Examining the relationship between student’s engagement and socioeconomic background in higher education

Authors

  • Olga Tzafea UNIVERSITY OF IOANNINA

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute an analysis of student engagement as a key predictor of academic performance, persistence and retention in higher education and consequently academic success. Issues of engagement and developing a sense of belonging lie at the heart of both retention and study success. The research aims to examine students’ academic and social engagement on the basis of socio-economic family background, analyzed through Bourdieu-inspired capital approach in HE studies, which explains various forms of inequalities and exclusions of students in HE, related to entry experience, participation and peer support or interaction. Statistical analysis data and semi-structured interviews show that there is a strong relationship between socio-economic family background and student engagement demonstrating that persistent social inequalities affect student success. Research results support that academic success strategies have to account for socioeconomic factors, aside from institutional or individual drivers, as a result of the increasing heterogeneity of students and growing attendance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2021-02-25

How to Cite

TZAFEA, O. (2021). Examining the relationship between student’s engagement and socioeconomic background in higher education. Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, 3(2), 141–157. Retrieved from https://sehej.raise-network.com/raise/article/view/1021

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2021)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

a.  Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

b.  Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

c.  Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).