Student Engagement: A Phenomenological Studyand Follow-up Survey

Dan Riordan, PhDProfessor of English, UW-StoutWendy S. KnutsonInstitutional Research Associate, UW-Stout

Student Engagement: A Phenomenological Studyand Follow-up Survey

Dan Riordan, PhDProfessor of English, UW-StoutWendy S. KnutsonInstitutional Research Associate, UW-Stout

UW-StoutMenomonie, WIUW-StoutMenomonie, WI

Malcolm Baldrige Award recipient - 20018417 students Student Faculty Ratio: 20:128 undergraduate majors

About 725 undergraduate courses29 programs

39 undergraduate minors15 graduate majors

18 programsColleges: Arts & Science, Human Development, Technology, Engineering and ManagementSchool of Education

Study OriginsStudy OriginsSummer 2005--“Targeted Project” assigned

Address areas of concern with NSSEEnhance student learning and engagement

Fall 2005--4-Phase plan createdQualitative Interviews--2005-2006Quantitative Survey--2006-2007Faculty Development Programs--2005, 2006, 2007Assess effect 2007-2008

TLC InvolvementTLC Involvement

Qualitative research experts on TLC board were closely involved in developing 05-06 interview study.

Justified use of methodHelped formulate questionsAssisted with selecting interviewees and conducting interviews

BPA investigated data and compiled report

Use of Qualitative StudyUse of Qualitative Study

Used to derive questions for 2006-2007 quantitative studyUsed as basis for summer workshopResults circulated to all faculty via US mail

Study DesignStudy Design

Known as a phenomenological study

“Describes the meaning of the lived experiences for several individuals about a concept or the phenomenon”

(Creswell)

Analyzing Phenomenological DataAnalyzing Phenomenological Data

Epoche – to refrain from judgment; to abstain from or stay away from the everyday, ordinary way of perceiving things.Phenomenological Reduction

Not only a way of seeing, but a way of listening with a conscious and deliberate intention of opening ourselves to phenomena as phenomena, in their own right.

Analyzing Phenomenological DataAnalyzing Phenomenological Data

Transcripts read multiple times in their entirety by investigator.

Comments related to engagement extracted All comments recorded and given

equal weight

Comments independently analyzed BPA office Faculty member/interviewer Graduate student with qualitative

research experience

Analyzing Phenomenological DataAnalyzing Phenomenological Data

Criteria for extracted commentsDoes it contain a moment of the experience that is a necessary and sufficient constituent for understanding it?Is it possible to abstract it and label it?Comments that did not meet the above criteria were eliminated.

Analyzing Phenomenological DataAnalyzing Phenomenological Data

Thematic DevelopmentThemes were representative of all participantsCommon themes compared from all reviewers BPA office responsible for final

selection and description of common themes

At least five responses were needed to identify a primary or secondary theme

ResultsResults

Six primary themes were identifiedRelationshipsEmpowermentApplicationPassion of the instructorAsking questionsOpenness to experience

Secondary themes were also developed

RelationshipsRelationships

To have your voice heard or to feel like you are having more of a conversation with the professor versus a lecture. I think it helps when the instructor knows your name to help you feel more connected with them.

EmpowermentEmpowerment

Here’s the subject. You get to choose how you want to go about doing this project.Where the instructor gives you that share in what we’re learning.

ApplicationApplication

Where I understand what the instructor is talking about and I’m remembering it to where I can use it later on.I also think that engagement is hands-on, minds-on basically, where you’re given an opportunity to actually practice what you’re taught.

The Passion of the InstructorThe Passion of the Instructor

You can just tell when an instructor really likes what they do.There is so much that goes along with being passionate about what you’re teaching.

Asking QuestionsAsking Questions

If you have questions, you’re not afraid to say, “Hey, I don’t understand something.” I would think the attitudes of the students change a lot because you know you’re not afraid to ask questions, you’re not afraid - none of the questions were stupid.

