Abstract

This study analyzes the psychological factors influencing the academic communication behavior of "work- study" students at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Resources and Environment, aiming to improve the quality of education. The research framework comprises five factors: learning motivation, emotions, personality, the unconscious/habits, and defense mechanisms. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a quantitative survey (N = 135) with qualitative analysis. The results indicate that academic communication behavior was at a good level (Mean = 3.8); experience sharing was the highest-rated activity, while speaking up directly in class was the lowest. Learning motivation and an open personality fostered communication, whereas fatigue and the defense mechanism of fearing mistakes acted as barriers. The study proposes five solutions targeting students, lecturers, and the university to enhance communication effectiveness.

Keywords: Communication behavior, emotions, learning motivation, psychological factors, work-study students.