The Importance of Student Engagement
The new lecturer wanted to do his best with his students. However, he did not know how to do this, so he turned to his mentor, and former lecturer, who he now worked with at the university.
Concerns
His mentor, who is now the Head of the Department where the new lecturer is working, said that student success and retention continue to be of concern for higher education institutions. Stating the obvious, he said that not all students are the same, pointing out that different groups of students interact differently. He gave the example of lower completion rates for non-traditional students highlighting the need for new ways of understanding the student experience to ground policy and practice.
The relationship
Continuing, he said that the relationship between a student and a lecturer is typically referred to as an "educational" or "andragogical" relationship. In an educational setting, this relationship involves the transfer of knowledge, guidance, and mentorship from the lecturer to the student. The benefits of classroom interaction include improved efficiency of learning and increased quality of education.
Student success
The Head spoke of the need for higher education to help produce a more highly skilled workforce to enable competition in the global economy, as well as provide benefits to individual students and society. But again, he said that not all students are equal and quoted Australian research which shows that the completion rates of Indigenous students are lower than lower socio-economic students which are lower when compared to those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.
Student engagement theory
Continuing, he said that research has clearly shown that ‘student engagement’ is key to student achievement and retention, with notions of success and student engagement intertwined. He stated that in summary, ‘engagement matters’. He said that engagement is complex with multiple theories and research showing that there are three approaches to engagement: (1) behavioural, emphasising student behaviours and teaching practices; (2) psychological, viewing engagement as an internal psycho-social process with behavioural, cognitive, and emotional dimensions; and (3) socio-cultural, emphasising the broader social context of engagement.
Where to now?
Drawing these approaches together the Head suggested an integrative framework that emphasises engagement as a variable state that is influenced by a wide array of student and institutional factors, as well as by the sociopolitical context within which the students, teachers, and institutions are situated. He said that the framework acknowledges that by being engaged with their study students learn and thus not only acquire skills and knowledge but also experience academic success and personal growth.
Critical mechanisms
The Head felt that there are four critical mechanisms for mediating the interactions between student and institutional characteristics and student engagement and success. They are self-efficacy, emotions, belonging, and well-being.
Who has responsibility?
Next, he stated that in his opinion the responsibility for students’ experiences in the educational interface lies with multiple stakeholders. The first is government, which could allow study flexibility for students with different life loads. The second is the institutions, which provide curricula that will enable a broader student experience, to allow students to study in a way that will make the educational interface more positive. Finally, there is the student, who needs to be an active participant in their learning.
He gave a summary saying that learning is a partnership and the experience at the interface is influenced as much by the students as it is by the institution. Government is also a key stakeholder. In conclusion, he said that student engagement is key to student achievement and retention, and engagement benefits the students, lecturers, staff, the higher institution, and society in general.
Associate Professor Cyril Jankoff is Associate Dean, Scholarship at UBSS and a member of the GCA Compliance Directorate.
