A Study on Antecedent of Student Engagement and the Implication of Education Technology in the Higher Education Sector in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The student engagement is long researched, yet a complex concept. Researchers have found a significant relationship between learning outcome and the student engagement. The seminal work in student higher education research, the theory of involvement, has given the researcher the theoretical underpinning on the student engagement. Though the concept of engagement has been revolving in and around the teaching and learning environment, the holistic view to understand student engagement requires more focus. Also, Educational technology is considered to be one of the greatest tools for the higher education institutions to achieve their multi- dimensional objectives. However, with the increasing complication in the overall higher education landscape, studies argue that higher education institutions do not seem to have a clear strategy for a meaningful educational technology engagement with students. With this broader context, this study aims to explore the holistic view in conceptualizing the antecedent variable in the development of the student engagement concept in the higher education sector in Sri Lanka and the educational technological influence over the holistic constructs in the student engagement factors. A thematic literature review followed by a regression analysis will be used to reach the findings of the study. Astin's theory of involvement (1983) is the key underpinning theory of this study and this study attempts to investigate the involvement of the teaching and learning environment to enhance the student engagement. The academic teaching and learning environment included the large spectrum of university and the academic challenges, peer collaboration among students and the student capabilities of understanding the environment. In order to get the educational technological influence to the student engagement, the conceptual framework has been extended with the education technology variable based on the typology analysis of education technology which is proposed by Bower & Torrington, (2020).