Association of Academic Engagement with Academic Self-Concept and Academic Support in Gifted Students: The Mediating Role of Achievement Motivation

Educational development can be achieved through various means, including the analysis of academic engagement among gifted students. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of achievement motivation in the association between academic engagement and academic self-concept, as well as academic support, in gifted students. This descriptive-correlational study employed path analysis to determine the relationships among the research variables. The statistical population comprised male and female gifted students in junior and senior high schools in Tehran, Iran during 2022- 23 academic year. The cluster sampling method was used to select 406 gifted high school students. The participants completed several research measurement tools, namely the Academic Engagement Inventory, Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire, Academic Support Scale, and Achievement Motivation Questionnaire. The proposed model was evaluated using path analysis, and the indirect associations were examined through bootstrapping. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 25, with a significance level set at 0.05. The mean (±SD) scores for academic engagement, self-concept, academic support, and achievement motivation were 27.24±6.03, 37.22±5.62, 56.44±18.71, and 72.00±9.90, respectively. Positive correlations were found between academic engagement and academic self-concept (r=0.21), academic support (r=0.35), and achievement motivation (r=0.42) among the students. The results revealed significant associations between all direct paths P<0.001), except for the path from academic selfconcept to academic engagement. Moreover, significant associations were observed between the indirect paths from academic achievement to academic engagement (P<0.001). The proposed model exhibited a good fit according to the results (CFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.001). Achievement motivation played a mediating role in the associations between academic engagement and academic self-concept, as well as academic support, in gifted students. These findings can serve as a suitable model for designing and developing specific programs aimed at improving academic engagement and enhancing the academic motivation of students.