Relationships among time management, academic self-efficacy, mental fatigue and academic burnout in undergraduates since the covid-19 pandemic a mixed methods study
Abstract:
This convergent mixed methods study was (1) to test a relationship model among time management, academic self-efficacy, mental fatigue, and academic burnout (2) to study experiences related to the variables of interest in undergraduates since the covid-19 pandemic. Participants were 320 undergraduates for quantitative study, and 14 undergraduates for qualitative study. Instruments were the Time Management Behavior Scale, Academic Self-efficacy Scale, Mental Fatigue Scale, Burnout Assessment Tool, and Interview Guideline. Structural Equation Modeling and Giorgi et al psychological phenomenological analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that the model was fitted well with empirical data. All variables in the model collectively explained 57 percents of the variance in academic burnout. Mental fatigue was the most significant predictor for academic burnout, followed by time management and academic self-efficacy, respectively. The qualitative study revealed four main themes for the students with high burnout score: (1) Multiple waves of academic burnout which impacted on daily life (2) Prone to stress, high expectations, and difficulty in adaptation (3) Chronic stress, sleep deprivation, and incapability of time management (4) Managing burnout through self-care and social support. For the students with low burnout score demonstrated three main themes: (1) Temporary academic burnout which reduced learning efficiency (2) High adaptability, self-efficacy, and less academic expectations (3) Managing burnout through self-care and social support.