What drives Student Engagement in higher education? Exploring key demographic, institutional and personal variables
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66561/sehej.v7i3.1441Keywords:
Student Engagement, Higher Education, Institutional Variables, Teacher-Taught Relationship, Personal Factors, Achievement MotivationAbstract
Student engagement is widely recognized as a significant factor influencing academic and developmental outcomes in higher education. Student engagement has thus become a significant consideration for educators both as a means of understanding student behavior and performance and for addressing student needs – individually and through system-wide efforts. Against the backdrop of the massification and diversification of Indian higher education, coupled with persistent concerns regarding learning outcomes and employability, the present study has been designed to examine the factors shaping student engagement and to inform contextually relevant interventional measures. The study investigates demographic, institutional and personal variables that may predict student engagement in higher education by using differential analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis on data collected from 553 students. The key predictors included demographic variables such as gender, socioeconomic status, locale, institutional variables, namely, Modes of Curriculum Transaction and Organizational Culture and Ambience, and personal variables such as Lifestyle, Achievement Motivation, and Perceived Relevance of Curriculum. Findings revealed a non-significant influence of demographic variables (except for gender) on student engagement. The regression model explained 30.5% of the variance in student engagement by institutional and personal variables. Institutional variables demonstrated greater predictive strength, jointly accounting for 21% of the variance, while personal variables explained an additional 10%. The findings accentuate the pivotal role of institutional practices in shaping student engagement and offer a pathway for educational stakeholders to design interventions to engagement of students in higher education.
Downloads
References
Altbach, P. G. (2015). India: The inevitable consequences of the open door in higher education. International Higher Education, (80), 6–7.
Arum, R., & Roksa, J. (2011). Academically adrift: Limited learning on college campuses. University of Chicago Press.
Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297–308.
Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college? Four critical years revisited. Jossey-Bass.
Bansal, R. (2019). Student engagement practices in Indian higher education institutions. University News, 57(18), 14–20.
Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for quality learning at university (4th ed.). Open University Press.
Bond, M., Bedenlier, S., Marín, V. I., & Händel, M. (2020). Emergency remote teaching in higher education: Mapping student engagement during COVID-19. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17(1), 1–24.
Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The skillful teacher: On technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Byrom, T., & Cawkwell, J. (Eds.). (2023). The Teaching and Learning Challenges of 21st-Century Higher Education: Prioritising Pedagogy. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
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. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-005-8150-9
Coates, H. (2005). The value of student engagement for higher education quality assurance. Quality in Higher Education, 11(1), 25–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538320500074915
Coates, H. (2006). Student engagement in campus-based and online education: University connections. Routledge.
Decelles III, G. L., Bovill, C., & Lundmark, A. M. (2025). The same, but different: Teacher and student experiences of partnership. Student Engagement in Higher Education
Denovan, A., Dagnall, N., Macaskill, A., & Papageorgiou, K. (2020). Future time perspective, positive emotions, and student engagement: A longitudinal study. Studies in Higher Education, 45(7), 1533–1546. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1616168
Dubey, R. (2018). Curriculum reforms and quality concerns in Indian higher education. University News, 56(14), 12–18.
Duckworth, A. L., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2006). Self-discipline gives girls the edge: Gender in self-discipline, grades, and achievement test scores. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(1), 198–208.
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept and state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059
Ghbari, T., Albadareen, G., Al-smadi,R. & Damra, J. (2024). The mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between self-determination motive and academic engagement among undergraduate students. Participatory Educational Research (PER), 11(3), 43-58.
Grant, M., & Hallman, K. (2008). Pregnancy-related school dropout and prior school performance in South Africa. Studies in Family Planning, 39(4), 369–382.
Gupta, S., & Nagpal, R. (2021). University Student Engagement Scale: Development and Validation in Indian Context. MIER Journal of Educational Studies Trends and Practices, 11(2), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.52634/mier/2021/v11/i2/1903
Haldar, R., & Kumar, K. (2024). Academic engagement in relation to academic resilience: A study of undergraduate students. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 5(3), 640–646.
Healey, M., Flint, A., & Harrington, K. (2014). Engagement through partnership: Students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education. Higher Education Academy.
