Engagement in learning during times of crisis

Learning engagement is crucial for educational success, but is often negatively impacted during crises. War-induced trauma, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, may reduce emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagement in learning. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this relationship is critical for supporting student learning in crisis settings. This study examines the association between war-induced PTSD symptom endorsement and learning engagement among health profession students. It also explores boredom as a mediator of this relationship. The study included 196 health profession students (M_age = 25.94, SD_age = 5.34; 84.2% females) surveyed approximately six months after the onset of a war. Participants completed a cross-sectional survey assessing PTSD symptom endorsement, learning engagement (i.e. emotional, cognitive, and behavioral), and boredom. Regression and path analysis were conducted to examine direct and mediated associations. Approximately half (52.6%) of the students reported PTSD symptom endorsement exceeding the diagnostic threshold. PTSD symptom endorsement was negatively associated with all dimensions of learning engagement and positively associated with boredom. Boredom mediated the relationship between PTSD symptom endorsement and engagement, explaining additional variance in reduced engagement. Face-to-face learning was associated with fewer PTSD symptom endorsement compared to online (e.g. Zoom) formats, but learning format was not directly associated with engagement. War-induced PTSD symptom endorsement predicted reduced learning engagement, primarily via boredom. Addressing boredom through instructional design by fostering real-time social interactions may support learning engagement at times of crisis. Future research should assess the generalizability and possible causal effects of these findings.