Psychological Capital and its support to students while they combine work and study

Abstract

One in every two students in Aotearoa/New Zealand now works approximately 16 hours per week alongside studying, which is driven by the current increasing living costs and decreased access to governmental financial support seen in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This financial strain and need to self-support is a reality for students that requires more attention, due to the potential negative impacts of financial strain on students’ stress, well-being and academic success, altering the students’ time at university and academic outcomes. However, there is variance in students’ experiences and the way they balance these working and student roles, suggesting that individual psychological resources may play a significant role in shaping outcomes. The present study examined whether Psychological Capital (PsyCap), a positive psychological resource comprising hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism (HERO), mediates the negative impacts of combining work and study by buffering the relationship between hours worked and student outcomes. An online survey was administered to 214 undergraduate students currently studying at the University of Waikato, Aotearoa, New Zealand. Data were analysed using correlation and mediation analyses to identify relationships between variables, and explain any relationship found between PsyCap involving the components of HERO and hours worked, stress, well-being and academic success. The results showed that higher levels of PsyCap were associated with lower stress, along with higher levels of well-being and academic performance, giving an insight into the importance of psychological resources. Hours worked showed weak associations with student outcomes and were significantly related only to general university stress, indicating that employment hours can add stress but do not inherently impact a student's outcomes. Mediation analyses showed that PsyCap did not mediate the relationship between hours worked and student outcomes, primarily because hours worked were not significantly related to PsyCap. These findings suggest that psychological resources may play a more substantial role in shaping a student's experience in the ability to juggle these roles, rather than employment intensity alone. The findings highlighted the importance of internal coping resources, especially for students who are juggling multiple roles. Future research recommendations include interventions aimed at strengthening PsyCap, known as Psychological Capital Interventions (PCI), which focus on steps such as goal setting and identifying paths to reach these goals, providing a more practical and realistic approach to promoting student well-being, academic success and commitment to higher education. If these practical interventions are put in place to support students’ academic success, this can positively impact the workforce and the new generation of workers.