Positivity and quality of college life of business students : the mediating role of learning approaches

Drawing upon the causal agency theory, this study examined the direct and indirect (via learning approaches) links between positivity and quality of college life (QCL) of business students in a transitioning market, Vietnam. Two studies were conducted to test these relationships using structural equation modeling. Findings from study 1, based on a sample of 428 business students, showed that positivity was positively related to QCL. Further, deep learning approaches mediated the relationship between positivity and QCL. Findings from study 2, based on a sample of 416 business students, reconfirmed the role of positivity in QCL. However, the indirect relationship between positivity and QCL was not significant, demonstrating that surface learning approaches did not mediate the relationship between positivity and QCL. The findings contribute to the literature on positivity in higher education by confirming the overarching role that positivity plays, directly and indirectly (via deep learning approaches), in QCL.