We understand student engagement to have behavioural, cognitive and affective dimensions, and congruent (“positive”) and oppositional (“negative”) manifestations of each of these. Our working definition, based on the literature, states that:
Student engagement is the investment of time, effort and other relevant resources by both students and their institutions intended to optimise the student experience and enhance the learning outcomes and development of students, and the performance and reputation of the institution.
The literature on student engagement shows clusters around three distinct foci, which we represent as axes along which individual initiatives or studies can be located according to their concern, or perspective, on that focus.
