AI-Supported Education, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Psychological Well-Being: Examining The Mediating Role of Learning Engagement

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between AI-supported education, academic self-efficacy, and psychological well-being, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of learning engagement among university students in Pakistan. The increasing use of artificial intelligence in higher education has provided students with new opportunities to access learning resources, receive timely feedback, obtain personalized academic support, and manage different academic tasks. However, the effectiveness of AI-supported learning may also depend on students’ confidence in their academic abilities and their active involvement in the learning process. Therefore, this study focused on understanding how AI-supported education is associated with academic self-efficacy and how academic self-efficacy contributes to students’ psychological well-being through learning engagement. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted for the study. Data were collected from 396 university students through an adopted structured questionnaire administered online using Google Forms. The questionnaire consisted of established measures assessing AI-supported education, academic self-efficacy, learning engagement, and psychological well-being. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality of the respondents was maintained throughout the data collection process. The collected data were initially organized and screened in Microsoft Excel and were subsequently transferred to IBM SPSS for analysis. Descriptive statistics and reliability analysis were conducted to examine the characteristics and internal consistency of the study variables. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used to examine the relationship between AI-supported education and academic self-efficacy, while simple linear regression was used to determine the predictive relationship between academic self-efficacy and psychological well-being. Mediation analysis was further conducted to examine whether learning engagement explained the relationship between academic self-efficacy and psychological well-being. The findings indicated that AI-supported education was positively associated with academic self-efficacy, suggesting that effective use of AI-supported educational resources was related to stronger academic confidence among university students. Academic self-efficacy also positively predicted psychological well-being, indicating that students who had greater confidence in their ability to manage academic demands tended to report more positive psychological outcomes. Furthermore, learning engagement significantly mediated the relationship between academic self-efficacy and psychological well-being, demonstrating that active participation, effort, and involvement in learning may provide an important pathway through which academic confidence contributes to students’ psychological well-being. Overall, the study highlights the interconnected role of technology-supported learning, academic confidence, and student engagement in promoting positive educational and psychological outcomes. The findings may be useful for educators, university administrators, and researchers in developing student-centered and technology-supported learning environments that not only facilitate academic learning but also encourage students’ confidence, active engagement, and psychological well-being.