Role congruence and study engagement in mature-age students: a serial indirect effects model

We examined how mature-aged, non-traditional students (studying part-time, working full-time) managed their multiple roles by testing a serial, indirect effects model, in which student role congruence (i.e., extent to which students structure role boundaries to meet their own and others’ preferences) was related to study engagement, and where work-study conflict/facilitation and exhaustion, in sequence, were underlying mechanisms that explained this relationship. We also untangled congruence between different role boundaries (i.e., work, study, family, leisure) to assess which were more important to facilitate engagement. We found, (N = 211; M = 37 years; 65% women), study engagement was predicted by study (direct and indirect) and leisure congruence (indirect), but not work and family congruence, with these relationships explained by reduced conflict (not facilitation) and, in turn, less exhaustion. The study suggests that how students manage their multiple role boundaries is important as this potentially affects their study engagement.