Academic Engagement among Secondary School Students: the Predictability of Personality Traits and Mindfulness

Abstract

Academic engagement determines both the academic achievement and overall well-being of students. Studies linking personality traits and the practice of mindfulness among students are lacking among researchers in Nigeria. Therefore, this study examined the predictive role of personality traits and mindfulness on the academic performance among secondary school students in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and utilized a purposive sampling technique to choose a public and a private secondary school for the study. The convenient sampling method was used to collect data from 355 participants using validated scales and analyzed with hierarchical multiple regression and tested one hypothesis, which was accepted at the p < 0.01 level of significance. The result revealed that personality traits and mindfulness jointly predicted academic engagement among study participants [R² = .200, F(2, 253) = 2.418, p < .01]. Furthermore, personality traits (ß = .34, p < .01, R² = .12) and mindfulness (ß = .27, p < .01, R² = .07) independently predicted academic engagement among study participants. The novelty of this study is that it is the first time mindfulness and personality traits are being explored on academic engagement among students in this population. The study recommended that policymakers should incorporate the technique of mindfulness into the school curriculum to improve learners' self-awareness and academic engagement.