The Role of Emotional Engagement in Lecturer-Student Interaction and the Impact on Academic Outcomes of Student Achievement and Learning

Abstract

Engagement has been studied as a multidimensional construct consisting of three subtypes: behavioral, cognitive, and emotional (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004). Among these, behavioral engagement has received the most and emotional engagement, the least attention (Fredricks et al., 2004). The current study thus aimed to examine the relationship between lecturer-student interaction, emotional engagement (specifically affective reactions expressed within the classroom), and academic outcomes (such as, student achievement and learning) in a sample of 140 undergraduate psychology students (M = 24, F = 116). Participants were randomly assigned to one of the experimental conditions (i.e., good vs. poor lecturer-student interaction) and completed the Lecturer-Student Interaction (LSI) questionnaire, Class-related Emotions Questionnaire (CEQ), Perception of Learning (POL) Questionnaire, and two measures of academic achievement. Individuals who shared a good interaction with their lecturer reported higher levels of emotional engagement compared to those who shared poor interactions with their lecturers. In addition, while emotional engagement failed to mediate the pathway between lecturer-student interaction and academic achievement, it was found to partially mediate lecturer-student interaction and student learning. The present findings highlight the significance of emotional engagement in enhancing learning outcomes in students.