Aspects Of Student Engagement Research Articles

Enhancing English Language Education Through Big Data Analytics and Generative AI

This research paper provides a comprehensive examination of the significant impact of big data analytics and generative artificial intelligence (GAI) on the field of English language education. Utilizing a meticulous framework rooted in the evolutionary network influence of big data, our study critically analyzes several aspects of student engagement, learning motivation, self-efficacy, and the existing disparities among learners. Our primary objective is to enhance students’ active participation, intrinsic interest, and self-confidence in the context of English language learning, thus advancing their overall linguistic competence. To achieve these objectives, our study systematically integrates the concept of practice education with a multidisciplinary approach, leveraging the power of big data analysis and GAI, and reveals profound insights into student learning behaviors, preferences, and personalized educational needs. We employ advanced techniques for meticulous data processing and interpretation, empowering educators to make data-informed decisions and tailor pedagogical strategies to meet the unique requirements of each student. This data-driven pedagogical approach not only facilitates the implementation of effective teaching methodologies but also effectively addresses the disparities stemming from diverse student backgrounds, thereby fostering a more inclusive and personalized learning environment.

Characteristics of Filipino Online Learners: A Survey of Science Education Students’ Engagement, Self-Regulation, and Self-Efficacy

Online education allows learners to develop knowledge and skills flexibly and conveniently—an observation made among students whose characteristics involve student engagement, self-regulation, and self-efficacy. However, studies characterizing Filipino online learners seem to be lacking. This study aimed to characterize science education tertiary students in the Philippines concerning their online student engagement (OSE), self-regulated learning (SRL), and online learning self-efficacy (OLSE). The unprecedented events brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic also urged the implementation of online modalities, yet there is still no available information on students’ online learning profiles. Hence, we conducted survey research using an ex post facto approach to determine the effects of demographic profiles on OSE, SRL, and OLSE. The survey was completed by N = 373 respondents who answered the questionnaire, with informed consent administered via Google Forms. The results revealed that OSE indicators moderately characterized the students, while SRL and OLSE indicators accurately described them, as substantiated by the overall means of M = 3.85 (SD = 0.90), M = 3.86 (SD = 0.92), and M = 3.14 (SD = 0.73), respectively. Also, multivariate tests showed no significant effects among the independent groups (p > 0.05), except for a gender and OLSE interaction (p < 0.05), so only for OLSEE was a significant difference found in terms of gender. In conclusion, Filipino online learners have moderate characteristics across the aspects of student engagement, self-regulation, and self-efficacy.

The influence of social media literacy on student engagement in online learning

AbstractBackgroundRecent years have seen the proliferation of online courses that have been initiated either in accordance with the natural rhythms of educational technology growths or in force majeure situations. This adds complexity to understanding the influence of potential factors on online student engagement.ObjectivesThe present study conducted an essential inspection to explore the relationship between student social media literacy and their engagement in online learning settings.MethodologyA sample of 1015 undergraduate students participated in this study and the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) was chosen for evaluating the research model. In addition, to provide more information on the prioritization of strategic actions, the importance‐performance map analysis (IPMA) was also performed.ResultsIn a two‐factor construct, social media literacy was found to have a significantly positive relationship with aspects of student engagement in the online learning environment. The influence of technical competence is still undeniable, but the effect of cognitive competence on online student engagement is more significant. In addition, appearing in the fourth quadrant (low performance ‐ high importance) in all IPMA presentations, the anticipatory reflection is the construct that should be prioritized for improvement to augment student engagement in online learning.

A COVID-19 Shift to Online Learning: A Comparison of Student Outcomes and Engagement for the Bacterial Unknown Identification Project

Many microbiology classes include a bacterial unknown identification project (BUIP), in which students identify an unknown microorganism. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a change in instructional methods from an in-person to an online version of this project. Our aim was to determine how the shift in learning from in person to online impacted three aspects of student engagement: student satisfaction, as measured by the withdrawal rate from the course; student enthusiasm, evaluated by student self-efficacy; and student learning, determined using non-point-based questions. To address the effectiveness of these modified versions of the BUIP, approximately five hundred students completed multiple-choice and Likert-style surveys before and after the project across two semesters: the semesters immediately prior to and during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that while each semester reflected increases in perceived engagement with the material (p < 0.05), overall, students reported feeling comfortable with the process of unknown identification irrespective of the semester. Surprisingly, learned information, as measured by pre- minus post-survey scores, was equal across semesters. Additionally, we observed fewer course withdrawals during the semester in which the project transitioned online. These data shed light on how the curriculum during the transition to online learning led to equivalent student learning but greater student engagement, and therefore points to the importance of comparing shifts in a curriculum within one course.

