Students’ engagement in first‐year university

TLDR

The study develops seven calibrated scales of student engagement from a large‑scale survey of first‑year Australian undergraduates and calls for a robust theorizing of engagement that informs pedagogy and institutional policy. The analysis reveals seven calibrated engagement scales and highlights that engagement is a multi‑dimensional process requiring broader understanding and careful measurement across online, self‑managed, peer, and student‑staff interactions.

Abstract

This paper reports on seven calibrated scales of student engagement emerging from a large‐scale study of first year undergraduate students in Australian universities. The analysis presents insights into contemporary undergraduate student engagement, including online, self‐managed, peer and student‐staff engagement. The results point to the imperative for developing a broader understanding of engagement as a process with several dimensions. These must be acknowledged in any measurement and monitoring of this construct in higher education. The paper calls for a more robust theorising of the engagement concept that encompasses both quantitative and qualitative measures. It considers implications for pedagogy and institutional policy in support of enhancing the quality of the student experience.