Getting students engaged

Student engagement in higher education has been a topic of discussion for decades, as student engagement directly indexes student retention, achievement, and career development. While previous research emphasizes the importance of effective teaching practices to increase student engagement in higher education, faculty and staff report institutional and professional challenges to increase interactions with students. This study highlights cases of successful teacher-student relationships that engendered positive student emotions and advanced student engagement in higher education settings. Using the thank-you note messages provided by students in a Thank-a-Teacher initiative, data were analyzed qualitatively through the theoretical principles of humanizing pedagogy (del Carmen Salazar, 2013). The findings indicate that the enactment of humanizing pedagogy through conveying emotions and forming positive teacher-student relationships made a meaningful impact on student motivation, engagement, and growth. Implications for the transformation and liberation of higher education through affect-driven pedagogy are discussed.

Student engagement in higher education has been studied from various perspectives, but few studies have compared teachers’ and students’ perspectives on the subject. Considering that student engagement may be reduced to a performativity scarcely related to learning outcomes and that a good deal of it may be invisible to teachers, further studies are needed to contrast teachers’ and students’ views of student engagement in higher education. This article presents the results of a quantitative study about definitions and indicators of student engagement carried out with 118 students and 45 teachers of Law, Education and Nursing from two Catalan public universities (Spain). The results confirm the performativity associated with the concept by both teachers and students, and reveal that students may appreciate silent and invisible engagement more than teachers. The results also show that teachers may conflate signs of student engagement with good academic results and learning, risking an oversimplification of both student engagement and learning.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education by reshaping how students learn, interact, and stay motivated in academic environments. Its growing presence in classrooms has created new opportunities for personalized, engaging, and technology-driven learning experiences. Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on academic engagement among undergraduate students in Pune City, with a specific focus on student motivation, participation, and personalized learning experiences in higher education. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative research design was employed for the study. Primary data were collected from 200 undergraduate students across colleges in Pune City using structured questionnaires. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, histograms, and paired t-tests comparing pre- and post-adoption academic engagement scores. Findings: The findings indicate that the adoption of AI tools significantly enhances student engagement in higher education. Over 78% of respondents reported increased motivation and participation, particularly through AI-driven tools such as gamification, chatbots, and adaptive learning platforms that offer real-time feedback and interactive content. The study also highlights AI’s role in promoting sustainable education by reducing dependence on paper-based learning, improving equitable access to educational resources, and supporting Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).. Research Limitations/Implications: The study is confined to undergraduate colleges located in Pune City and relies on self-reported data, which may include response bias and unavoidable inaccuracies. The cross-sectional nature of the study limits the ability to observe long-term impacts of AI adoption. Originality/Value: This research contributes empirical evidence on the role of AI in enhancing academic engagement while simultaneously supporting inclusive and sustainable learning ecosystems. It offers valuable insights for educators, institutions, and policymakers seeking to integrate AI technologies into higher education responsibly

This study investigates university students' competence and engagement with Generative AI applications, analyzing usage, perceived autonomy, and AI formal learning as predictive mediators. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to collect data from 262 students across various disciplines. Analysis using PLS-SEM revealed that GenAI competence is a powerful, direct driver of students’ engagement (β = 0.255, p < 0.001), accounting for 64.5% of its variance (R² = 0.645), with the direct path showing a small to medium effect size (f² = 0.117). This relationship is significantly mediated through three distinct pathways: GenAI utilization (β = 0.155, p < 0.001), Perceived Autonomy (β = 0.121, p = 0.005), and AI Formal Learning (β = 0.092, p = 0.005).

Over the past decade in Australia there has been an increasing focus in higher education on identifying cogent approaches for assisting first-year university students in their transition into the university setting. In recent years, an emerging body of literature has given emphasis to the efficacy of a range of strategies for engaging first-year undergraduate students. This article reports on a range of effective school-based university orientation and engagement activities that have been informed by the current body of knowledge on student engagement in higher education. Discussion gives emphasis to the impacts of a range of strategies on the early learning environment experiences of first-year students within the School of Human Services and Social Work at Griffith University, Australia. Attention is also drawn to some of the implications for best practice in the orientation and engagement of first-year students at the levels of the institution, academics and students. Finally, the article identifies how the school-based initiated strategies suggest a broad set of possibilities for engagement and change.

Student volunteering in the higher education context has been studied vastly over the last years. Kahu provided three valuable perspectives on student engagement including the behavioural, the psychological, and the sociocultural perspective on why and how students engage. This study adds a recognition perspective to student engagement, which has so far remained an under-researched topic. In this study, we apply a recognition-sensitive social theory and symbolic interactionist perspective on the topic of student engagement. Empirically, we explore the perspectives of engaged students and lecturers at the largest Austrian university, using semi-structured interviews with N = 18 participants in two fields of practice: student unions and peer mentoring. In the findings, the study identified six categories of student engagement recognition: (1) general expectations relating to recognition, (2) recognition through formal validation in the curriculum, (3) recognition through valorisation using awards, certificates, and confirmations, (4) recognition through bonus points, (5) recognition through institutional support, and (6) the process of recognition. The findings give a differentiated insight into an important and unsolved policy issue in higher education using interview data to show how student volunteering can be recognised in higher education. We conclude the article with recommendations for higher education policy and future research.

