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How to Improve Student Engagement in Higher Education?

By: Michaella Masters On: Nov 19, 2024 Categories: Comments Disabled
how to improve student engagement

Student engagement is a cornerstone of effective education. Yet capturing and maintaining students’ attention can feel like an ongoing challenge for teachers. Over the last two decades, studies in psychology and computer science have tracked a steady decline in our ability to concentrate on a single task. The average attention span has shifted from around two and a half minutes down to roughly 45 seconds. Although exact figures can vary, Art Kramer, professor in psychology highlights a clear trend: our capacity for sustained attention has diminished in the face of a digital world filled with constant stimulation.

Educators are tasked with both delivering knowledge and trying to make it resonate with students. Research consistently shows that when students are actively engaged, they’re more motivated, achieve higher levels of understanding, and are more likely to retain what they’ve learned. 

But what exactly does “engagement” mean in the educational environment? It’s more than simply keeping students attentive; it’s about inspiring curiosity, collaboration, and creating a learning experience that feels both relevant and rewarding. 

In this blog, we’ll look into the challenges that can occur with student engagement, measuring techniques to adjust strategies and how to create a better learning environment that benefits both students and teachers. 

What is Student Engagement?

Student engagement refers to the level of interest, motivation and involvement a student displays in the learning process. It reflects a student’s active participation in class activities and a sense of connection to what they’re learning. A fully engaged student isn’t merely present, they’re mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally invested in understanding and applying the material. 

The Three-Dimensions Model, originated from research by Appleton and colleagues underlines a model for student engagement. The model has three core aspects, behavioural, cognitive and emotional, it has become foundational in understanding student engagement in educational psychology. 

Behavioural engagement focuses on the actions students take to participate in their learning. This can include attending classes regularly, contributing to discussions, asking questions, and completing assignments. Students who are behaviorally engaged demonstrate a commitment to their studies by being attentive and actively participating in class activities.

Cognitive engagement refers to the intellectual effort students put into understanding complex concepts, critical thinking and problem solving. Engaged students actively process new information, connect it with prior knowledge, and apply it in new contexts. 

Emotional engagement is linked to a student’s feelings toward the subject, the learning environment and their relationships with teachers and peers. When students feel a positive connection with their school or classroom, they are more likely to feel motivated and invested in their studies.

When students are fully engaged across these three aspects, they are more likely to show increased participation, motivation, and satisfaction. Engaged students are proactive in their studies, often taking on challenges and actively participating and collaborating in the classroom. 

Their motivation grows because they feel that learning is valuable and rewarding, which also increases their sense of satisfaction with the educational experience. This comprehensive engagement leads to not only better academic performance but also a more positive and fulfilling approach to learning.

 

6 Common Challenges in Student Engagement

 

Understanding challenges to student engagement is helpful in order to frame solutions to these. As mentioned above, we already know that short attention spans are an increasing problem with students, leading to students often struggling to maintain focus for extended periods of time. Below are some other common challenges based on classroom observations: 

 

  1. Lack of Relevance

    Students may disengage when they perceive the material as irrelevant to their lives for future goals. If they can’t connect lessons to real-world or personal interest, it’s likely that they will invest less effort in learning. 

  2. Overwhelming workload or lecture heaviness

    If lecturers talk to students for an hour off a presentation, it is likely that students will feel very unengaged and not retain attention for very long. The same happens if there is a heavy or poorly structured workload which can lead to cognitive overload, reducing motivation. If students feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start a task, their engagement can plummet. 

  3. Ineffective teaching methods

    Standardised testing or traditional lecture based approaches (one size fits all) methods often fail to cater to the diverse learning styles and needs of students. Interactive and differentiated teaching strategies are often more effective so students are not just memorising information for a test, but learning to apply their knowledge in various contexts, promoting deeper engagement with the material.

  4. The need for autonomy in learning 

    As students mature, their desire for autonomy in learning increases. Supporting self-directed learning by offering students control over aspects of their education can significantly boost engagement. Allowing students to choose their research topics, learning objectives and style will empower them to take ownership of their academic journey. 

  5. Monotony and lack of variety

    Repetition in teaching methods, classroom activities, or assessments can make the learning experience feel monotonous. Students often disengage when the environment lacks creativity or innovation.

  6. Classroom dynamics

    If the classroom is overly busy, loud, or a negative environment, this can reduce students from participating. On the other hand, a supportive and inclusive atmosphere encourages collaboration and involvement. 

