The relationship between achievement goals and scholastic achievement in dental students: the mediating effect of learning engagement
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Scholastic achievement during college is important for the professional careers of dental students. Previous studies have reported that learning engagement may be the mediator between achievement goals and scholastic achievement. This study aims to examine whether learning engagement mediated the relationship between achievement goals and scholastic achievement. Methods: This study included dental students from two universities in China. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study. The students were invited to complete an online questionnaire. A total of 679 students participated in the study. The questionnaire consisted of four main parts: demographic characteristics, an achievement goals scale, a learning engagement scale, and a scholastic achievement scale. We conducted a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 26.0 software. Mplus 8.3 was used to examine the potential mediating effect of learning engagement in a structural equation model. Results: < 0.05). Learning engagement played a mediating role in the relationship between the three achievement goals (mastery-approach, performance-avoidance, and mastery-avoidance goals) and scholastic achievement. Learning engagement did not mediate the relationship between performance-approach goals and scholastic achievement. Conclusion: Learning engagement mediated the relationship between achievement goals and scholastic achievement. These findings suggest that dental educators should prioritize cultivating achievement goals among students and enhancing learning engagement to improve professional outcomes.
Source: Frontiers in Psychology
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7220955402