The Role of Adaptability and Social Support on Students’ Engagement in Mathematics

Mathematics education encounters significant challenges, especially at the high school level, where students find mathematics perplexing. This condition is evidenced by the low mathematics competency scores, indicating insufficient student engagement with the subject. Low student engagement is concerning as it may lead to negative academic behaviors and potentially contribute to dropout rates. Hence, this study aimed to examine the role of adaptability and perceived social support on students’ engagement in mathematics. Using the University Student Engagement Inventory, Social Provisions Scale, and Adaptability Scale, we collected online questionnaire responses from high school and vocational high school students in five cities in Indonesia. We recruited 108 high school students through social media information dissemination using the convenience sampling technique. Multiple regression analysis showed that only perceived social support from mathematics teachers and adaptability simultaneously and significantly predicted student engagement in mathematics. Perceived social support from parents and peers did not significantly correlate with student engagement.