Flourishing and Student Engagement in Malaysian University Students: The Mediating Role of Personal Best (PB) Goals

Abstract

Previous research examined the importance of flourishing in promoting optimal outcomes in academic settings. However, no empirical research has been done on the relationships of flourishing with personal best (PB) and the four aspects of student engagement. The current study addresses this gap by investigating PB goals as the mediating variable in the relationship between flourishing and the four aspects of student engagement (behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and agentic). The data were collected from a total sample of 617 undergraduate students in Malaysia. The hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results reveal that flourishing significantly predicted PB goals, behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and agentic engagement. Except for agentic engagement, significant indirect relationships were found from flourishing to behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement through PB goals. The results offer meaningful insights into the role of PB goals as one of the mechanisms by which flourishing may associate with the aspects of student engagement. The implications for theory and practices are discussed.