Higher education student engagement in times of pandemic: the role of e-learning system usability and teacher behavior

PurposeThis research examined the factors affecting several types of student engagement, namely agentic, behavioral, emotional and cognitive engagement. Specifically, it examined the effect of e-learning system usability on student engagement and explored teacher behavior's possible intervening impact on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 418 students studying at different specializations at Omani private academic institutions. This study employed a quantitative methodology and utilized the Smart-PLS for data analyses.FindingsThe findings showed that e-learning system usability influenced significantly and positively agentic, behavioral and cognitive engagement. However, the link between e-learning system usability and emotional engagement was not significant. Moreover, teacher behavior mediated the relationship between e-learning system usability and the four types of engagement.Originality/valueThis study improves one’s understanding of how the interaction of e-learning system usability and teacher behavior affects several aspects of student engagement. It also helps higher education administrators and policymakers by exploring the influential effects of e-learning systems usability and teacher behavior on facilitating students' engagement.

Flourishing and Student Engagement in Malaysian University Students: The Mediating Role of Personal Best (PB) Goals

Previous research examined the importance of flourishing in promoting optimal outcomes in academic settings. However, no empirical research has been done on the relationships of flourishing with personal best (PB) and the four aspects of student engagement. The current study addresses this gap by investigating PB goals as the mediating variable in the relationship between flourishing and the four aspects of student engagement (behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and agentic). The data were collected from a total sample of 617 undergraduate students in Malaysia. The hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results reveal that flourishing significantly predicted PB goals, behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and agentic engagement. Except for agentic engagement, significant indirect relationships were found from flourishing to behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement through PB goals. The results offer meaningful insights into the role of PB goals as one of the mechanisms by which flourishing may associate with the aspects of student engagement. The implications for theory and practices are discussed.

Basic psychological needs satisfaction and student engagement: the importance of novelty satisfaction

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the associations between students' basic psychological needs satisfaction, including novelty satisfaction, and the four aspects of student engagement.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a total sample of 743 undergraduate students from three public universities in northern Malaysia. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data.FindingsCompetence and relatedness were positively related to the four aspects of student engagement, while autonomy satisfaction was found to relate to agentic engagement. Novelty satisfaction, on the other hand, is related positively with behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement.Research limitations/implicationsThe results provide a new understanding on the importance of novelty satisfaction alongside existing needs in self-determination theory (SDT) in enhancing student engagement.Practical implicationsEducators are encouraged to develop strategies to provide novelty support and facilitate students' basic needs satisfaction in order to establish a motivational learning environment that vitalises students' engagement.Originality/valueThis study breaks new ground by testing the unique relationships of novelty satisfaction along with the psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, with the four aspects of student engagement in higher education.

All better than being disengaged: Student engagement patterns and their relations to academic self-concept and achievement

Student participation and cognitive and emotional engagement in learning activities play a key role in student academic achievement and are driven by student motivational characteristics such as academic self-concept. These relations have been well established with variable-centered analyses, but in this study, a person-centered analysis was applied to describe how the different aspects of student engagement are combined within individual students. Specifically, we investigated how the number of hand-raisings interacts with student cognitive and emotional engagement in various engagement patterns. Additionally, it was analyzed how these engagement patterns relate to academic self-concept as an antecedent and achievement as an outcome. In an empirical study, high school students (N = 397) from 20 eighth-grade classrooms were surveyed and videotaped during one mathematics school lesson. The design included a pre- and post-test, with the videotaping occurring in between. Five within-student engagement patterns were identified by latent profile analysis: disengaged, compliant, silent, engaged, and busy. Students with higher academic self-concept were more likely to show a pattern of moderate to high engagement. Compared with students with low engagement, students with higher engagement patterns gained systematically in end-of-year achievement. These findings illustrate the power of person-centered analyses to illuminate the complexity of student engagement. They imply the need for differentiation beyond disengaged and engaged students and bring along the recognition that being engaged can take on various forms, from compliant to busy.

