Alienation, agency and authenticity: a synthesis of the literature on student engagement

Abstract

In recent years a number of authors have undertaken extensive reviews of the international research literature to investigate student engagement in higher education. This paper presents the findings of a study that undertook a project to synthesise the qualitative research literature systematically, through the use of qualitative research synthesis. The concepts and themes that have recurred across the student engagement literature which are discussed in terms of four themed approaches to student engagement. c The challenges and opportunities of using the methodology are presented along with providing a number of recommendations for further research regarding integrated approaches to student engagement.

Participatory parity and epistemological access in the extended curriculum programmes

“…Analysis was first done through the lens of student engagement, following the useful categories described by Wimpenny and Savin-Baden (2013) in their synthesis of student engagement research. The paper synthesises students' experiences of engagement drawing from a number of selected papers, and identifies a number of trends in research, for example: engagement as the forming of multiple relations amongst students, between students and tutors and the careers they are aiming at (interrelational engagement); engagement as a process of changing agency in which students begin to experience themselves as more competent and self-sufficient in their fields of study; emotional engagement in which the primary pointers are student resilience and persistence; and engagement as sharing connections or disjunctions between students and others, often with strong undertones of social justice perceptions.…”

“…This would surely be a strong motive for students to participate in class, what Wimpenny and Savin-Baden (2013) refer to as inter-relational engagement through a connection of study to career.…”

“…Although there are illustrations of care and the creation of safe spaces, some students may experience learning through participation as "alienating" (Case 2007) or as something different to their own lifeworld that in a sense does injustice to them (Wimpenny and Savin-Baden 2013). Students thus talk of fear of being "shouted at," of being seen as stupid by their peers (particularly where the peers seem to have understood the task) or of not having the appropriate English to form an answer, which is likely to be the case where the medium of instruction (English) is not the first language of many of students:…”

“…Much has been written about student engagement in university studies, for example in tutorials (Kuh et al 2008;Tinto 2006), and some of the main trends enabling/disabling successful engagement have been identified by Wimpenny and Savin-Baden (2013) and more locally in South Africa by Case (2007) .…”

Using the QFD Matrix as a Major Continuous Improvement Tool to Improve Organizational Quality

“…The lens is one of looking at student engagement in terms of achieving learning outcomes; yet, the literature also suggests more person-centred concerns such as inter-relational engagement, engagement as autonomy, emotional engagment and engagement as connection and disjunction that go beyond the traditional academic perspective (Wimpenny & Savin-Baden, 2013).These suggest the complexity of engagement that concern student motivation and agency, how they engage with academic staff and other students, how conducive the learning environment is and active citizenship concerning the students' and HEIs' ability to work togetgher to enable challenges to social beliefs and practices (Zepke & Leach, 2010). These environmental and personal variables guide the direction of the QFD analysis.…”