Effects of classroom climate and eudaimonic well-being on student engagement in Mexico and El Salvador

Abstract

Positive social and personal aspects have been described as factors behind student engagement. This study aimed to identify the direct effects of classroom climate and eudaimonic well-being on student engagement. In addition, research on student engagement in universities is scarce, and most research on this phenomenon is performed in developed countries (also known as WEIRD). Therefore, we include undergraduates from two Latin American countries. Participants were 625 students enrolled in one of the two collaborative institutions from Mexico and El Salvador. Data was collected through an online form. Three hypotheses were proved by comparative statistics analysis and a structural equation model (SEM). Results indicate that pupils in Mexico and El Salvador report classroom climate and eudaimonic well-being differently (H1). In addition, SEM analysis indicated that 49 % of Student engagement was explained by the direct effects of classroom climate (H2) and eudaimonic well-being (H3). Our findings highlight the importance of improving social and individual context in higher education institutions for these two Latin American countries. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords

• Classroom climate
• Well-being
• Student engagement
• University student
• Latin America