Sources fostering engineering students’ academic well-being in PBL environments: a cross-national comparative analysis

This study explores students’ perspectives on academic well-being, employing a theoretical framework to identify sources of support across two distinct educational institutions that adopt Project-/Problem-Based Learning (PBL) as the core learning approach for the curriculum. The research highlights how both internal (e.g. personal drive) and external (e.g. peer and institutional support) factors influence academic well-being in diverse educational settings. While emphasizing the critical role of motivation and self-efficacy in shaping students’ experiences, this study highlights the diverse learning needs of students from different PBL environments to support their academic well-being. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of academic well-being and offers insights for future research. It calls for the exploration of the long-term effects of these factors on academic success and well-being, particularly in addressing disparities across different educational contexts.