Open Access

ARTICLE

Sense of purpose and academic engagement: The mediating role of future orientation

Jingxue Cai¹, Xi Chen^2,3, Yilei Wu⁴, Wanru Lin^2,*

1 School of Marxism, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, China
2 School of Educational Sciences, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, China
3 School of Education and Psychology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou, China
4 School of Health and Wellness, City University of Macau, Macau, China

* Corresponding Author: Wanru Lin. Email:

Journal of Psychology in Africa 2026, 36(2), 231-237. https://doi.org/10.32604/jpa.2026.078827

Received 08 January 2026; Accepted 23 March 2026; Issue published 29 April 2026

Abstract

This study examined the role of future orientation in the association between sense of purpose and academic engagement among university students. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 1174 undergraduate students (females = 64.4%) across five universities in China. Participants completed well-validated scales assessing sense of purpose, future orientation, and academic engagement. Mediation analyses showed that sense of purpose was associated with higher academic engagement, with future orientation partially mediating this association to be stronger. The indirect effect of sense of purpose on academic engagement through future orientation accounted for 33.8% of the total effect, indicating partial mediation with a practically meaningful indirect pathway. Specifically, students with a stronger sense of purpose were more likely to adopt future-oriented cognitive and behavioral strategies, which in turn facilitated sustained academic engagement. These findings provide empirical support for a motivational-self-regulatory pathway consistent with Goal-Setting Theory, demonstrating that purpose-related meaning enhances academic engagement through future-oriented cognition and planning. These findings suggest that educators and counselors could foster students’ sense of purpose to encourage future-oriented thinking, thereby promoting sustained academic engagement.

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Keywords

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