Understanding the Influence of Academic Demands and Resources, Perceptions of Inclusion and Minority Student Status on Student Well-Being: An analysis of the Job Demands-Resources Model in Higher Education

The present study investigated the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model in higher education and several exploratory hypotheses using a sample of 65 students from Leiden University. The JD-R proposes (a) academic demands (role conflict, pace & amount of work, and mental workload) influence exhaustion and declining performance, (b) academic resources (autonomy, role clarity, feedback, relationship with peers and supervisors) influence engagement and academic performance success and (c) academic resources buffer the effect of academic demands on exhaustion. Exploratory hypotheses included an investigation of students’ perceived inclusivity as an academic resource in higher education – predicted to influence engagement and moderate the effects of demands on exhaustion. It moreover explored differences in the student experience using the JD-R model - predicting minority students to experience a higher degree of academic demands than majority students, and minority students with high...Show moreThe present study investigated the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model in higher education and several exploratory hypotheses using a sample of 65 students from Leiden University. The JD-R proposes (a) academic demands (role conflict, pace & amount of work, and mental workload) influence exhaustion and declining performance, (b) academic resources (autonomy, role clarity, feedback, relationship with peers and supervisors) influence engagement and academic performance success and (c) academic resources buffer the effect of academic demands on exhaustion. Exploratory hypotheses included an investigation of students’ perceived inclusivity as an academic resource in higher education – predicted to influence engagement and moderate the effects of demands on exhaustion. It moreover explored differences in the student experience using the JD-R model - predicting minority students to experience a higher degree of academic demands than majority students, and minority students with high perceived inclusivity to have higher engagement than minority students with low perceived inclusivity. Data collection was accomplished via questionnaires distributed at two points in time. At time1 – participants responded to measures related to all variables under study, with the exception of academic performance. Academic performance was assessed via questionnaire at time2, at Time2. Multiple and moderated linear regression was used to examine the JD-R model hypotheses and perceived inclusivity in the JD-R model framework, and independent sample t-tests the differences in student experiences. Findings revealed partial support of the JD-R hypotheses. Pace and amount of work predicted exhaustion, but the other demands did not. Role clarity was similarly the only resource to predict engagement. No support was found for a buffering effect of academic resources on the demands-exhaustion relationship. Contrarily, role clarity increased the effect of role conflict on exhaustion. Performance hypotheses were not investigated due to insufficient sample size. As predicted, perceived inclusivity influenced academic engagement. However, perceived inclusivity did not buffer demands effect on exhaustion as expected. Student experience hypotheses revealed no differences in the degree of demands between minority and majority students but did demonstrate minority students with high perceptions of inclusivity to be more engaged than those with low perceptions of inclusivity. The findings highlight the importance of future research on predictors of student well-being and the differences in student experiences. They provide educators, researchers and policy makers some insight into relevant factors in the success of all students – both minority and majority.Show less

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Understanding the Influence of Academic Demands and Resources, Perceptions of Inclusion and Minority Student Status on Student Well-Being: An analysis of the Job Demands-Resources Model in Higher Education