Abstract
Appropriate instruments are required to determine student engagement on an undergraduate course, and in this study we evaluated a 23 item Student Course Engagement Questionnaire (SCEQ) administered to undergraduate students studying a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation degree. These students were in the first semester of a 3 year degree, and were enrolled in a compulsory introductory Human anatomy and physiology course, as part of their degree. Responses (n=115) were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, and this indicated that 4 latent factors explained >49% of the total variance. These factors were described as ‘study habits’ (7 items), ‘performance’ (6 items), participation (4 items), and emotional (4 items). Two items did not align with any latent factors. Each scale had good internal consistency, with all Cronbach’s alpha values >0.7. The factors identified in this study are consistent with those identified in a previous SCEQ evaluation, and we suggest that this instrument is appropriate to quantify course engagement in Sport and Recreation degree students. Moreover, we suggest that the scales identified within the SCEQ may be used to quantify aspects of engagement in undergraduate students studying a course in introductory Human anatomy and physiology.
Highlights
Student engagement with a University undergraduate course may improve a student’s confidence with the content of the course, and it may improve their academic performance on the course
An initial exploratory factor analysis indicated that four latent factors explained more than 49% of the total variance, and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was 0.741 – this indicates that the data were suitable for this type of analysis
This study reports an initial factor analysis and scale development of an instrument to measure student course engagement, when that instrument is used in a group of Bachelor of Sport and Recreation students studying an introductory course in Human anatomy and physiology
Summary
Student engagement with a University undergraduate course may improve a student’s confidence with the content of the course, and it may improve their academic performance on the course. A student may learn by being more engaged, and this may have positive effects on persistence, student satisfaction, and academic success. These may contribute positively to the overall student experience on an undergraduate course, benefiting students, and institutions, as they can potentially demonstrate that by engaging a student on a course, they are adding to the value of the education they provide (Kuh et al 2008). Increased student engagement may encourage a student to complete their chosen programme of study and graduate from University. In this study, we evaluate a Student Course Engagement
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