Modelling the associations between academic engagement, study process and grit on academic achievement of physical education and sport university students

Objective The present study examined the impact of academic engagement, study processes, and grit on the academic achievement of physical education and sport university students. Methods An internet-based survey recruited 459 university students aged 19–25 years (M = 21 ± 1.3) in physical education and sports (PES) to fill out questionnaires on Physical Education-Study Process Questionnaire (PE-SPQ), Physical Education-Grit (PE-Grit), academic engagement (A-USEI), and Grade Point Average (GPA). A path analysis was carried out to understand variable relationships. Results Data from each variable exhibited symmetrical and normal distribution, as indicated by the skewness and kurtosis values. The model’s fit indices showed sufficient Comparative Fit Index (CFI = 0.92), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI = 0.90), Goodness of Fit Index (GFI = 0.99) and Normed Fit Index (NFI = 0.90) and showed acceptable levels. The results indicated a statistically significant positive impact of engagement ( β = 0.299, p < 0.001) and study processes ( β = 0.397, p < 0.001) on academic achievement. However, the effect of grit on achievement was non-significant. Conclusions Academic engagement as well as study processes are two important factors predicting academic achievement while grit seems to be not a major predictor. Hence, physical education and sport faculty and university administrators should prioritize student engagement as a determinant of academic outcomes by reforming or redesigning physical education and sport curriculum modules that can facilitate engagement.