Research Summary: Mental engagement as a mediator between student well-being and self-reported academic achievement among Filipino college students

A study among 1,200 Filipino college students found that mental engagement acts as a crucial mediator between various aspects of student well-being and their self-reported academic achievement. Specifically, academic well-being, perceived well-being, and social well-being positively influence mental engagement, which, in turn, directly correlates with higher academic achievement. This suggests that fostering mental engagement is key to translating student well-being into improved educational outcomes.

Why it matters

This research provides insights into the critical role of mental engagement in educational success, highlighting that student well-being alone may not directly translate into academic achievement without it. Understanding this mediating role can inform the development of more effective strategies and interventions aimed at improving academic outcomes by focusing on holistic student support.

Key insights

• Academic well-being and perceived well-being show positive associations with mental engagement.
• Social well-being also demonstrates a positive link with mental engagement.
• Mental engagement serves as a significant mediator between academic well-being and self-reported academic achievement.
• Mental engagement mediates the relationship between perceived well-being and self-reported academic achievement.
• Mental engagement acts as a mediator between social well-being and self-reported academic achievement.
• The study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples to establish these associations.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1912691