The COVID-19 pandemic has altered learning and teaching approaches in higher education. Research concerning COVID-19 revealed inconsistent results on student engagement, which is a robust predictor of academic performance in higher education. This exploratory study examines the relationship between grit and student engagement in the pandemic through the mediating role of negotiable fate. Although previous research demonstrated that grit could positively predict student engagement, there have been inconsistent findings between the two sub-factors of grit: consistency of interest (grit-CI) and perseverance of effort (grit-PE). Besides, there is a lack of theoretical explanation of the mechanism between grit and engagement. The adaptation of negotiable fate seeks to provide one of the pathways of how grit would be associated with student engagement. To examine these hypotheses, the present study recruited 339 undergraduate students from two universities in Hong Kong to participate in an online survey. The results showed that grit, grit-PE, and negotiable fate positively correlate with student engagement, but the path of grit-CI did not reveal any significant results. After accounting for the mediating effect of negotiable fate, grit-PE still positively correlates with student engagement, suggesting a partial mediation model. This study provides empirical evidence that grit positively predicts student engagement with the mediation of negotiable fate. However, only grit-PE was positively associated with other variables, while grit-CI did not reveal any significant predictions. The present study (1) extends the understanding of the mechanism between grit and student engagement and (2) explores the mediating role of negotiable fate in this relationship in the higher education context. Theoretical and practical implications of this mediation model among grit, negotiable fate, and student engagement were discussed. Copyright © 2023 SAGE Publications.

There is evidence showing that the triarchic model of grit and its dimensions (i.e., "perseverance of effort," "consistency of interests," and "adaptability to situations") predict engagement and well-being outcomes in high school and undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. However, there has been limited research on how this model of grit relates to engagement and optimal psychological outcomes in primary school students. This research investigates the association of grit's dimensions with academic engagement in math and science as well as well-being outcomes (i.e., positive emotions, negative emotions, and flourishing) in primary school students. Participants were primary school students (M[subscript age] = 10.42; SD[subscript age] = 1.26) from Hong Kong (n = 279) and Macau (n = 124). Results showed that "perseverance of effort" positively predicted cognitive and behavioral engagement in math as well as positive emotions even after controlling for demographic covariates (i.e., age, gender, setting, and year level), conscientiousness, and achievement goal orientations. "Adaptability to situations" positively predicted cognitive and social engagement in math and flourishing. "Consistency of interests" negatively predicted both cognitive engagement in science and negative emotions. Indeed, this study indicates that "perseverance" and "adaptability" may facilitate children's positive academic and psychological functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Copyright © 2023 SAGE Publications.

Research has shown that the triarchic model of grit scale (TMGS)—a measure that assesses tendency to show perseverance, passion, and adaptability for long-term goals—has been valid in different contexts such as the Philippines, Japan, Poland, mainland China, and the United States. However, there is limited research on the validity of this scale in Hong Kong. Against this backdrop, this research examined the structural, convergent, and criterion-related of the TMGS among secondary school students in Hong Kong. A total of 298 secondary school students in Hong Kong participated in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate the structural validity of the three-factor model of grit. Correlational analysis was conducted between grit's dimensions and school satisfaction to assess the criterion-related validity of this scale. CFA showed that the scores from the three-factor model of grit underpinned by perseverance of effort, consistency of interests, and adaptability to situations were valid and reliable. There was mixed evidence on the convergent validity of the scale based on the subscales’ composite reliability (CR) estimates. Whereas perseverance of effort and adaptability to situations were positively correlated to school satisfaction, consistency of interests was negatively linked to the said criterion variable. This research demonstrates the potential applicability of the TMGS in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Psychology in the Schools Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Passion and perseverance for long-term goals or grit has been linked to various indices of educational success such as academic achievement, engagement, and motivation. Despite the nascent evidence regarding the beneficial impact of grit, previous investigations adopted a variable-centered approach which could not explore how individuals with different profiles of grit may differ in terms of academic outcomes. The current research aimed to build on the existing grit literature through examining the linkage of grit to test emotions using a person-centered approach among 1,051 Hong Kong Chinese primary school students. Results of cluster analyses showed that there were three naturally-occurring profiles of grit (Cluster 1 = High Perseverance and High Consistency; Cluster 2 = High Perseverance and Low Consistency; Cluster 3 = Low Perseverance and High Consistency) in the present study. Results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) demonstrated that students who belonged to Cluster 2 had the highest scores on hope and lowest scores on anxiety and shame. The results imply that espousing high perseverance of effort and low consistency of interest is associated with higher levels of positive activating emotions and reduced levels of negative activating emotional states when taking academic tests. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s).