The introduction of digital textbooks in higher education has revolutionized student engagement and educational outcomes through interactive learning strategies. This study examines the effectiveness of digital textbooks in enhancing student engagement compared to traditional print textbooks. Using a mixed-methods design, the research involves undergraduate and postgraduate students from various disciplines. Preliminary findings suggest that digital textbooks with features like multimedia, annotations, quizzes, and collaborative tools significantly boost student engagement and cater to diverse learning styles. The study also reveals a positive correlation between digital textbooks and academic performance, emphasizing the potential for deeper understanding and long-term knowledge retention. The research advocates for higher education institutions to incorporate digital textbooks to modernize resources, improve learning outcomes, and increase student satisfaction by leveraging digital technology to meet evolving educational needs.

Evaluation of teacher behaviour from the perspective of students is beneficial to higher education institutions striving to improve student engagement. This article aims to identify and close the gaps in teacher behaviour to improve student engagement in higher education. Through a survey of 838 students in four higher education institutions in Sarawak, Malaysia, this study found that teacher behaviour had a positive and significant impact on student engagement. By empirically scrutinising students’ expectations and performance evaluations of teacher behaviour, the findings revealed that significant expectation-performance gaps in teacher behaviour exist as students, across public and private universities, had expectations of teacher behaviour that were significantly higher than the actual performance of their teachers. This study demonstrated the importance of enhancing the quality of interactions and promoting interactive dialogic relationships with students in higher education to garner greater student engagement.

Student engagement in higher education has attracted worldwide attention in recent years because of its strong correlation with positive outcomes of student learning and also, increasingly, because of its influence on a consumer-oriented global education market. Such issues come into sharp focus in the case of China, currently the largest international market for higher education in Western Europe, Australia, and North America. As a growing number of Chinese universities become global players, they are competing with their Western European, Australian, and North American counterparts for a burgeoning home market of more discerning and cost conscious consumers. Nevertheless, limited attention has been paid by the higher education sector as to how student engagement is conceptualized by those consumers and what factors inform and influence their perceptions and choices. This case study of undergraduate student engagement at a Chinese university attempts to begin to answer these questions. It analyzed data collected through interviews and focus groups to investigate student and staff conceptualizations of student engagement and the factors that influenced it. The factors were categorized into external factors (contextual and institutional) and internal factors (personal). A sociocultural analysis identified three issues: transition, lack of student–staff interaction, and shock students.

This article reviews International student engagement in higher education: Transforming practices, pedagogies and participation

Higher education institutions (HEIs) operate primarily as policy-governed service systems where quality, accountability, and measurable outcomes are critical. Though student engagement has conventionally been conceptualised as a pedagogical or psychological construct, this paper reframes engagement as a policy outcome resulting from institutional service quality. This study draws on service marketing and transformative service research to understand and investigate how key service quality dimensions like administrative support, core educational quality, physical environment, support services, and transformative quality impact student engagement in higher education. Considering HEIs as public service providers, it argues that student engagement indicates how effectively policy expectations, accreditation requirements, and institutional strategies are converted into meaningful experiences and public value. This reconceptualization advances services marketing scholarship by connecting quality, engagement, and policy governance, and provides practical insights for policymakers, accreditation agencies, and higher education leaders dedicated to improving system performance, student outcomes, and societal well-being.

This chapter summarises the major themes of this 2023 Advancing Student Engagement in Higher Education: Reflection, Critique and Challenge edited collection, drawing upon the key themes and outlining areas for future research in the field. Student engagement is important for educational developers, as it is important for students to work with staff to improve education. The process of engaging students in educational change brings a gigantic amount of learning and skills development for both parties, where dialogue, co-production and the resulting artefacts can make outstanding developments for the future of higher education. This book responds to the need to develop aspects of current and historic higher education, which are not suited to modern citizens’ and society’s needs. Although student engagement as a priority is accepted by many, the focus differs from university to university, as well as nation by nation. Looking forward, readers are encouraged to continue with critical reflection through asking who is engaging, how we are engaging and how sustainable our practices are. This chapter concludes that the structures, processes and assumptions of higher education need to be questioned and developed, to continue ensuring our universities support students, staff and wider society to succeed.

