https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5946-5679
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ABSTRACT
We examined how mature-aged, non-traditional students (studying part-time, working full-time) managed their multiple roles by testing a serial, indirect effects model, in which student role congruence (i.e., extent to which students structure role boundaries to meet their own and others’ preferences) was related to study engagement, and where work-study conflict/facilitation and exhaustion, in sequence, were underlying mechanisms that explained this relationship. We also untangled congruence between different role boundaries (i.e., work, study, family, leisure) to assess which were more important to facilitate engagement. We found, (N = 211; M = 37 years; 65% women), study engagement was predicted by study (direct and indirect) and leisure congruence (indirect), but not work and family congruence, with these relationships explained by reduced conflict (not facilitation) and, in turn, less exhaustion. The study suggests that how students manage their multiple role boundaries is important as this potentially affects their study engagement.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Peter A. Creed
Dr Peter Creed is a Professor in Organisational Psychology at Griffith University, Australia. His research interests are the application of goal setting/self-regulation theories to understand how individuals set, adjust, and progress goals, and how they manage goal disruption and implement behaviour change to improve performance and reduce stress. He is particularly interested in career development, both in young people and adults.
Michelle Hood
Dr Michelle Hood is Professor and Dean of Health (Learning and Teaching) at Griffith University. Her broad areas of expertise are in career and educational psychology. She is interested in the role of formal and informal educational and work experiences and contextual factors such as SES in academic engagement and motivation, career development and employability, and well-being (e.g., burnout, work-study balance, satisfaction). Most of her work focuses on experiences of young adults during tertiary education. She teaches courses in developmental psychology, career psychology, research methodology and statistics, and psychological assessment.
Andrea Bialocerkowski
Dr Andrea Bialocerkowski is a registered physiotherapist and academic leader with substantial expertise in the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative learning and teaching practices in areas such as micro-credentialing and professional development, online and interprofessional learning, and simulated and work integrated learning. She is currently the Director of Micro-credentialing and Professional Development at Griffith Health.
M. Anthony Machin
Dr Anthony Machin FAPS FCOP is a psychological scientist and organisational researcher with a focus on assessing and improving health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace. He is strongly committed to developing students’ understanding and awareness of careers in psychological science and is a co-editor of the Australian Handbook for Careers in Psychological Science.
Paula Brough
Dr Paula Brough is a Professor of Organisational Psychology and Director of the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing at Griffith University, Australia. Her primary research and teaching areas are occupational stress and coping, employee mental health and wellbeing, work engagement, work-life balance, workplace conflict (bullying, harassment, toxic leadership), and the psychosocial work environment. Paula assesses how work environments can be improved via job redesign, supportive leadership practices, and enhanced equity to improve employee health, work commitment, and productivity.
Louella Bagley
Louella Bagley is completing her Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in Organisational Psychology with the School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University. Louella works as a Human Factors Specialist with Boeing, incorporating research into current practice. She previously gained her Bachelor’s and Honours degree in psychology from Griffith University. Her Ph.D. focuses on human factors and individual differences for high-reliability, sociotechnical systems. Previously her research areas have included exposure therapy, work/study boundary management, and student well-being.
Sonya Winterbotham
Dr Sonya Winterbotham is a lecturer in the school of Psychology and Wellbeing, and member of the Centre for Health Research, at the University of Southern Queensland. Her research interests include student engagement, success, and wellbeing in tertiary education, disability equity and advocacy, and qualitative methodologies. Sonya teaches undergraduate psychology courses with an emphasis on first-year foundational psychology.
Lindsay Eastgate
Dr Lindsay Eastgate is a recent PhD graduate from the School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, where she undertook qualitative and quantitative research that examined boundary management in working university students. Other research interests have focused on employee well-being, turnover intentions, leadership styles, and the living wage.