Understanding behavioural engagement and achievement: The roles of teaching practices and student sense of competence and task value.

Different teaching practices, such as autonomy support and structure, provide students with a positive learning context supporting their engagement, which can operate through their underlying motivation, including sense of competence and task value. This study aims at investigating the best configuration (unique or synergistic) between autonomy support and structure to support student behavioural engagement, including compliance, participation, and misbehaviour, and reading achievement. A second objective is to assess students' sense of competence and task value as mediators linking teaching practices to student engagement and achievement. The samples included 1,666 7th-grade students and their 85 teachers. Students answered questionnaires and tests at the beginning and the end of the school year. Students' perceptions of the use of autonomy support and structure by their Language Arts teacher were aggregated at the classroom level. Students rated their sense of competence and task value in Language Arts class. Twice during the school year, they also reported three facets of their behavioural engagement (compliance, participation, and misbehaviour) and answered a reading comprehension test. Multilevel path analyses using Mplus7 allowed accounting for the nested structure of data. Student sense of competence mediated the association of student classroom-aggregated perceptions of teacher structure and autonomy support with self-reported participation in the classroom. Task value mediated the association between both teaching practices and student misbehaviour and compliance, as reported by students. Sense of competence was directly associated with later reading achievement, but the indirect effect of teaching practices was not significant. We foundnosignificant interaction (synergistic effect) between teacher autonomy support and structure. Student classroom-aggregated perception of teacher autonomy support and structure is important to nurture behavioural engagement. However, we found no extra benefit of combining these two dimensions of teaching practices. The processes linking these teaching practices to the three facets of student behavioural engagement were different. As such, to support the various aspects of student engagement, the actions of teachers, as reported by their students, should tap into the mechanisms that are most strongly related to each type of behaviour.

Investigating the Type of Student Engagement That Exists in English Classrooms of Public Basic Schools in Ghana

Current studies on student engagement and achievement posited that there are three dimensions of student engagement and there is a correlation between the three dimensions of student engagement and achievement. Several researches conducted in Ghana have looked at aspects of student engagement. However, the issue of poor academic performance continues to be a huge challenge. It is imperative therefore to conduct a study to find out the type of student engagement that exists in the public basic schools, in order to find out the underlying factor that impedes good performance in these schools as a way of finding solution to the challenge of poor performance. The study employed a quantitative approach of inquiry, using 61 English language teachers in the Cape Coast metropolis in Ghana. The data was collected by a five-point Likert Scale questionnaire which was analysed using descriptive statistics (Means and Standard Deviation). The study found out that, though there are traits of the three dimensions of student engagement, the dominant dimension was the Emotional. Thus, in Cape Coast, the three dimensions are not at play in the English classrooms so achievement could not happen.

Learning through practice: Collaborative policing partnerships in teaching in higher education

This article discusses the development and good practice of an undergraduate collaborative partnership module between police practitioners and academics meeting the challenges for teaching partnerships within higher education. Through innovative curriculum design and the application of the Student as Producer model, the article considers aspects of student engagement, ownership of learning journeys and shared dialogues. The case study was developed to strengthen existing productive links with policing and offer real-life collaboration on contemporary police studies. The module has impacted on student learning and has institutionally embraced professional practice in teaching through designing ‘academic practice as learning’.

Can we reliably compare student engagement between universities? Evidence from the United Kingdom Engagement Survey

ABSTRACTPolicy changes in the higher education landscape have given way to increased interest in the way students perceive engagement in UK higher education. This paper examines whether we can reliably distinguish between institutions and disciplines, and what key student and institutional variables are a predictor of engagement of undergraduate students. Using data from two waves of the United Kingdom Engagement Survey (UKES), a national survey of undergraduate student engagement, we constructed multilevel models for different aspects of student engagement. The results show that the vast majority of the variance of the models is at the student level, indicating that demographic characteristics seem to contribute most to differential aspects of engagement. Some variance at student level could be explained: females, distance learners, part-time students, and disabled student indicators were negative predictors of engagement, while indicators for Black and minority ethnic (BME) students and for students from Africa and Asia were positive predictors of engagement.

