Teaching in University Settings: Vignettes of Student Engagement

Abstract

As access to tertiary education has increased worldwide, the importance of understanding the complexities of student engagement has become progressively evident. Yet, studies on student engagement are frequently abstract, and commonly informed by statistics on completion rates. Understandings of student engagement at the micro-engagement level are often sparse. The current study utilised Innsbruck Vignette Research (IVR) to explore and explain student engagement at a micro-engagement level across multiple subject fields. Four exemplary vignettes were extracted from a dataset of 22 vignettes, collected at tertiary institutions in Austria and South Africa. Data were collected in statu nascendi (as it emerges) during lectures on music, education, physics, and mathematics. Findings foreground the importance of classroom climate, emotional atmosphere, and intimate interaction interfaces between lecturers and students. Findings furthermore suggest inordinate pressure on lecturers for engagement and propose increased advocacy for student agency in the student engagement equation.