Understanding University Students’ Study Engagement through the Lens of Grit: A Serial Mediation Model of Psychological Capital and Life Satisfaction Using a PLS-SEM Approach

Abstract The study engagement of university students has gained increasing attention as a crucial determinant of their learning outcomes and overall well-being. Despite the growing body of research examining the predictors of study engagement, there remains a limited understanding of the mechanisms through which non-cognitive traits and psychological resources interact to influence engagement, particularly in non-Western educational contexts. This study investigates the role of grit in predicting university students’ study engagement, while also examining the mediating effects of psychological capital and life satisfaction in the relationship between grit and study engagement.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 484 university students from 17 universities in Ji’nan, Shandong Province, China. The survey questionnaire employed four established scales and data collected through a non-probability purposive sampling method. A partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized relationships and mediation effects.Results: The research findings indicated that grit directly predicted study engagement and psychological capital, but had no significant impact on life satisfaction. Psychological capital directly predicted study engagement and life satisfaction, but life satisfaction did not significantly influence study engagement. The mediation hypothesis asserts that the relationship between grit and study engagement can be enhanced by psychological capital attributes, discounting life satisfaction variables. Finally, psychological capital and life satisfaction did not serve as a chain mediation variable in the link between grit and study engagement.Conclusion: These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying study engagement of the university students, emphasizing the pivotal role of psychological capital in academic persistence. The results have important implications for higher education institutions, suggesting that interventions aimed at fostering psychological capital such as self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism may promote university students’ study engagement.