Student engagement in higher education: Examining Mozambican students' first-year experience and perceptions
Keywords:
Student Engagement, Student-staff interaction, Active and collaborative learning, First-year experience, Supportive learning environment, Challenges, Educational OutcomesAbstract
Improving the student learning experience in higher education requires an overarching approach towards integrating academic activities that are deemed relevant in promoting a high-quality experience and student success. No less important is improving our understanding of what it is like to be a student. Underpinned by the student engagement framework, we conducted a survey of 293 undergraduate first-year students from a university in Mozambique to examine the different ways in which students perceive and experience social and academic integration during the first year of their studies. In particular, the study measures students’ levels of engagement and educational outcomes. It also seeks to understand the students’ perceptions of the quality of the social and learning environment and their respective satisfaction with their experience. The findings indicate both low and moderate levels of engagement in the selected benchmarks of effective educational practices. Outcome measures such as departure intention and student satisfaction are also highlighted. The students in our study experienced a rather supportive learning environment with good relationships with teachers, peers, and administrative personnel. However, the typical challenges of first-year students, including their academic workload, time management, and difficult assessment tasks, were also reported while they were transitioning to university studies.
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