profiles among elementary students, their stability across one school year, and associations with mathematics performance and gender. Longitudinal data were collected from 870 students in Grades 4–6 (Ngrade4 = 301, Ngrade5 = 281, Ngrade6 = 288) during the 2022–2023 academic year. LPA revealed that a three-profile solution was best fitting for this sample: Engaged (49%), Moderate (39%), and Burned-out (12%). Profiles remained relatively stable, with the highest probabilities for students remaining in the same group (57%–76%). Students in the Engaged profile achieved significantly higher mathematics performance, while those in the Burned-out profile showed the lowest performance. No gender differences were found in profile membership. These findings highlight that engagement and burnout patterns take shape already in elementary school and are closely tied to academic achievement, underscoring the importance of supporting school-related well-being early to secure both learning and sustained well-being.