Factors Contributing to Students Engagement: A Case Study at the Institute of Medicine at SUT
Main Article Content
Abstract
In higher education, much attention has been focused on the enhancement of the educational experience, allowing students to successfully develop and thus make the most of not only their potential, but also the numerous other benefits education has to offer. Being engaged both institutionally and academically plays a vital part in developing their potential and performance. Therefore, this paper studied the engagement level towards the academics at the Institute of medicine. Factors contributing to institutional engagement were also analyzed. The participants include 229 medical students. Each participant was asked to answer a general demographic questionnaire, the Institute engagement questionnaire, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale–Student version (UWES-S) questionnaire, and a questionnaire of all relevant factors. Student engagement was assessed through statistical analysis. These included percentage, mean, standard deviation, and stepwise multiple regression of the constituent factors. The Institute engagement level was 3.73. Factors that significantly pertained to the engagement level were teachers (p = 0.01*), staff (p = 0.01*), friends (p = 0.02*), and seniors peers (p = 0.03*), respectively. Academic engagement was found to vary by the level of study. Medical students in their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years exhibited engagement levels of 4.94, 4.87, and 4.55, respectively. Given the group, students’ engagement toward the university was of a high level. The most important contributing factors were their relationship with teachers, staff, friends, and senior peers. However, the academic engagement level tended to decrease as study progressed. It was conjectured that this notable decrease resulted from increasing complexity in the program as specified by the curriculum. Positively engaged students better adapt to the academic context of higher education. Hence, they are much likely to succeed.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Ahlfeldt, S., Mehta, S., & Sellnow, T. (2005). Measurement and Analysis of Student Engagement in University Classes Where Varying Levels of PBL Methods of Instruction Are in Use. Higher Education Research & Development. 24(1):5-20.
Aldrup, K., Klusmann, U., Lüdtke, O., Göllner, R., & Trautwein, U. (2018). Student Misbehavior and Teacher Well-Being: Testing the Mediating Role of The Teacher-Student Relationship. Learning and Instruction. 58:126-136.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bauprea A., Chaiwaraporn C., & Pisitsak, S. (2016). Factors Affecting the Engagement of Graduate Students to Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University. Mahidol R2R e-Journal. 3(1):124-144.
Benbassat, J. (2014). Role Modeling in Medical Education: The Importance of a Reflective Imitation. Academic Medicine. 89(4): 550-554.
Blömeke, S., Olsen, R. V., & Suhl, U. (2016). Relation of Student Achievement to The Quality of Their Teachers and Instructional Quality. Teacher Quality, Instructional Quality and Student Outcomes. 2: 21-50.
Brew, A., & Mantai, L. (2017). Academics’ Perceptions of The Challenges and Barriers to Implementing Research-Based Experiences for Undergraduates. Teaching in Higher Education. 22(5): 551-568.
Cameron, K. S., & Spreitzer, G.M. (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship. Oxford University Press.
Carini, R. M., Kuh, G. D., & Klein, S. P. (2006). Student Engagement and Student Learning: Testing the Linkages. Research in Higher Education. 47(1): 1-32.
Casuso-Holgado, M. J., Cuesta-Vargas, A. I., Moreno-Morales, N., Labajos-Manzanares, M. T., Barón-López, F. J., & Vega-Cuesta, M. (2013). The association between academic engagement and achievement in health sciences students. BMC Medical Education. 13(1): 1-7.
Coates, H. (2007). A Model of Online and General Campus‐Based Student Engagement. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 32(2): 121-141.
Darling-Hammond L, & Lieberman A. (2013). Teacher Education Around the World: Changing Policies and Practices. British Educational Research Journal. 40(4): 743-745.
DiLullo, C., McGee, P., & Kriebel, R. M. (2011). Demystifying The Millennial Student: A Reassessment in Measures of Character and Engagement in Professional Education. Anatomical Sciences Education. 4(4): 214-226.
Dotterer, A. M., & Lowe, K. (2011). Classroom Context, School Engagement, and Academic Achievement in Early Adolescence. Journal of youth and adolescence. 40(12): 1649-1660.
Feldman, K. (1994). What matters in college? Four critical years revisited. Journal of Higher Education. 65(5): 615-622.
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School Engagement: Potential of The Concept, State of The Evidence. Review of educational research. 74(1): 59-109.
Furrer, C., & Skinner, E. (2003). Sense of Relatedness as A Factor in Children's Academic Engagement and Performance. Journal of Educational Psychology. 95(1): 148-162.
Great Britain. Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. (2011). Higher education: students at the heart of the system. Stationery Office. 79.
Henrie, C. R., Halverson, L. R., & Graham, C. R. (2015). Measuring Student Engagement in Technology-Mediated Learning: A Review. Computers & Education. 90: 36-53.
Hopper, M. K. (2016). Assessment and Comparison of Student Engagement in A Variety of Physiology Courses. Advances In Physiology Education. 40(1): 70-78.
