The effects of imagination between psychological factors and academic performance: the differences between science and engineering majors

• Autores: Her-Tyan Yeh, Wei-Sheng Lin, Chaoyun Liang
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 30, no. Extra 3, 2014, págs. 746-755
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The current study examined the effects that psychological factors have on academic performance through imagination. The studyalso compared the different ways these factors affect science and engineering majors. A survey was administered at six universitiesacross different regions of Taiwan. The participants in this study were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 387science majors, whereas the second group consisted of 386 engineering majors. A structural equation modeling was used to test allthe hypotheses proposed. The results showed that the structural models of both majors were similar to each other, but the effectsof each variable in the structures were different. Through the mediator effect of imagination,self-efficacyhad the greatest influenceon the academic performance of both groups.Generative cognitionwas identified as the second major predictors of studentperformance, but its effects on academic performance were slightly negative. The effects of bothintrinsic motionandnegativeemotionon the science group were smaller than on the engineering group. The influence ofinspiration throughaction on the sciencegroup was greater than on the engineering group. Finally, practical applications of the current study were suggested. Bothlimitations and future research were discussed.