Hladík, J., Martincová, J., & Vávrová, S. (2025). Engagement, self-efficacy and self-regulation as predictors of academic success in non-medical healthcare students. BMC Medical Education, 25, Article 80434.
Hockings, C., Cooke, S., & Bowl, M. (2007). Academic engagement within a widening participation context—a 3D analysis. Teaching in Higher Education, 12(5–6), 721–734.
Hou, A. Y. C. (2020). Student engagement in higher education internal quality assurance in Asia: Taiwan's experience. In S. S. B. Chu & H. G. S. Tsai (Eds.),
Hu, S., & Kuh, G. D. (2002). Being (dis)engaged in educationally purposeful activities: The influences of student and institutional characteristics. Research in Higher Education, 43(5), 555–575.
India Skills Report. (2023). India skills report 2023: Youth employability trends. CII Wheebox.
Johnson, D. R., Soldner, M., Leonard, J. B., Alvarez, P., Inkelas, K. K., Rowan-Kenyon, H., & Longerbeam, S. (2007). Examining sense of belonging among first-year undergraduates from different racial/ethnic groups. Journal of College Student Development, 48(5), 525–542. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2007.0054
Joshi, K. M., & Ahir, K. V. (2019).Higher Education in India: Issues Related to Access, Equity, Efficiency, Quality and Internationalization.Academia: An International Journal of Higher Education Policy Network, No. 14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26220/aca.2979
Kahu, E. R. (2013). Framing student engagement in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 38(5), 758–773. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.598505
Kahu, E. R., & Nelson, K. (2018). Student engagement in the educational interface. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(1), 58–71.
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. (2009). The National Survey of Student Engagement: Conceptual and empirical foundations. New Directions for Institutional Research, 141, 5–20.
Kumar, K. (2005). Political agenda of education: A study of colonialist and nationalist ideas (Rev. ed.). Sage Publications India.
Kumar, L. (2011). Indian higher education system: Emerging issues and challenges in the context of globalization. In A. Maheshwari (Ed.), Indian Higher Education and Globalization (pp. 132–141). New Delhi: Gagandeep Publications.
Kumar, R., & Kumar, N. (Eds.). (2018). Higher Education in India. New Delhi:Atlantic Publishers.
Malik, G. & Annalakshmi, N. (2022). Turning challenges into opportunities: Flexible learning pathways in Indian higher education. New Delhi:NIEPA.
Matthews, K. E., Cook-Sather, A., & Healey, M. (2023). Student–staff partnership and student engagement: Advancing learning through collaboration. Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, 5(2), 45–60.
Maunder, R. E., Cunliffe, M., Galvin, J., Mjali, S., & Rogers, J. (2023). Listening to student voices: Psychological needs and engagement in higher education. Active Learning in Higher Education, 24(2), 143–158.
Mehta, A. C. (2019). All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2018-19: A critical analysis. Ministry of Education.
Ministry of Education, Government of India. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Government of India.
Nambissan, G. B. , & Rao, S. S. (Eds.). (2013). Sociology of education in India: Changing contours and emerging concerns. Oxford University Press.
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). (2016). Engagement insights: Survey findings on the quality of undergraduate education. https://nsse.indiana.edu
Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: A third decade of research (Vol. 2). Jossey-Bass.
Pianta, R. C., Hamre, B. K., & Allen, J. P. (2012). Teacher-student relationships and engagement: Conceptualizing, measuring, and improving the capacity of classroom interactions. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 365–386). Springer.
Quin, D. (2017). Longitudinal and contextual associations between teacher–student relationships and student engagement. Review of Educational Research, 87(2), 345–387. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316669434
Rajpriya, K. (2025). NEP 2020: Bridging India's Skill Gap in Higher Education. IJRDO - Journal of Educational Research, 11(2), 46–52.
Reddy, G. L., & Sinha, S. (2019). Teaching–learning processes in Indian higher education: Trends and concerns. Higher Education for the Future, 6(2), 220–235.
RISE Programme. (2022). State of higher education in India: Evidence from institutional reforms. Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE).
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67.
Schaufeli, W. B., Martínez, 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.
Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101832.
