Student Engagement in Blended Service Mathematics Courses

Project introduction and background information

During the past decade, research in higher education has been increasingly focused on investigating student engagement. Numerous studies showed that the construct of student engagement was associated with positive learning outcomes, including motivation, achievement, and retention. Therefore, several interventions, course designs, and instructional methods have been developed to facilitate student engagement.

While the term “student engagement” has been broadly used, there seems to be a lack of consensus in research on the definition of the term and how the term is conceptualized. Furthermore, the absence of a clear definition and apt methodology for assessing engagement is considered a major barrier to the further advancement of the field. Therefore, the current project is interested in examining various definitions of student engagement or lack thereof used in past research. In doing so, we aim to formulate a clear definition of student engagement in mathematics learning and identify ways to measure and support engagement-related processes in PRIME courses effectively.

Objective and expected outcomes

A systematic literature review using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guideline is being conducted to investigate how student engagement has been conceptualized and measured in service mathematics courses. The various indicators and facilitators of engagement in mathematics learning will be identified and organized into a conceptual model. The results of the review will provide insights for the development of mixed-methods studies to examine and enhance student engagement in various contexts of mathematical learning in PRIME courses. 

Results and learnings

The desired outcome of the project is to develop guidelines to better assess and support student engagement within the context of service mathematics in engineering education.