Academic performance and sense of purpose: the moderating role of family support among public university students

Abstract

This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how academic performance directly strengthens students' sense of purpose and how family support amplifies this effect among 563 Malaysian public university students. The investigation was undertaken in 20 public universities, focusing on an undergraduate population of 681,000 students. A non-randomised sampling technique was used, specifically convenience sampling, to collect data efficiently. A statistical regression model was implemented to study the variable relationships. The results show that both academic performance and family support play a significant role in shaping students' sense of purpose, with academic performance having a stronger direct impact. Additionally, family support serves as a moderator, strengthening the meaningful connection between educational attainment and personal purpose. These findings emphasise the importance of academic achievement in boosting students' motivation, self-identity and long-term goals, while also highlighting the crucial role of family support in building resilience and goal-setting skills. Based on these insights, the study recommends that universities establish structured academic support and family engagement programs to reinforce student purpose and motivation. These findings can guide higher education institutions in designing initiatives that improve student resilience, reduce dropout risk and foster long-term goal setting.