Elements of Engagement for Successful Learning

Authors

Amy Schweinle, The University of South DakotaFollow
Marcy F. Reisetter, The University of South Dakota
Valerie Stokes, The University of South Dakota

Abstract

In this research we sought to understand student practices, beliefs, and behaviors that led to positive engagement on campus. More specifically, we studied student engagement as a function of the individual within the contexts of classroom and university environment using a basic interpretive approach. First year students from a medium-sized, public, Midwestern university participated in interviews on engagement, the classroom, university, and community contexts. Results suggest that both personality and a sense of self influence students' levels of engagement. Students who had identified life goals and who sought related activities and relationships made greater use of university resources and felt more engaged. We propose ways in which instructors and universities can make simple changes that may help enhance the experience of all students.

Keywords

Engagement, Basic Interpretive Approach, College Students, Campus Environment, and Instruction

Publication Date

12-4-2009

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2009.1378

Recommended APA Citation

Schweinle, A., Reisetter, M. F., & Stokes, V. (2009). Elements of Engagement for Successful Learning. The Qualitative Report, 14(4), 773-805. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2009.1378