Affect and stress as mediators in the relation between learning modality and engagement.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Adolescent Development
• COVID-19 Pandemic Impact

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift between in-person and remote learning for U.S. students.
• Understanding the psychological factors influencing student engagement across different learning modalities is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if positive affect, negative affect, and stress mediate engagement differences between remote and in-person learning.
• To examine within-person variations in behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement.

Main Methods:

• A multiburst daily-diary study design was employed over 30 days.
• Data were collected from 639 adolescents (Grades 7-12).
• Multilevel mediation models analyzed the relationships between learning modality, affect, stress, and engagement.

Main Results:

• Students reported lower engagement and positive affect on remote learning days compared to in-person days.
• No significant mediation effects were found for negative affect or stress.
• Positive affect partially mediated the link between learning modality and all dimensions of engagement.

Conclusions:

• Reduced positive emotional experiences are a key factor in the decline of student engagement during remote learning.
• Interventions aimed at boosting positive affect may help mitigate engagement loss in remote educational settings.
• Findings highlight the importance of emotional well-being for maintaining student engagement in diverse learning environments.