Can learning for exams make students happy? Faculty related and faculty unrelated flow experiences and well-being/Može li nas učenje za ispit učiniti sretnima? Iskustva zanesenosti na fakultetu i dobrobit studenata

Abstract

Flow is a highly enjoyable, optimal psychological state people feel when they are so focused on a task that it amounts to complete absorption in an activity. Flow was found to be related to desirable educational outcomes as well as higher well-being. The aim of this study was to assess how often students experience flow at the faculty (during lectures, seminars and exercises, learning, preparing for presentations and other study-related activities) and in everyday life, and to assess the relationship between the flow experiences of students and their well-being. The sample comprised 176 second-year female students at the University of Zagreb, the Faculty of Teacher Education. In addition to the questions about faculty-related and unrelated flow experiences, the participants filled in two questionnaires: the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985) and the Flourishing Scale-FS (Diener et al., 2009). The results revealed that students, at least occasionally, experience flow while carrying out faculty-related activities. The participants experience flow most frequently while preparing for seminars and similar tasks as well as while preparing for exams, and least frequently during lectures. Flow experiences in non-academic activities are more frequent than in the academic activities. However, only the flow in the academic activities is positively correlated to students' well-being while there are no significant correlations between the non-academic flow experiences and wellbeing. The only significant predictor of well-being was the flow students experienced while preparing for exams. That leads to the conclusion that the flow experienced during activities related to achievement at the faculty is more important for students' well-being than the flow experienced during activities in other areas of life.

The General Flow Proneness Scale: Aspects of Reliability and Validity of a New 13-Item Scale Assessing Flow

“…It is important to note that the scale should not be considered a static interpretation of flow proneness, but rather as a tool that may help understand the complexity of the concept of flow and autotelic personality. Flow, through its’ positive relationships to learning (Furlong et al, 2009), intrinsic motivation (Jackson, Kimiecik, & Marsh, 2010), well-being (Asakawa, 2004; Rijavec et al, 2016), and life satisfaction (Asakawa, 2010), may be one of many explanations to why some individuals offer much time, effort, and hard work toward a specific activity. Research indicates that individuals who have performed outstandingly in some areas clearly have vast experience and practice in that area (Ericsson et al, 2007; Sala & Gobet, 2017).…”

Teachers’ Work Orientations And Flourishing: Mediated By Flow In Different Domains

“…Studies showed that work is more flow-promoting than both leisure and maintenance activities (Csikszentmihalyi & LeFevre, 1989). Nonetheless, Rijavec and colleagues (Rijavec, Ljubin-Golub, & Olčar, 2016) extended those findings with the notion that the flow experienced in the activities which a person perceives as most important contributes the most to his/her well-being. Teachers have been found to rather frequently experience flow at work (Delle Fave, 2007).…”

Revisión sistemática sobre modelos multidimensionales del bienestar y su medición en estudiantes universitarios

“…Los estudios reportaron relaciones positivas con variables vinculadas al desarrollo óptimo como la atención plena (Akin y Akin, 2015b; Duan, 2016) y las fortalezas intelectuales e interpersonales (Duan, 2016 Se presentan relaciones positivas con el afrontamiento por competencia (Akin y Akin, 2015b) y rasgos de personalidad como la extroversión, alta conciencia y amabilidad (Joshanloo y Nosratabadi, 2009). En el caso de variables orientadas al trabajo académico el bienestar multidimensional mostró relaciones positivas con la vitalidad (Coffey et al, 2016;Satici y Uysal, 2015), la iniciativa (Robitschek y Keyes, 2009), la curiosidad (Miljković y Jurčec, 2016), el capital psicológico (Selvaraj y Bhat, 2018) y la experiencia óptima (Rijavec, Ljubin-Golub y Olčar, 2016). Otros estudios reportaron relaciones positivas con variables de beneficio social como la autocompasión (Fong y Loi, 2016;Satici et al, 2013;Akin y Akin, 2015a), la competencia social (Uysal, 2015b) y las conductas cívicas (Di Fabio y Kenny, 2018).…”