Hopper, M. K., & Kaiser, A. N. (2018). Engagement and Higher Order Skill Proficiency of Students Completing a Medical Physiology Course in Three Diverse Learning Environments. Advances in Physiology Education. 42(3): 429-438.
Imlawi, J., Gregg, D., & Karimi, J. (2015). Student Engagement in Course-Based Social Networks: The Impact of Instructor Credibility and Use of Communication. Computers & Education. 88: 84-96.
Jollands, M., Hadgraft, R. G., Ward, L., & Grundy, I. (2005). Student Engagement in Project-Based Courses in First Year Chemical Engineering at Rmit University. 4th ASEE/AaeE Global Colloquium on Engineering Education; 2005: Australasian Association of Engineering Education.
Klem, A. M., & Connell, J. P. (2004). Relationships Matter: Linking Teacher Support to Student Engagement and Achievement. Journal of School Health. 74(7): 262-273.
Klemenčič, M. (2015). What is Student Agency? An Ontological Exploration in The Context of Research on Student Engagement. Student Engagement in Europe: Society, Higher Education and Student Governance. 20: 11-29.
Krause, K. (2005). Understanding and Promoting Student Engagement in University Learning Communities. Centre for the study of higher education, The university of Melbourne. 1:1-15.
Kuh, G. D. (2003). What We're Learning About Student Engagement From NSSE: Benchmarks for Effective Educational Practices. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning. 35(2): 24-32.
Kuh, G. D., Cruce, T. M., Shoup, R., Kinzie, J., & Gonyea, R. M. (2008). Unmasking the Effects of Student Engagement on First-Year College Grades and Persistence. The Journal of Higher Education. 79(5): 540-563.
Laing, C. L., & Laing, G. K. (2015). A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating Attrition in Online Courses. e-Journal of Business Education and Scholarship of Teaching. 9(2): 39-55.
Naing, C., Wai, V. N., Durham, J., Whittaker, M. A., Win, N. N., Aung, K., & Mak, J.W. (2015). A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Medical Students’ Perspectives on The Engagement in Research. Medicine. 94(28): e1089.
Natriello, G. (1984). Problems in the evaluation of Students and Student Disengagement from Secondary Schools. Journal of Research and Development in Education. 17(4): 14-24.
Newcomb, T. M. (1962). Student Peer-Group Influence. In N. Sanford (Ed.), The American College: A Psychological and Social Interpretation of The Higher Learning. New Jersey, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Nordenbo S, Larsen, M., Wendt, R., & Østergaard, S. (2019). Teacher Competences and Pupil Learning in Pre-School and School–A Systematic Review Carried Out for The Ministry of Education and Research, Oslo. Semantic Scholar. [Online]. Available: www.semanticscholar.org.
Nukrob, M., Jaruwan, S., Annop, P., & Suchada, S. (2014). Institutional Commitment of Students in Dhurakij Pundit University. SUTHIPARITHAT. 28(88): 255-270.
Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2006). How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research. Journal of College Student Development. 47(5): 589-592.
Pickering, J. D., & Swinnerton, B.J. (2018). Exploring the Dimensions of Medical Student Engagement with Technology‐Enhanced Learning Resources and Assessing the Impact on Assessment Outcomes. Anatomical Sciences Education. 12(2): 117-128.
Reyes, M. R., Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., White, M., & Salovey, P. (2012). Classroom Emotional Climate, Student Engagement, and Academic Achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology. 104(3): 700-712.
Schaufeli, W. B. (2017). General Engagement: Conceptualization and Measurement with the Utrecht General Engagement Scale (UGES). Journal of Well-Being Assessment. 1(1-3): 9-24.
Schaufeli, W. B., Martinez, I. M., Pinto, A. M., Salanova, M., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). Burnout and Engagement in University Students: A Cross-National Study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. 33(5): 464-481.
Senior, C., & Howard, C. (2014). Learning in Friendship Groups: Developing Students’ Conceptual Understanding Through Social Interaction. Frontiers in psychology. 5: 1031. 1-8.
Sheard, J., Carbone, A., & Hurst, A. J. (2010). Student Engagement in First Year of An ICT Degree: Staff and Student Perceptions. Computer Science Education. 20(1): 1-16.
Skinner E. A., & Belmont, M. J. (1993). Motivation in the Classroom: Reciprocal Effects of Teacher Behavior and Student Engagement Across the School Year. Journal of Educational Psychology. 85(4): 571-581.
Trowler, V. (2010). Student Engagement Literature Review. The Higher Education Academy. 11(1): 1-15.
Wang A. H., Coleman A. B., Coley R. J., & Phelps R. P. (2003). Preparing Teachers around the World. New Jersey, NJ: Policy Information Center Educational Testing Service.
World Health Organization [WHO]. (2019). People-Centered Health Care: A Policy Framework WHO: Geneva. 2014. [Online]. Available: www.iris.wpro.who.int/handle/10665.1/5420.
Zepke, N., Leach, L., & Butler, P. (2010). Engagement in Post‐Compulsory Education: Students' Motivation and Action. Research in Post‐Compulsory Education. 15(1): 1-17.