Engagement as resilience: a synthesis of student engagement

Dr Katherine WimpennyProfessor Maggi Savin-BadenSonia Lal

The context and research aims

•This paper will present the findings of a qualitative research synthesis.

• It will focus on key themes in the literature relating to a picture of practice and effects on student engagement.

What is qualitative research synthesis?A process of combining qualitative studies that:

▫Are located in broadly the same tradition (Major and Savin-Baden 2010).

▫Use thick description.

. . . to make sense of themes and issues across a particular data set.

The QRS process• Identify area of research and research question.• Identify and collate qualitative studies related to the

research question across a large area of literature.• Examine the theories and methods used in each

study in-depth.• Compare and analyze findings for each study. • Synthesize the findings for each study.• Undertake an interpretation of findings across the

studies. • Provide recommendations.

Selecting the data set

• Scanning total (2, 530) for qualitative research and thick description.

• 56 papers identified– appraised in terms of study quality (Critical Review Form, Letts et al 2007)▫Author, context, sample, methodology (with congruous methods e.g. data collection, analysis) researcher stance, thick description.

• 9 papers finally accepted.

Methods, Perceptions

and Concepts

Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 And so

on…

Sample

Setting

Methodology

Methods (to inc. data

collection, analysis)

Thick description

Notion of validity

Positioning of

researcher

Themes and concepts

Analysis of articles

Authors

Level II themes

Expressed engagement Alienation (isolation)

Transition, identity shifts, worldview

Bailey & Garner, 2010

Staff perceive mature students to have ‘negative emotional connotations’

Not relevant Formative feedback, tutor perception of ‘feeding-forward’

Bryson & Hand, 2007

Yes, for some a passion for subject & a desire to learn. For others tutor response ‘rude’, ‘lacking integrity’

Injustice students feel re: staff attitudes

Student recognition of shifting level of study & (strategic) responsibility

Case, 2007 ‘Kind of exciting’ to ‘suffering’

Study takes over your whole life, no to social invitations

Disconnection from family

Interpretation

•More than comparison and aggregation of studies.

•Translating information to a higher level whilst still maintaining data integrity.

Then: Collate cross study findings and critique in relation to

original research question.

Findings

The findings indicate a focus in the literature on:

• Inter-relational engagement.•Engagement as autonomy.•Emotional engagement.•Engagement and disjunction.

Aspects from the latter 2 (including their subthemes) will now be shared . . .

Emotional engagement

• By this we are referring to how students were seen to committo and encounter their studies in relation to the subject area, discipline and wider HE experience.

• Students interest and enthusiasm for their subject was a motivator. Of more significance were students who persisted despite the ‘joyless slog’, the inner discomfort, the ‘suffering’, ‘drudgery’ and the diminished passion for their discipline / subject. What became apparent was the student’s own remarkable persistence (Barnett, 2007).

Emotional engagement:Resistance and resilience

• Resistance – In the context of emotional engagement this links to the sense of struggle and conflict students contended with (e.g. Kettle, 2011).

• Resilience - this speaks of student commitment, endurance and pursuit of goal attainment (e.g. Case, 2007).

..almost daily I was stretched beyond my comfort zone, it was difficult and I was

constantly made aware of my weaknesses(Case et al, 2010)

When you do anything else apart from studying, actually you are wasting

time’ (Case, 2007)

I get clammy palms and my heart beats really fast because I’m putting myself out on the line and putting up new ideas that are new to me and just

totally vulnerable to criticism and to attacks(Kettle, 2011)

Connection and disjunction

By this we refer to how certain students study approachesreflected an ease of connection, which served to spur them on.

For others, disjunction was more prevalent , a lack of connection or separation between thought and action. These students also persisted, for some, the disjunction was externalised as a lack of support from others.

Connection and disjunction: Relevance, alienation & injustice • Relevance – This relates to credible, connected learning

which was internalised and memorable. For some it was enhanced through reflection (e.g. Paulus et al., 2006).

• Alienation – In the context of disjunction, alienation refers to how students felt isolated within or from a group or activity to which they felt they should belong (e.g. Haggis & Pouget, 2002;).

• Injustice – this subtheme also relates to disjunction, it reflects an externalised cynicism and sense of unfairness (e.g. Houston et al., 2008).

In Thailand, there’s no problem if a student just sits

and listen but here I don’t have any participation in

class just like I am nobody. It’s very hard and

uncomfortable’(Kettle, 2011)

When I started I felt all over the place. I wasn’t organised at all. I kept trying to get organised but then I fell behind the others … I remember thinking to myself, I’m just going to get a job (laugh). I just want away, Iwant to get out of here … Maybe I had got myself into something that I wasn’t ready for(Haggis & Pouget, 2002)

‘The thing is, learning chem eng is not fun, it really isn’t like, it’s tons and tons of maths, and all you have to do is work, and it takes over your whole life’ (Case, 2007)

Reflections on QRS method...

•Concern regarding the number of qualitative studies rejected through the sampling process and critical review.

•Conducting QRS was labour intensive but revelatory.

•Engagement as resilience emerged as a powerful theme. It warrants further research and funding support to consider its resonance with, or dislocation from other students experiences across the disciplines.