GENDER DIFFERENCES IN LEARNING SUPPORT AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Purpose - The study examined gender differences in perceived learning support, student engagement and academic achievement; and the mediation role of student engagement in the relationship of gender and learning support with achievement. Methodology - The study is a cross-sectional survey to investigate the relationship between gender, student engagement, learning support and achievement. The sample consisted of 2,359 adolescents between the age of 12 and 16 years from rural and urban schools. The Student Engagement Scale was translated into Bahasa Malaysia with high validity and reliability. Inferential statistics using Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship between variables. Structural equation modelling was used to identify the mediation role of student engagement. Findings - There is no significant difference between gender and student engagement, learning support and achievement. Student engagement mediated both gender and learning support with achievement. Significance - The results of this study support the findings of earlier studies conducted in western countries and reinforces the theory on the role of student engagement in enhancing achievement. The fi ndings will help to prepare for interventions to support adolescent learning at different levels of schooling.