Enhancing engagement: The effect of self-efficacy on student engagement through love of learning

Abstract

Student engagement is essential for academic success, particularly during adolescence, when students encounter increasing academic demands and motivational challenges. This study aimed to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and student engagement, with love of learning as a mediating variable, among public senior high school students in Kendal Regency, Indonesia. A quantitative correlational design was employed, involving 399 students selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), a love of learning scale, and a student engagement measure. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.1. The findings indicated that self-efficacy was positively associated with love of learning (β = .363, p < .001), while love of learning was positively associated with student engagement (β = .664, p < .001). Self-efficacy also demonstrated a significant direct association with student engagement (β = .183, p < .001). Furthermore, love of learning significantly mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and student engagement (β = .241, p < .001), indicating complementary partial mediation. These findings highlight the potential importance of strengthening students' self-efficacy and cultivating their love of learning to support sustained academic engagement. The study provides practical implications for developing school guidance and counseling programs that integrate students' perceived competence with intrinsic learning motivation.