THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ATTENTIONAL CONTROL IN THE IMPACT OF ACADEMIC GRIT ON ENGAGEMENT IN ONLINE LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT AMONG A UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

ABSTRACT:
         The present study aimed at investigating the level of academic grit among the male and female students of Faculty of Education, Benha and the differences in attentional control, academic grit, and engagement in online learning according to the difference in sex and academic specialization. It also aimed at reaching a causal model for explaining the impact relationships between academic grit as an independent variable, and attentional control as a mediating one, as well as engagement in online learning and achievement as dependent variables. The sample consisted of 420 students (150 male – 270 female). Three scales were translated into Arabic: Attentional control scale by Derryberry and Read (2002), Academic grit scale by Porter (2019), and scale of engagement in online learning by Dixon (2015). The findings revealed that: There is a high level of academic grit andThere are no statistically significant differences between the scores means of male and female students in academic grit and engagement in online learning. Also There are statistically significant differences between the scores means of male and female in attentional control, in favour of the male students and There are no statistically significant differences between the scores means of students in literary sections and scientific ones in academic grit and engagement and There are statistically significant differences between the scores means in literary sections and scientific ones in attentional control, in favour of the latter.There are direct and positive impacts of academic grit on the attentional control and There are direct and indirect positive impacts of attentional control on engagement in online learning. There are statistically significant direct impacts of attentional control on academic grit.