Validation study for the Academic Maladjustment Questionnaire on a Romanian sample.

Introduction: The problem of academic dropout in the first year of studies represents an important issue for higher education, in that it accounts for an important indicator of quality but also for the negative consequences it produces on individual, institutional and social level. The main aim of the study is to validate and evaluate a robust measure of overall academic maladjustment. Method: The participants were 809 first-year students from various Romanian universities. Results: The results showed a reliable version of the instrument with a factorial structure that did not deviate significantly from the authors' initial model. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a unified score including six dimensions, procrastination, dishonesty - unethical behavior, test anxiety, machiavellian attitude, neuroticism, and somatization. Our results confirmed that besides academic achievement, personal factors are important indicators of adjustment, showing that personal resources management, emotional and behavioral strategies are components of adjustment. Our study revealed a medium and positive correlation between overall maladjustment and academic dropout intention, procrastination seemed to be the most relevant predictor of dropout intention. Discussion: Academic adjustment acts as a safeguard against dropping out, and it is crucial to acknowledge that most students enter college with the intention of completing their studies.

Predictors of Learning Engagement in the Context of Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The main aim of the present research is to analyze the predictive value of individual characteristics such as online self-efficacy, adaptability to uncertainty, and sources of stress during online learning on learning engagement. We also aimed to highlight if these relationships could be mediated by the online self-regulated learning strategies, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were 529 university students and the design was cross-sectional. The results showed significant associations of the sources of stress in online learning with self-efficacy, leaning engagement and self-regulated learning strategies. Self-regulated strategies-task strategies and goal setting represent mediators of stressors perceived by the students under the conditions of the sudden shift to online activity and online learning engagement. The most relevant self-regulation strategies seemed to be goal setting and task strategies, which confirm the need for a clear structure of learning in the context of online activities. The implications of this study reside in the increased awareness regarding how learning engagement in online learning can be predicted by individual characteristics.