Vol. 46 No. 1 (2024)
Varia

Varia

Factors supporting the engagement of first-semester students in teacher education

Published 2024-06-03

  • Franziska Zellweger
    • ,
  • Taiga Brahm
    • ,
  • Mirjam Kocher

Franziska Zellweger
Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich

Taiga Brahm
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Mirjam Kocher
PH Zürich

Abstract

As the transition to higher education can be challenging for students, it is easy to see how the (partial) closure of higher education institutions during the Covid pandemic posed an even greater challenge to engaging in more self-regulated learning and connecting with faculty and peers. Building on Kahu & Nelson’s (2018) framework, the aim of our study is to better understand student engagement. In the autumn semester of 2020, students on two programmes at a Swiss University of Teacher Education participated in a survey (n=291). Overall, students reported rather low levels of engagement. Our analyses show that factors of the learning environment, such as missed contact with peers as well as educational interface variables (self-efficacy, enjoyment, belonging), can explain differences in engagement.

Keywords

Student engagement; transition to university; first-year experience; social integration; emergency remote teaching

PDF

Author Biography

Franziska Zellweger

Franziska Zellweger, PhD, is Professor for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at Zürich University of Teacher Education (Switzerland). Her research interests revolve around student transition into university, curriculum development and team learning.
Zurich University of Teacher Education, Centre for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Lagerstrasse 2, CH-8090 Zürich
Email: franziska.zellweger@phzh.ch

Taiga Brahm

Taiga Brahm, PhD, is Professor Economic Education at the University of Tuebingen (Germany). Her research interests focus on learners’ competence development and students’ transition from school to academic studies or vocational training. Furthermore, she investigates how (inter)disciplinary competencies can be promoted in economic learning environments and curricula.
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Lehrstuhl für Ökonomische Bildung und Wirtschaftsdidaktik, Melanchthonstr. 30, D-72:074 Tübingen
Email: taiga.brahm@uni-tuebingen.de

Mirjam Kocher

Mirjam Kocher, PhD, researches and teaches at Zurich University of Teacher Education (Switzerland) on the topics of competence development, teaching quality and classroom videography.
Zurich University of Teacher Education, Centre for Teaching Professions and Continuing Professional Development, Lagerstrasse 2, CH-8090 Zürich
Email: mirjam.kocher@phzh.ch