The Job Demands-Resources Model in the University Context: Does Mindfulness  Influence Motivational and Health-Impairment Processes of Students?

This thesis aims at transferring the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) to the university context, in order to examine processes of health, motivation and performance of higher education students. Additionally, the role of mindfulness is looked at. Academic resources (autonomy, role clarity, feedback, relationship with supervisors and relationship with fellow students) and academic demands (role conflict, pace and amount of work and mental workload), student engagement, exhaustion and mindfulness were assessed, as well as performance with a time lag. The study follows a nonexperimental and cross-sectional design with a longitudinal element. Sixty-four students completed a first online questionnaire, 16 a second. Scales from the following questionnaires were utilized: Questionnaire on the Experience and Evaluation of Work (QEEW), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale – student version (UWES-SS), Burn-out Assessment Tool (BAT), Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS-Short)....Show moreThis thesis aims at transferring the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) to the university context, in order to examine processes of health, motivation and performance of higher education students. Additionally, the role of mindfulness is looked at. Academic resources (autonomy, role clarity, feedback, relationship with supervisors and relationship with fellow students) and academic demands (role conflict, pace and amount of work and mental workload), student engagement, exhaustion and mindfulness were assessed, as well as performance with a time lag. The study follows a nonexperimental and cross-sectional design with a longitudinal element. Sixty-four students completed a first online questionnaire, 16 a second. Scales from the following questionnaires were utilized: Questionnaire on the Experience and Evaluation of Work (QEEW), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale – student version (UWES-SS), Burn-out Assessment Tool (BAT), Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS-Short). Performance was operationalised as the number of ECTS-points obtained. Correlations, linear and multiple regression analyses, F-tests (ANOVA) and t-tests for coefficients were conducted with a significance level of p<.05 and a confidence interval of 95%. Role clarity predicted engagement (ß = .347, p = .013, Adjusted R2 = .215), pace and amount of work exhaustion (ß = .364, p = .003, Adjusted R2 = .119) (H1). Both role clarity (ß = .489, p = .001, Adjusted R2 = .201) (H2) and mindfulness (ß = .333, p = .005, Adjusted R2 = .335) (H5) moderated the effect of pace and amount of work on exhaustion. More mindfulness was related to higher role clarity (ß = .25, p = .034, Adjusted R2 = .047), feedback (ß = .371, p = .002, Adjusted R2 = .124), and relationship with supervisors (ß = .318, p = .018, Adjusted R2 = .087) (H3). Mindfulness positively related to engagement (ß = .315, p = .011, Adjusted R2 = .085) and negatively to exhaustion (ß = -.283, p = .024, Adjusted R2 = .065) (H4). Due to low participation rates, only correlations with performance were calculated. Relationship with fellow students correlated with performance (r(15) = .567, p = .027) (H6). The present study shows that the JD-R model is applicable to the university context. Mindfulness has direct and indirect beneficial effects on motivation and well-being of students. In order to promote study engagement and reduce exhaustion, universities should enhance role clarity and mindfulness of students, while seeking to lower pace and amount of work.Show less

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The Job Demands-Resources Model in the University Context: Does Mindfulness Influence Motivational and Health-Impairment Processes of Students?