Reflexivity and Academic Satisfaction in University Students
Giulia Cremaschi, Diego Boerchi, Daniela Villani
Self-knowledge is one of the essential elements in defining one’s life design. Reflexivity is an active process by which an individual improves their self-awareness and self-knowledge, balancing the different aspects of their present, past and future. This exploratory and cognitive process is particularly widespread in the university population, which typically must fulfil certain developmental tasks, such as exploring and defining one’s personal and professional identity. Several studies have found that students who pursue an academic path in accordance with their interests are more satisfied with their academic experience, achieve better performance in their studies, and show better self-efficacy in future career decisions. The link between reflexivity and academic satisfaction has not yet been investigated in the literature and it is, therefore, the innovative element in this research piece. This study investigates the role of reflexivity on academic satisfaction among 155 university students in order to fill this gap in the scientific literature on the topic. Data were collected through a questionnaire designed to investigate levels of reflexivity and academic satisfaction in the target group of interest. The results show a significant relationship between the two constructs, showing how the dimensions of reflexivity positively impact academic satisfaction, especially authenticity and projectuality.
Keywords
Reflexivity, Academic satisfaction, University students, Life design, Career counseling.
