Cited by 987Education, Achievement, and GiftednessEarly Childhood Education and DevelopmentHigher Education Research Studies

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Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis

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Lei, Hao, Cui, Yunhuo, Zhou, Wenye·2018·Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal

DOI 10.2224/sbp.7054

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Abstract

Most scholars have argued that student engagement positively predicts academic achievement, but some have challenged this view. We sought to resolve this debate by offering conclusive evidence through a meta-analysis of 69 independent studies (196,473 participants). The results revealed that (a) there was a moderately strong and positive correlation between overall student engagement and academic achievement, and an analysis of the domains of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement showed that almost all had a positive correlation with students' academic achievement; and (b) a moderator analysis revealed that the relationship between student engagement and academic achievement was influenced by the method of reporting engagement, cultural value, and gender. Furthermore, the relationships of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement with academic achievement were influenced by reporting method for engagement, cultural value, or gender.

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Background
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Background
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Hong, J., Liu, Y., Liu, Y., & Zhao, L. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.738695 · Cited by 41
Assessing Engagement in Chinese Upper Secondary School Students Using the Chinese Version of the Schoolwork Engagement Inventory: Energy, Dedication, and Absorption (CEDA)
Teuber, Z., Tang, X., Salmela‐Aro, K., & Wild, E. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.638189 · Cited by 41
“The results of a meta-analysis (Lei et al., 2018) on students’ engagement showed that under the condition of the same level of intellective ability, females are more likely to be successful in education because they engage more in schoolwork than their male peers.”
BackgroundResult
Reciprocal effects of mathematics performance, school engagement and burnout during adolescence
Widlund, A., Tuominen, H., & Korhonen, J. (2022) · British Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjep.12548 · Cited by 63
“School engagement seems to have a positive, moderate association with academic performance, suggesting that highly engaged students generally perform better in school (Lei et al., 2018; Skinner et al., 2008).”
Background
The role of web-based flipped learning in EFL learners’ critical thinking and learner engagement
Pang, Y. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1008257 · Cited by 40
“Learner engagement has a positive and significant relationship with academic achievement (Lei et al., 2018; Miller et al., 2021).”
Background
A Nonverbal Immediacy Treatment with Pre-Service Teachers Using Mixed Reality Simulations
Peterson, G. R., Piro, J. S., Straub, C. L., & O'Callaghan, C. M. (2021) · Cogent Education · doi:10.1080/2331186x.2021.1882114 · Cited by 40
“When students are engaged in learning, better educational outcomes can be expected for students (Lei et al., 2018).”
Background
Riding the bumps in mathematics learning: Relations between academic buoyancy, engagement, and achievement
Putwain, D. W., & Wood, P. (2022) · Learning and Instruction · doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2022.101691 · Cited by 50
Unlocking the Positive Synergy Between Engagement and Motivation
Skinner, E. A., & Raine, K. E. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-07853-8_2 · Cited by 51
ICAPD Framework and simAM-YOLOv8n for Student Cognitive Engagement Detection in Classroom
Xu, Q., Wei, Y., Gao, J., Yao, H., & Liu, Q. (2023) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2023.3337435 · Cited by 42
“Research has demonstrated that high-level engagement often leads to better learning achievements [3], as it encourages students to gain a deeper understanding of topics.”
Background
The effect of teacher self-efficacy on learning engagement of secondary school students
Emiru, E. K., & Gedifew, M. T. (2024) · Cogent Education · doi:10.1080/2331186x.2024.2308432 · Cited by 39
“Likewise, in reviewing empirical evidence published between 2003 and 2015, Lei et al. (2018) found substantial variations in self-reported or other-reported results of student engagement (mainly for behavioral and emotional engagement).”
Mapping student-AI interaction dynamics in multi-agent learning environments: Supporting personalized learning and reducing performance gaps
Hao, Z., Cao, J., Li, R., Yu, J., Liu, Z., & Zhang, Y. (2025) · Computers & Education · doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105472 · Cited by 55
Structural relationships among self-regulation, transactional distance, and learning engagement in a large university class using flipped learning
Doo, M. Y., Bonk, C. J., Shin, C. H., & Woo, B. (2020) · Asia Pacific Journal of Education · doi:10.1080/02188791.2020.1832020 · Cited by 40
Engaging middle school students in scientific practice with a collaborative mobile game
Bressler, D. M., Bodzin, A. M., & Tutwiler, M. S. (2018) · Journal of Computer Assisted Learning · doi:10.1111/jcal.12321 · Cited by 38
Statistical Assessment on Student Engagement in Asynchronous Online Learning Using the k-Means Clustering Algorithm
Kim, S., Cho, S., Kim, J. Y., & Kim, D. J. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su15032049 · Cited by 46
