Factors supporting the engagement of first-semester students in teacher education

Abstract

As the transition to higher education can be challenging for students, it is easy to see how the (partial) closure of higher education institutions during the Covid pandemic posed an even greater challenge to engaging in more self-regulated learning and connecting with faculty and peers. Building on Kahu & Nelson’s (2018) framework, the aim of our study is to better understand student engagement. In the autumn semester of 2020, students on two programmes at a Swiss University of Teacher Education participated in a survey (n=291). Overall, students reported rather low levels of engagement. Our analyses show that factors of the learning environment, such as missed contact with peers as well as educational interface variables (self-efficacy, enjoyment, belonging), can explain differences in engagement.

Keywords

• Student engagement; transition to university; first-year experience; social integration; emergency remote teaching