Why are students' self-initiated contributions important(?) A study on agentic engagement

Abstract

This article is part of a broader research project on student engagement, achievement goals, and autonomy support in higher education. This observational study presents a categorization of students’ self-initiated contributions for learning. For this purpose, an observation form was developed and implemented in both a large and a small course delivered by the same professor. The research question was “Which students’ verbal contributions in lecture-based courses are aligned with the concept of agentic engagement?” This question also aimed to explore the premise that agentic behavior is performed differently by male and female students in small and large courses. Each self-initiated contribution was classified, counted, and described, and then compared between courses. The findings revealed that (1) expected self-initiated contributions were the most observed ones in both courses, and (2) the number and type of contributions were different regarding student’s gender and class size. The paper concludes with recommendations to advance the state of research on agentic engagement.