Factors correlated with personal growth initiative among college students: A meta-analysis

Abstract

In higher education, Personal growth initiative (PGI) has been the focus of attention, personal growth initiative is a fundamental mechanism for individual advancement, equipping college students with the resilience to navigate obstacles and bolstering self-enhancement. The present study comprehensively synthesizes existing research on the factors correlated with personal growth initiative among collegiate populations, aims to identify all correlated factors of college students' personal growth initiative, and the level of correlation. A systematic search was conducted through Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, JSTOR, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and Wiley Online Library, as well as manually search in Google Schalor, spanning to collate research on college students' personal growth initiative. Quantitative synthesis was performed using STATA 17, while sensitivity was tested using a change effect model approach and publication bias was assessed employing Egger's test. After applying the Bonferroni correction, this study found that 18 factors were significantly positively correlated with college students' personal growth initiative, including 4 high-level correlated factors, 10 medium-level correlated factors, and 4 low-level correlated factors, as well as 4 factors were significantly negatively correlated, including 1 medium-level correlated factor and 3 low-level correlated factors. These findings offer valuable insights into personal growth initiative among college students, and the reference for educators and institutional leaders aiming to foster personal growth initiative for college student self-development.