Sharif-Nia, H., Marôco, J., She, L., Narula, S., Ma, L., Kaveh, O., … Ghahrani, N. (2024). University Student Engagement Inventory: Validation in the Indian online learning context. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 57(4), 351–363.https://doi.org/10.1080/07481756.2023.2301287
Sharma, B. R., & Bhaumik, P. K. (2013). Student Engagement and Its predictors: An exploratory study in an Indian business school. Global Business Review, 14(1), 25-42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150912
Sharma, S. , & Verma, P. (2020). National Education Policy 2020: Reimagining the future of higher education in India. International Journal of Educational Management and Policy, 12(4), 45–59.
Shulman, L. S. (2002). Making differences: A table of learning. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 34(6), 36–44.
Singh, A. K., & Srivastava, S. (2014). Development and validation of student engagement scale in the Indian context. Global Business Review, 15(3), 505-515. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150914535137
Smith, J., & Rodriguez, L. (2022). Equity, inclusion and engagement in higher education classrooms. Teaching in Higher Education, 27(6), 789–804.
Shrivstva, S.K. & Shrivastva, C. (2024). New reforms in Indian higher education: Rethinking the education model. Indian Journal of Social Science and Literature, 4(1), 42-48.
Thomas, L. (2012). Building student engagement and belonging in higher education. Higher Education Academy.
Thomas, L. (2019). ‘I am happy just doing the work….’ Commuter student engagement in the wider higher education experience. Higher Education Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12243
Tight, M. (2023). Student engagement in higher education: A critical review. Routledge.
Tilak, J. B. G. (2015). Higher education in India: In search of equality, quality and quantity. Orient BlackSwan.
Tinto, V. (2012). Completing college: Rethinking institutional action. University of Chicago Press.
Tinto, V. (2017). Through the eyes of students. Journal of College Student Retention, 19(3), 254–269.
Trowler, V. (2010). Student engagement literature review. The Higher Education Academy. https://www.heacademy.ac.uk
Umbach, P. D., & Wawrzynski, M. R. (2005). Faculty do matter: The role of college faculty in student learning and engagement. Research in Higher Education, 46(2), 153–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-004-1598-1
UNESCO. (2020). Global education monitoring report: Inclusion and education – All means all. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373718
Varghese, N. V. (2019). Self-financing courses in public institutions. In India Higher Education Report 2018. SAGE Knowledge.
Varghese, N. V., & Malik, G. (2016). India higher education report 2015: Equity. Sage Publications India.
Varghese, N. V., & Sabharwal, N. S. (2017). India Higher Education Report 2016: Equity. SAGE Publications.
Wang, Y., & Zhang, W. (2024). The relationship between college students' learning engagement and academic self-efficacy: a moderated mediation model. Frontiers in psychology, 15, 1425172. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1425172
Wang, Y., Derakhshan, A. , & Johnson, B. (2023). Exploring positive teacher-student relationships: The synergy of teacher mindfulness and emotional intelligence. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1301786. Frontiers in Psychology.
Warikoo, R. (2025). Enhancing Student Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement through Gamification Techniques. Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, 7(2), 41–65. Retrieved from https://sehej.raise-network.com/raise/article/view/1266
Watts, A. G., & Fretwell, D. H. (2004). Public policies for career development: Case studies and emerging issues for designing career information and guidance systems in developing and transition economies. World Bank.
Wilson, R. (2010). Improving student engagement. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com
Wong, Z. Y., Liem, G. A. D., Chan, M., & Datu, J. A. D. (2024). Student engagement and its association with academic achievement and subjective well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 116(1), 48–75
World Bank. (2019). Skilling India: No time to lose. World Bank.
Zepke, N. (2015). Student engagement research: Thinking beyond the mainstream. Higher Education Research and Development, 34(6), 1311–1323. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2015.1024635
Zepke, N., & Leach, L. (2010). Improving student engagement: Ten proposals for action. Active Learning in Higher Education, 11(3), 167–177. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787410379680
Zhang, A., & Aasheim, C. (2011). Academic success factors: An IT student perspective. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 10, 309–331. https://doi.org/10.28945/1518
Zhoc, K. C. H., Webster, B. J., King, R. B., Li, J. C. H., & Chung, T. S. H. (2019). Higher education student engagement scale (HESES): Development and psychometric evidence. Research in Higher Education, 60(2), 219–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-018-9510-6.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
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).
