Positive Emotions, Autonomy Support and Academic Performance of University Students: The Mediating Role of Academic Engagement and Self-Efficacy [Emociones Positivas, Apoyo a la Autonomía y Rendimiento de Estudiantes Universitarios: El Papel Mediador del Compromiso Académico y la Autoeficacia]

The overall objective of this study is to prove whether some variables, such as autonomy support and positive affect experienced in the classroom, are predictors of academic performance through self-efficacy and engagement in university students. The tested model confirms the expected results but notes that self-efficacy does not show a significant direct effect on performance. Therefore, a second model is tested. We include self-efficacy as a predictor of academic engagement, eliminating the direct effect of this variable on performance. The results show a greater adjustment in the second model. It is concluded that: (a) positive emotions and autonomy support predict academic performance, self-efficacy and academic engagement; (b) self-efficacy predicts higher levels of academic engagement and the latter improves academic performance, and (c) indirect effects also show the existence of a mediation of these variables on the predictive relationship of autonomy support and positive emotions on performance. © 2017 Universidad del País Vasco. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.