Openness to ExperienceOpenness to Experience

There’s an openness and respect for the environment that comes when people feel respected.An environment has to be set up as such where the players involved feel that their voice matters or that their voice is heard.

Survey DevelopmentSurvey Development

All statements extracted from interviews sent to members of TLC.

Indicated whether or not to use statement

Two versions piloted to students (n=122)

Original statements reduced to 29 plus two qualitative questions

Used four-point scale to indicate level of agreement

Survey DevelopmentSurvey Development

Questions were drawn from all six themes identified in the studyGrouped into 3 constructs

What is the instructor doing?What’s going on in the classroom?What am I doing?

Survey ResultsSurvey Results

Sent to random sample of 1240 UG full-time studentsAnswered by 640 students (51.6%)

ResultsResults

Highest mean ratings:I am more willing to participate in class when I feel my instructor respects me 97% agree/strongly agree Mean of 3.6 on a 4-point scale

I am accountable for my learning 98% agree/strongly agree Mean of 3.42 on a 4-point scale

ResultsResults

Differences by class status:Highest means reported by seniorsLowest means reported by juniors and freshmen28 of 29 questions saw means rise from freshman to sophomore, fall from sophomore to junior, and rise again from junior to senior.

ResultsResults

Most frequent responses to question about relationships:

Relationships related to group work/partner workBeing known/acknowledged by their instructor

ResultsResults

Most frequent responses to question about what happens in the classroom to influence engagement:

Teaching/learning stylesClass contentInteractions with instructor

Uses of StudyUses of Study

Letter to all faculty via US MailReports 6 themes Suggests pedagogical strategies

“Teacher Story” sessionsShare resultsCreate sense of community

Student-centered Institutes--Summers 2005, 2006, 2007Course Projects designed

Projects DevelopedProjects Developed

Group/project work, including on-lineInteractive lecturesProblem-based Learning

One faculty member converts in mid-semesterLeads to numerous presentationsPBL study group forms in 2006-7

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Projects based on relationships on-line

ImplicationsImplications

What does engagement look like?Does engagement cause learning?

What does engagement look like?What does engagement look like?

Answer is not clearExternal descriptors

Discussing, interacting

Internal descriptorsRespected, feeling changes, excited, safe, work to understand, accountable

Does Engagement Cause Learning?Does Engagement Cause Learning?

Answer is not clearPattern that emerges

Environment broadly defined as both physical and emotional and conceptualAttitudes and desiresWillingness

Requires further study on willingness

The Engagement PatternThe Engagement Pattern

Environment

creates

Attitude and Desires

cause

Desire and Willingness to Learn

Engagement CommentsEngagement Comments

Having a teacher that respects their students and what they say, makes me want to learn/participate more.

If they show me how important it is to them, I begin to realized that passion also. It keeps me focused on what we are learning and makes me want to learn and understand more.

Community of PracticeCommunity of Practice

Easy to relate to Community of Practice theoryElements of Community of Practice

Domain--the common ground that all members focus onCommunity--interactions and relationships based on trust and respectPractice--items that members are expected to know and be able to use (Wenger, et al)

It is via such communities that learning occurs. (Wenger)

The FutureThe Future

Continue to refine meaning of engagementContinue to refine pedagogy of engagementInvestigate effect on retentionInvestigate effect on [chosen aspect of] learningInvite replications of our study

ReferencesReferences

Creswell, John W. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions. (1998). Thousand Oaks: Sage.Knutson, Wendy S. Study of Student Engagement. (2006). Unpublished.Moustakas, Clark. Phenomenological Research Methods. (1994). Thousand Oaks: Sage.Wenger, Etienne, Richard McDermott, and William Snyder. Cultivating Communities of Practice. (2002). Boston: Harvard U.Wenger, Etienne. Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. (1998). Cambridge U.

For further information: For further information:

http://www.uwstout.edu/tlc/engagement.htmknutsonw@uwstout.eduriordand@uwstout.edu