Study Engagement in Higher Education: Conceptual Diversities, Theoretical Models, and Current Trends
Study Engagement in Higher Education: Conceptual Diversities, Theoretical Models, and Current Trends

Summary/Abstract: Study engagement is defined as a positive academic disposition characterized by students’ levels of vigor, dedication, and absorption in learning processes. This concept provides a key explanatory framework for understanding university students’ academic achievement, psychosocial adjustment, and satisfaction with their higher education experiences. Within the perspective of positive psychology, study engagement is conceptualized not only as observable academic behaviors but also as a holistic construct that encompasses students’ psychological investment in learning. In this review, study engagement is examined through theoretical approaches and recent empirical findings. Prominent theoretical models of student engagement are examined through four primary lenses: contextual perspectives (e.g., Tinto’s Theory of Academic and Social Integration and Stage–Environment Fit Theory), affective perspectives (e.g., Flow Theory), institutional perspectives (e.g., Student Involvement Theory), and motivational perspectives (e.g., Achievement Goal Theory and Self-Determination Theory), in addition to Kahu’s integrative holistic framework. Moreover, recent studies on momentary student engagement conceptualize engagement as a dynamic, context- and time-sensitive process rather than a stable trait. In the context of Turkish higher education, the growing number of students, increasing dropout rates, and youth unemployment have made study engagement a critical issue. Therefore, examining the conceptual and theoretical foundations of study engagement provides an essential contribution not only to academic achievement and persistence but also to students’ psychosocial adjustment and post-graduation life satisfaction.

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