Investigating student engagement in Malaysian higher education: a self-determination theory approach

ABSTRACT

Often, student engagement in higher education (HE) is viewed from a structural perspective, which reduces the role of student agency. This mixed methods study thus focuses on investigating what engages students in HE through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT), in order to better understand the internal processes of engagement in individual students. In Phase 1, through a survey distributed to 838 students in four higher education institutions in Malaysia, it was revealed that perceived sense of autonomy, competence and belonging provided a crucial framework for understanding what is important for student engagement in HE. Further analysis revealed significant differences between what students believed as important for engagement, and what they actually do (actions), affirming how engagement is invariably a joint product of student motivation and the availability of support in the HE context. Conclusions from this study highlighted the importance of establishing the basic psychological needs of SDT, namely; competency, autonomy and relatedness in HE in order to create a supportive and conducive learning environment in HE for enhancing and sustaining student engagement. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Higher education
• student engagement
• self-determination theory (SDT)
• Malaysia

Acknowledgments

We warmly thank the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research, Sarawak Malaysia for funding the project this article is based on, and all our research partners in the three participating institutions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Notes

1. CGPA – Cumulative grade point average.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research Sarawak.

Notes on contributors

Ida Fatimawati binti Adi Badiozaman

Assoc. Prof. Ida Fatimawati binti Adi Badiozaman is the Head of School of Design and Arts, in the Faculty of Business, Design and Arts in Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Malaysia. Her current research interests cover teacher education, academic identity and student engagement in higher education. Her recent publications include: ‘What sustains the novice teacher: The role of goal fusion’ (2019), ‘Rethinking English language education in Malaysia: navigating rhetoric and reality’ (2019) and ‘Students’ perception and use of English in higher education institution’ (2019).

Hugh Leong

Hugh Leong is a lecturer, in the Faculty of Business, Design and Arts in Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Malaysia. His current research interests include testing and assessment, student engagement and leadership and management in higher education. His recent publications include ‘Students’ perception and use of English in higher education institutions’ (2019) and ‘Narratives of English language teachers on the implementation of School-Based Assessment (SBA) in Sarawak, Malaysia’ (2019).

Olivia Jikus

Olivia Jikus is an officer in the Student engagement unit in Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Malaysia. Her current research includes student retention and engagement in higher education institution through learning management systems. Her recent publications include ‘Students’ perception and use of English in higher education institutions’ (2019)’.