Reviewed by: Civic Engagement in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices Jennifer Gilbride-Brown Civic Engagement in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices. Barbara Jacoby and Associates. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass Publishing, 2009, 265 pages, $40.00 (hardcover) Ambiguity abounds when conceptualizing the term, “civic engagement.” Higher education finds itself in a moment where parameters and definitions are needed in order to move its civic initiatives forward. Institutions are asking the question, “What do we mean by civic engagement?” The latest book from Barbara Jacoby and Associates, Civic Engagement in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices, offers a response and provides insight into what educating students for civic engagement might entail. Jacoby (2009) argues: If civic engagement is to gain real traction in today’s higher education, it must be clearly defined, and civic learning outcomes must be established. Opportunities to learn about and practice civic engagement must be embedded throughout the curriculum and the co-curriculum. This book shows how all this can be done, and is being done, at higher education institutions around the country. (p. 2) Drawing from expertise around the country, the contributing authors in this book offer a wide range of perspectives and examples while drawing from the rich base of research upon which civic engagement work can and must rest. The intended audience is broad and ranges from entry and midlevel professionals on the forefront of civic engagement initiatives to assistant/associate deans/directors who supervise them. This book has clear implications for policymakers, foundations, and associations. Fundamentally, this is a book for anyone who is charged with enacting the civic mission of higher education and is an important resource for determining what might be accomplished. This edited book is divided into two sections. The first section provides a structure for conceptualizing civic engagement grounded in its historical context and includes an exploration of the dimensions of civic learning. The second section investigates a wide range of civic engagement initiatives, both curricular and co-curricular, happening across the country in diverse institutional contexts. The book flows like a conversation among the authors with many of the contributors referring to the important conceptual and historical mapping offered in the opening chapters. In the introductory chapter, Barbara Jacoby takes on the challenge at hand, getting one’s mind around what is civic engagement and what do we mean by “educating students for civic engagement.” In many ways, the work of civic engagement has pushed ahead with fragmented and loose understandings of what it is in the first place. She cites a review of research done by Lester and Salle (2006) that listed thirty-three recent studies on service-learning of which only three included any definition of civic engagement. Drawing heavily from the work of CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement) and the Coalition for Civic Engagement and Leadership at the University of Maryland-College Park (2005), Jacoby [End Page 567] defines civic engagement as: acting upon a sense of responsibility to one’s communities. This includes a wide range of activities, including developing civic sensitivity, participating in building civic society, and benefiting the common good . . . Through civic engagement, individuals-as citizens of their communities, their nations, and the world-are empowered as agents of positive social change for a more democratic world. (p. 9) She concludes with a thorough overview of leadership in this area that can easily double as a quick reference guide to the many higher education associations and initiatives working to drive civic engagement today. This opening chapter lays important groundwork and captures the current state of affairs in civic engagement across the country. The first section also contains a chapter reviewing civic engagement research over the last 10 years written by Mark Hugo Lopez and Abby Kiesa, both of whom provide leadership on research through CIRCLE. Caryn McTighe Musil of AAC&U completes this opening section by offering a creative and useful conceptualization of what we mean by “educating students for personal and social responsibility.” The second section builds from these definitions and frameworks by examining current practices that shed light on strategies and pitfalls of integrating civic engagement across an institution. Other movements in higher education such as...

Higher education has seen a revolution, because to digital pedagogy, which offers creative ways to engage students, and improve their educational experiences. This article examines how digital pedagogy affects student engagement, highlighting how it may be used to develop interactive, personalized, and flexible learning environments. Through the use of digital tools, teachers may provide real-time feedback, facilitate collaboration, and serve a variety of learning requirements. Its efficacy must be guaranteed, though, by addressing issues like digital fatigue, technological obstacles, and unequal access to resources. The article's conclusion provides solutions for these problems, emphasizing the value of a blended learning strategy, and fair access to technology.

Given the persistent challenges in promoting pro-environmental behavior and student engagement in higher education, particularly in environmental courses, this study examines the effects of creative teaching strategies—specifically icebreaker games and activities—on cognitive understanding, attitudes, and pro-environmental behaviors among first-year university students in environmental education. Grounded in the Green Competency framework and game-based learning theory, the study addresses an empirical gap concerning the sustained impacts of active learning approaches. A Solomon four-group experimental design was employed with 200 students enrolled in the Environmental Society course at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT). Pre- and post-tests assessed changes across the three learning domains. ANOVA and Scheffé post hoc analyses revealed statistically significant improvements in cognition, attitudes, and behaviors among students exposed to the intervention, particularly those receiving both pre-testing and innovative instruction. Regression analysis indicated that cognitive understanding was the strongest predictor of pro-environmental behavior (β = 0.531, p < 0.001), while demographic variables showed no significant influence. The findings demonstrate that well-designed icebreaker activities can enhance student engagement and foster lasting behavioral change when aligned with course objectives. This study contributes to the sustainability education literature by linking active pedagogy, emotional engagement, and behavioral outcomes and offers practical implications for student-centered curriculum design in higher education.