The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations in the Relationship Between Peer Context and Academic Engagement: A Social Cognitive Theory Perspective
Woreta, G. T., Zewude, G. T., & Józsa, K. (2025) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs15050681 · Cited by 84
“…and measurements, studies have demonstrated that student engagement is linked to better academic achievement (e.g., Dogan, 2017; Fung et al., 2018; Hao et al., 2018; Li & Lerner, 2011; Reeve & Lee, 2014; M.-T. Wang & Holcombe, 2010), school completion, a low risk of school dropout and delinquency…”
Emotionally Engaged Learners Are More Satisfied with Online Courses
Deng, R. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su132011169 · Cited by 37
“It may not be appropriate to make a direct comparison between Lei et al.’s [50] study and this research, because Lei, Cui and Zhou [50] selected achievement as the outcome variable and did not report the context of the meta-analysis.”
BackgroundResultInfluential
The relationship between learning engagement and learning outcomes in online learning in higher education: A meta-analysis study
Doo, M. Y., & Kim, J. (2024) · Distance Education · doi:10.1080/01587919.2024.2303484 · Cited by 52
“Lei et al. (2018) also conducted a meta-analysis of the relationship between student engagement and academic outcomes.”
BackgroundMethod
Teachers who believe that emotions are changeable are more positive and engaged: The role of emotion mindset among in- and preservice teachers
Nalipay, M. J. N., King, R. B., Haw, J. Y., Mordeno, I. G., & Rosa, E. D. D. (2021) · Learning and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2021.102050 · Cited by 43
The educational e-portfolio: preliminary evidence of its relationship with student’s self-efficacy and engagement
Crespo, G. A. L., Blanco-Gandía, M. C., Valdivia‐Salas, S., Fidalgo, C., & Sánchez‐Pérez, N. (2021) · Education and Information Technologies · doi:10.1007/s10639-021-10827-2 · Cited by 35
“High levels of engagement and self-efficacy are related to an increased level of academic performance (Honicke & Broadbent, 2016; Lei et al., 2018).”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Real-time teacher-student interactions: The dynamic interplay between need supportive teaching and student engagement over the course of one school year
Zeinstra, L. T., Küpers, E., Loopers, J., & de Boer, A. (2022) · Teaching and Teacher Education · doi:10.1016/j.tate.2022.103906 · Cited by 52
Creating Student-centred Experiences: Using Design Thinking to Create Student Engagement
Grau, S. L., & Rockett, T. (2022) · The Journal of Entrepreneurship · doi:10.1177/09713557221107443 · Cited by 35
“Engagement is tied to many outcomes from academic achievement (Lei et al., 2018) to retention (Finn & Zimmer, 2012).”
Background
Growth mindset and ideal L2 self as predictors of student engagement in EFL students: The mediating role of L2 grit
Derakhshan, A., & Fathi, J. (2024) · Porta Linguarum Revista Interuniversitaria de Didáctica de las Lenguas Extranjeras · doi:10.30827/portalin.viix.29899 · Cited by 45
Using Machine Learning to Explore the Relation Between Student Engagement and Student Performance
Orji, F. A., & Vassileva, J. (2020) · International Conference on Information Visualisation (IV) · doi:10.1109/iv51561.2020.00083 · Cited by 34
“This result is consistent with other studies in literature that revealed that student performance relates to their level of engagement [23].”
Result
Exploring the relationship between educational ICT resources, student engagement, and academic performance: A multilevel structural equation analysis based on PISA 2018 data
Wang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2023) · Studies In Educational Evaluation · doi:10.1016/j.stueduc.2023.101308 · Cited by 53
Deep learning elements in maritime simulation programmes: a pedagogical exploration of learner experiences
Jamil, M. G., & Bhuiyan, Z. (2021) · International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education · doi:10.1186/s41239-021-00255-0 · Cited by 33
Adapt, Explore, or Keep Going? The Role of Adaptability, Curiosity, and Perseverance in a Network of Study-Related Factors and Scholastic Success
Feraco, T., Sella, E., Meneghetti, C., & Cona, G. (2023) · Journal of Intelligence · doi:10.3390/jintelligence11020034 · Cited by 32
Escribo play learning games can foster early reading and writing for low-income kindergarten children
Amorim, A. N., Jeon, L., Abel, Y., Albuquerque, E. X. S., Soares, M., Silva, V. C., & Neto, J. R. D. O. (2021) · Computers & Education · doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104364 · Cited by 45

Authors: Lei, H., Cui, Y., & Zhou, W.
ORCID: Zhou, Wenye
Venue: Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal
Publisher: Scientific Journal Publishers Ltd
Published: 2018-03-25
Volume: 46
Issue: 3
Pages: 517-528
ISSN: 0301-2212 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.2224/sbp.7054
OpenAlex: W2793005603
Cited by: 987
References: 4
Citations by year: 2026: 120 · 2025: 160 · 2024: 139 · 2023: 246 · 2022: 167 · 2021: 110 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 2
FWCI: 50.43
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: diamond
doi.org
Locations: Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
Keywords: student engagement, academic performance, behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, cognitive engagement, reporting methods, cultural values, gender differences, moderators

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Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis

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