Negotiable fate-engagement relationship in higher education: The mediation role of hope for success and fear of failure

Studies concerning students' ability to deal with everyday academic challenges ('academic buoyancy') and adjust to changes ('adaptability') were investigated in educational research over the last two decades (e.g., Martin & Marsh, Journal of School Psychology, 46:53-83, 2008; Martin et al., Journal of Educational Psychology, 105:728-746, 2013). However, how students deal with challenges imposed by fate has not been well-studied. Other than students' abilities, students' belief plays an important role in dealing with the academic adversity that fate imposes. The present study harnessed the Hope Theory to examine (1) the relation between negotiable and achievement motivation (hope for success and fear of failure), (2) the relation between achievement motivation and engagement, and (3) the mediation effect of achievement motivation in the relation between negotiable fate and engagement. University students in Hong Kong (n = 339) responded to an online cross-sectional survey. Mediation analyses demonstrated that the relation between negotiable fate and engagement was mediated by hope for success but not by fear of failure. In addition, hope for success only mediated cognitive engagement and affective engagement. The relation between negotiable fate and behavioral engagement was not mediated by hope for success and fear of failure. The findings contribute to the literature on the negotiable fate-engagement theoretical relation in educational research. Also, practical insights were discussed to manage student cognitive and affective engagement with negotiable fate and hope for success under fate constraints.