L’attività lavorativa influisce sempre negativamente sul successo accademico? Strategie, motivazione ed emozioni di studenti lavoratori di due diverse facoltà.

The aim of the present work is to investigate how employment affects academic performance and the strategic, motivational and emotional aspects of study. One hundred eighty-five students at the University of Padua participated in the study: 135 from the Education Faculty and 51 from the Political Science Faculty. An information sheet, the Emotions connected with Study Self-Evaluation Questionnaire were e-mailed to all subjects along with three AMOS questionnaires (De Beni, Moé e Cornoldi, 2003): the Study Strategy Questionnaire, the Approach to Study Questionnaire and the Belief Questionnaire. Working students were different according to the department of enrollment. In the Education Faculty, having a job did not influence academic performance; it sustained productive and motivated behavior and favored a positive image of self as well as of one's scholastic performance. In the Political Science Faculty, employment negatively influenced a student's academic career, hindered the organization and personal elaboration of study material and was connected with more negative emotions regarding self and while studying. Contextual aspects, such as the course of study undertaken and employment coherent with the field of study, seem to have more influence on academic performance than do personal characteristics.