I am engaged, therefore my students are satisfied! Unleashing the role of teachers' interaction and sensitivity based on self-determination perspective

Abstract

PurposeStudents' satisfaction is termed as their subjective evaluation of the fulfillment of expectations and pleasure experienced from the teaching services. This study intends to examine the role of teachers' work engagement in inculcating students' satisfaction from their teachers taking a self-determination perspective. It moreover highlights the underlying mechanisms of teacher–student interaction and teachers' sensitivity.Design/methodology/approachWe used 278 valid and matched responses from teachers and students of higher secondary/intermediate/degree colleges operating in Pakistan through multi-stage sampling. The data were gathered in three waves and multiple mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS model 4 to analyze the data and infer results.FindingsThe results revealed that college teachers' work engagement (i.e. vigor, dedication and absorption) is required to create their willingness and motivation to invest in effective pedagogical decisions and inculcate students' satisfaction. This engagement, in turn, improves their interaction with students and makes them more sensitive in meeting the needs of students that causes students to have satisfying educational experiences.Originality/valueThis research has taken a unique standpoint of considering teachers' engagement as a precursor of students' satisfaction, in contrast to the prior focus on assessing the role of institutional dynamics, demographics and teachers' competence. It has also unraveled the role of teachers' sensitivity and student–teacher interaction in the above-mentioned association based on self-determination theory (SDT). Moreover, it has emphasized the teaching dynamics and its outcomes in the college sector instead of the much-examined university and school settings.

Work placement learning and student employability: Do student satisfaction, commitment and achievement matter?

“…Student satisfaction is defined as the feeling of pleasure or fulfilment that students obtain from the educational services and experience received (Bilal et al, 2020). It is the level of satisfaction that students have with their programme of study.…”

Digitalisation and work well-being: a qualitative study of techno-work engagement experiences related to the use of educational technology

“…The literature has identified of positive outcomes of teachers' work engagement, which has been associated with a lower intention to quit the profession (Skaalvik and Skaalvik, 2016), higher student satisfaction (Bilal et al ., 2020). Prior results concerning technostress indicate that it is also associated with several teaching-related outcomes, such as poorer work performance (Li and Wang, 2021), lower intention of to use educational technology (Joo et al ., 2016) as well as less adoption and use of digital textbooks (Verkijika, 2019).…”

Student satisfaction on lecturers’ effectiveness, efficiency and productivity: Malaysian education landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…In the context of an academic institution, students are service consumers, and as far as student satisfaction is concerned, it is shaped by experiences of students having used the facilities of a campus, the perceived performance quality in terms of teaching and services rendered, the university’s reputation and attributes of the social community. Regardless of the activities that take place in a university, effective teaching is considered crucial and the most important stakeholders to be the torchbearers of service provision would be its lecturers (Bilal et al, 2021) .…”

“…Effective teaching in the e-learning realm has to do with a few factors, namely, expertise in using e-tools to enhance learning, student interaction and creating an innovative and comfortable atmosphere to cultivate closer relationships between students and lecturers (Coman et al, 2020) (Hamdan et al, 2021) Research has shown a positive correlation between online learning provided and its effectiveness, it is said to be just as effective and better in certain situations compared to the traditional face-to-face teaching because in situations where students are introverted, shy and easily intimidated, they were able to learn better (Condon and Ruth-Sahd, 2013). However, most students are studying in isolation through e-learning, thus the lecturer’s active, positive interaction and sensitivity towards students would be a determining factor in enhancing their satisfaction (Bilal et al, 2021) (Rogers and Smith, 2011).…”