Impact of Cooperative and Competitive Orientation on Student Engagement in Higher Education: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Aims: This study aims to examine the impact of cooperative orientation and competitive orientation on student engagement, while also testing the mediating role of self-efficacy within the proposed research model. Research Design: This study adopts a quantitative research approach using a survey method. Setting and Time: The study was conducted with university students in Ho Chi Minh City from August to September 2025. Methods: The sample consisted of 460 university students. Data were collected through a self-report survey and analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and SmartPLS 4.0. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was employed to examine the relationships among variables in the research model. Results: The findings indicate that cooperative orientation has a significant effect on self-efficacy (β = 0.385; p = 0.001) and student engagement (β = 0.284; p = 0.001). In addition, competitive orientation has a significant effect on self-efficacy (β = 0.148; p = 0.001) but does not have a direct effect on student engagement (β = −0.013; p = 0.751). Meanwhile, self-efficacy has a significant positive effect on student engagement (β = 0.496; p = 0.001). The analysis also reveals that self-efficacy mediates the relationship between cooperative orientation and student engagement (β = 0.191, p = 0.001), as well as between competitive orientation and student engagement (β = 0.074, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationships between cooperative orientation, competitive orientation, and student engagement. The findings also suggest that cooperative orientation can enhance student engagement by strengthening self-efficacy, thereby clarifying the psychological mechanism linking individuals’ interaction orientations and student engagement in higher education contexts.