Positive emotions, engagement, and objective academic performance: A weekly diary study

There has been an increasing interest in the role of emotional skills in the academic field over the past decades. The current study, by using a weekly diary design, examines within-person variations in positive emotions, student engagement, and performance. The sample consisted of 116 university students who, over 4 consecutive weeks, completed a questionnaire (number of occasions = 464). Results from hierarchical linear modeling showed that the association between positive emotions and objective academic performance was mediated by student engagement. In addition, we also observed a direct relationship between the number of weekly positive emotions and the performance at the university. Our results highlight the importance of promoting both positive emotions and students' engagement. The discussion concludes with the implications of our findings for education.

Automated summary

This study examines the relationship between positive emotions, student engagement, and performance, finding that the association between positive emotions and academic performance is mediated by student engagement. Additionally, there is a direct relationship between the number of weekly positive emotions and university performance. The importance of promoting positive emotions and student engagement is highlighted in the results.