 

An interesting study done by Cambridge University challenges the idea that a single “great teacher” can transform a student’s academic trajectory long term. Analysing data from 3,600 Australian students aged 8 – 15, it found that engagement fluctuates, especially during the transition to secondary school. Early positive teacher relationships had limited long-term effects, but school belonging, feeling respected by peers and teachers, strongly influenced engagement and academic outcomes. The findings stress the importance of consistent, inclusive environments to foster sustained engagement and success.

Effective Strategies to Improve Student Engagement

 

If teachers understand the challenges they can face when trying to engage students in their classroom, they can address the solutions to these challenges. The following strategies are suggestions to help improve engagement:

  1. Use active learning techniques:

    Encourage students participation through active learning strategies like group discussions, hands on activities, peer feedback, and theoretical games/quizzes. For example, replace traditional lectures with problem-solving workshops or case studies where students apply theoretical concepts. 

  2. Personalise learning experiences:

    This can be difficult for teachers with many students, but it is so much more beneficial for students. Studies by the RAND Corporation indicate that schools implementing personalised learning strategies saw improvements in student engagement. 

  3. Incorporation of technology and gamification:

    Integrating technology to make learning interactive and fun, tools such as Kahoot or Quizizz can gamify and encourage participation.  

  4. Encourage collaboration and group work:

    Emphasise collaborative learning through group projects and teams. Project based learning where students work together to solve real-world problems, foster teamwork, critical thinking, engagement and participation. They also help promote accountability. 

  5. Offer Numerous Versions of Activities:

    Offering students different versions of activities or assessments will help learn which material they engage the most with. 

  6. Create a reward system: 

    Introducing rewards tied to tasks, assessments or classroom activities can make learning more enjoyable and purposeful for students. Group rewards, in particular, can be highly effective. They encourage teamwork, as students motivate and remind each other to stay on track. 

 

Each strategy should focus on creating a dynamic, inclusive, and student centred learning environment to ensure engagement is not just achieved but sustained. 

 

Measuring Student Engagement and Adjusting Strategies

 

Effective student engagement doesn’t end with implementing strategies, it requires ongoing measurement and refinement to ensure positive outcomes. Teachers can use various tools and approaches to assess engagement levels and tailor their methods to better meet the needs of students. Here are some examples of how to do this. 

Leveraging data for tailored strategies

Data from attendance records, assessments, and classroom participation can provide valuable insights into how engaged students are with their learning. Patterns in attendance can reveal which courses or teaching methods resonate with students, while performance data from assignments and exams can indicate areas where engagement may be lagging. 

 

Methods of measure student engagement

  1. Feedback surveys: ask for students’ thoughts and feelings on courses. Surveys allow teachers to directly gather feedback and opinion about their learning experiences. Questions about classroom activities, teaching methods, or overall satisfaction provide actionable insights into what is working and what could be improved. 
  2. Attendance tracking: regular attendance (when not mandatory) is a strong indicator of behavioural engagement. Tools like Attendance Radar make attendance tracking seamless. Attendance Radar offers reports and statistics from attendance over courses and individual students attendance insights. With real-time insights, teachers can identify patterns, such as fluctuating attendance in specific courses or classes, and take steps to address this. 
  3. Performance Analysis: reviewing academic performance trends helps identify whether students are intellectually engaged. For example, declining grades in particular subjects may indicate a need for more interactive or personalised teaching strategies.
  4. Classroom observation: monitoring student’s body language, participation in discussions, and responses to various teaching methods can provide qualitative data on emotional and behavioural engagement. 

Attendance Radar - Classes

 

Once this data is collected, teachers can put into effect the strategies to improve student engagement. By continuously measuring and adjusting engagement strategies, educators can create a dynamic, responsive learning environment where students feel motivated and supported. This iterative approach not only fosters better academic outcomes but also builds a classroom culture that prioritises engagement and inclusivity.

Read this blog specifically on the best strategies for student engagement written by experienced teachers themselves. 

 

Conclusion

Student engagement in higher education can be a challenge due to many different factors, but by understanding barriers and implementing effective strategies, educators can create dynamic and inclusive learning environments.

 

Need help motivating students? Try implementing some of these strategies and tracking their impact. Tools like Attendance Radar make it simple to monitor student attendance and engagement trends, giving you the insights needed to refine your approach.

 

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