Does Size Matter? Instructors’ and Students’ Perceptions of Students’ Use of Technology in the Classroom

Aim/Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore whether students’ self-initiated personal technology use differ by class size as well as to explore students and instructors’ perspectives on whether students’ technology use in class is a problem. Background: Because class size influences several aspects of student engagement, it is plausible that class size would affect students’ technology behaviours, but, to our knowledge, no study has directly examined class size as a factor in students’ on- and off-task technology use. There is also a paucity of research on how the use of off-task technology affects instructors. Methodology: We surveyed all undergraduate students and faculty in one Faculty at a Canadian university in Fall 2016. A total of 478 students and 36 instructors completed the survey. The survey contained questions about students’ and instructors’ behaviours and attitudes towards the use of technology in class. Quantitative data were analyzed in SPSS and Excel and qualitative excerpts from short-answer questions on the survey were analyzed in NVIVO 8. Contribution: This paper demonstrates that students’ on- and off-task technology use in class is influenced by class-size. It also informs us on the impact students’ technology use has on instructors in the academic classroom. Findings: Student-initiated technology use increased significantly as class size increased. Students and instructors expressed little concern about the impact of class-related technology use on learning and views did not differ significantly between these two groups. Although both students and instructors believed off-task technology use hinders learning, their views differed significantly, with more instructors than students feeling strongly that students’ use of technology in class is a problem. Recommendations for Practitioners: We need to develop guidelines on how to address off-task technology use in class. Recommendation for Researchers: More research is needed to explore how the use of technology in class affects instructors. Impact on Society: Higher education industry needs to consider how to manage the use of off-task technology in class. Future Research: We need to explore further how to mitigate the factors contributing to the off-task technology use in academic classroom.

A Framework for Evaluating Tablet-based Educational Applications for Primary School Levels in Thailand

When it comes to the use of mobile technology in the classroom, one of the major challenges for the teacher is finding suitable applications that appropriately match the topic of study. In most areas of education there are tools for evaluating teaching materials, but there are few tools for evaluating mobile technology in the classroom. The lack of evaluation methods means that for teachers, who are increasingly using tablets in the primary level classrooms, the results can be “hit or miss”. The aim of the study is to propose and describe a new framework that enables primary school teachers to evaluate tablet-based games effectively. The proposed framework is adapted from the four-dimensional framework (FDF). Thereby, supporting teachers in the choice of suitable tablet-based games to use in their classrooms that balance the essential aspects of student engagement (or playability) and learning achievement. A small case study is carried out based on the evaluation of 30 iPads STEM applications. The proposed framework can predict the initial pitfalls of technical and design issues in applications before class use. The successfully evaluated applications are used for the experiment at primary school in Thailand. The improvement of students’ learning skill, behavioral outcomes, and teachers’ perspectives are not considered in this study.

Do High-Achieving Students Benefit From Honors College Participation? A Look at Student Engagement for First-Year Students and Seniors

This study investigates findings from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), comparing various aspects of student engagement between honors college and general education students. Responses from 1,339 honors college students and 7,191 general education students across 15 different universities suggest a positive impact for honors college participation on reflective and integrative learning, use of learning strategies, collaborative learning, diverse discussions, student–faculty interaction, and quality of interactions for first-year students, even when controlling for student and institutional characteristics. For senior students, honors college participation was related to more frequent student–faculty interaction. Potential experiential and curricular reasons for these differences are discussed, along with implications for educators, researchers, parents, and students.

Engaging students emotionally: the role of emotional intelligence in predicting cognitive and affective engagement in higher education

ABSTRACTStudent engagement is a key predictor of academic performance, persistence and retention in higher education. While many studies have identified how aspects of the college environment influence engagement, fewer have specifically focused on emotional intelligence (EI). In this study, we sought to explore whether EI could predict cognitive and/or affective engagement in a sample of undergraduate psychology students in Ireland. Ninety-one students completed two forms of the student engagement instrument, rating current engagement and retrospective secondary school engagement, along with the trait EI (TEI) questionnaire. After controlling for academic ability, gender and school engagement, multiple regression analyses found TEI to be a positive predictor of both cognitive and affective engagement. Previous academic performance acted as an additional predictor of cognitive engagement, while retrospective affective school engagement predicted current affective engagement. These results suggest that interventions aimed at increasing EI may have positive implications for many aspects of student engagement, and hence performance at third level.

