Student engagement and college students' future aspirations

Abstract

A large majority of research concerning student engagement focuses on the improvement of students' academic progress and success and increased student retention (Finn, 1989; Reschly & Christenson, 2012). A limited, almost non-existent research base exists on the importance of the less observable subtypes of student engagement such as student-teacher relationships, peer support at school and family support for learning and students' future aspirations; however, the research that has been conducted indicates their importance in understanding how students engage in learning environments. In this study, college students in the Midwest completed a 49 item online, questionnaire related to their perceived levels of student engagement and their future aspirations. The first objective was to identify the role of student engagement in predicting college students' future intrinsic versus extrinsic aspirations. Consistent with the study's hypothesis for research question one, two of three independent variables positively predicted college students' future aspirations and explained 5.8% of the variance in future intrinsic versus extrinsic aspirations, as measured by a RIEVO score. The second objective of this study was to test whether student generational status moderated the effects of student engagement in college students' future aspirations. Previous literature has suggested that generational status may determine college student success. These research results suggest that regardless of student generational status, the importance of the teacher-student relationship and family support for learning remain necessary components for all learners at university. Implications for teacher effectiveness and future research are discussed.