Study Examines Impact of Sleep Quality on Learning Engagement and Academic Self-Efficacy in Korean College Students

Findings showed that students reporting high satisfaction with their academic achievements, major, and college life exhibited higher levels of learning engagement. Notably, male students demonstrated greater academic self-efficacy compared to their female counterparts. Furthermore, sleep quality emerged as a crucial factor influencing both learning engagement and academic self-efficacy. The results suggest that improving sleep quality could be a valuable focus for future interventions aimed at enhancing students' academic experiences. These programs should prioritize factors such as gender, academic satisfaction, major satisfaction, and adjustments to college life.

College students face significant academic pressures during their transition to adulthood, impacting their physical and mental health. Sleep, an essential indicator of mental wellness, is often compromised by excessive academic demands. Research found that the prevalence of sleep disorders among Korean college students increased from 35.6% before 2010 to 51.4% after 2011 (Hwang and Shin, 2020). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index shows an average score of 5.9, indicating poor sleep quality (Kim et al., 2022). Additionally, sleep duration for these students has declined slightly, dropping from an average of 8 hours and 22 minutes in 2019 to 8 hours and 19 minutes.

Adequate sleep is fundamental for cognitive function and emotional regulation, playing a critical role in learning engagement and academic performance (Hershner and O'Brien, 2018). Conversely, poor sleep quality can lead to a cycle where diminished learning engagement and self-efficacy further exacerbate sleep issues. While prior research largely focused on academic performance, this study underscores the need to explore how sleep quality relates to both learning engagement and academic self-efficacy, particularly among Korean students, who often report inadequate sleep.

Participants in the study included 154 females (79%) and 41 males (21%), primarily in their fourth year of study. Most respondents (61%) reported sleeping six hours or less per night. The study also highlighted that students expressing dissatisfaction with their academic achievements were outnumbered by those who felt neutral or satisfied regarding their major and college life adjustment, suggesting an overarching trend towards positive academic sentiments within the student body.

Correlational analysis showed a positive relationship between sleep quality and both learning engagement and academic self-efficacy, further reaffirming the significance of sleep quality. Regression analyses revealed that sleep quality significantly predicts learning engagement (explaining 26% of variances) and academic self-efficacy (17% of variances).

The study's findings indicate that enhancing sleep quality could foster better engagement in academic activities and boost students' confidence in their academic capabilities. Given the variances observed across different demographics, such interventions should be tailored to meet specific student needs based on gender and academic circumstances. As this study primarily used a cross-sectional design, future research is encouraged to adopt a longitudinal approach to better understand the dynamics between sleep quality, learning engagement, and academic self-efficacy.