The impact of behavioural, cognitive and emotional dimensions of student engagement on student learning: the case of Azerbaijani higher education institutions

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between student engagement and academic attainment. A random sample of 548 full time second-year and third-year undergraduate students from six higher education institutions in Azerbaijan was obtained. The study methodologically compares and merges two psychometric self-report measures, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Burch Engagement Survey for Students (BESS), which capture three fundamentally different dimensions of engagement, namely behavioural, cognitive and emotional. The data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multiple linear regression. The findings of the study support the multidimensionality notion of engagement as suggested by the prominent student involvement theories and claim that all three dimensions are to a different extent statistically significant determinants of academic success. Regression results reveal significant relationships between students' academic achievement and engagement both for one-dimensional and three-dimensional engagement models. Compared to traditionally used measurements, the three-dimensional CFA model provides better explanation of academic outcomes. The results of this study could have implications for university academic staff and policymakers in utilising the benefits of each engagement factor to improve institutional quality.