How Perception of Academic Honesty at the University Linked with Student Engagement: Conceptualization and Empirical Research Opportunities

Academic dishonesty among university students is a major problem for higher education and has negative economic impacts in a lot of countries including Russia. While exploring why students choose dishonest ways of obtaining good grades instead of getting involved in the learning process and acquiring as much knowledge and experience at the university as possible, most researchers focus on academic dishonest practices, ignoring the reasons for and factors of honest learning behavior. We regard student engagement as the opposite of academic dishonesty and propose a conceptual model of how academic honesty at the university influences various aspects of student engagement in learning. We conduct an empirical study to test the hypothesis on the correlation between characteristics of honesty at the university and parameters of student engagement suggested as part of the conceptual model. We use the data collected by the Monitoring of Student Characteristics and Trajectories carried out in universities included in the Russian Association of Leading Universities in Economics and Management. Having analyzed the data on management and economics students in eight Russian universities, we conclude that the suggested hypothesis has been largely confirmed, and the proposed conceptual model may serve a productive basis for empirical research on the correlation between academic environment parameters and student learning behavior.

Student perceptions of engagement using mobile-based polling as an audience response system: Implications for leadership studies

The increase in ownership and use of mobile-based devices among college students creates unique opportunities for faculty to develop highly engaging learning environments. With many educational institutions offering campus-wide Wi-Fi, students have the ability to use their mobile devices, including cell phones, tablets, and laptops for engaging with curriculum, specifically with leadership concepts. One method of engaging students is through the use of mobile-based polling, as an audience response system (ARS). Although most studies on the use of ARS in educational settings include traditional response system methods (e.g., clickers), emerging technologies have fueled interest in mobile-based polling. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects that mobile-based polling has among students of leadership when used as an audience response system. A survey regarding perceptions of mobile-based polling was administered to students enrolled in undergraduate leadership courses with the purpose of understanding its importance on various aspects of student engagement. Results regarding their polling experiences indicated that students became highly engaged on three levels— behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively. Additionally, survey responses suggested that students viewed mobile-based polling as viable for purposes outside of the classroom. Suggestions for using mobile-based polling for learning leadership concepts are also presented. The authors of this study not only present mobile-based polling as an emerging technology with advantages over traditional clickers, but as a pedagogical approach for increasing student engagement and as a tool for enhancing leadership skills.

Epistemologies in practice: Making scientific practices meaningful for students

AbstractRecent research and policy documents call for engaging students and teachers in scientific practices such that the goal of science education shifts from students knowing scientific and epistemic ideas, to students developing and using these understandings as tools to make sense of the world. This perspective pushes students to move beyond the rote performance of scientific actions or processes and engage instead in purposeful knowledge construction work. This raises parallel questions about how to go beyond characterizing student performance of scientific process to understand their engagement in scientific practices as a goal‐directed activity. To that end, this article offers a framework—the Epistemologies in Practice (EIP) framework—for characterizing how students can engage meaningfully in scientific practices. This framework emphasizes two aspects of student engagement in scientific practices: (1) the students' epistemic goals for their knowledge construction work and (2) their epistemic understandings of how to engage in that work. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 53:1082–1112, 2016

Comparative Study Of Private And Public Schools Student Engagement And School Effectiveness Indicators

The expectation of government and tax payers increasingly expect the school system to report on a range of predetermined indicators designed to measure aspects of student engagement and school effectiveness. Despite this the utility and validity of indicators that make up the public accountability of schools is seldom questioned. Student perceptions of school engagement (i.e., sense of connection to school, teachers and peers), motivation to learn, self-esteem, and student safety are part of a range of public accountability indicators. This study examined differences between two groups of Senior Secondary three (SS III) students from public school (n1 = 90) and private school (n2 = 90) on a number of these accountability indicators. No significant differences were found between public and private schools on student connectedness to peers and school. However the differences in public and private school students\' perception of connectedness to teachers, measures of motivation to learn, self-esteem and student safety is significant. The finding from this study proves the suitability of these indicators as measures of student engagement and school effectiveness in Nigeria, but there is the need for further study that would involve more schools from more states. IFE PsychologIA Vol. 16 (2) 2008: pp. 36-46