EXPLORING HOW STUDENTS VIEW THEIR ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT IN AN ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Keywords:
Academic Engagement, Online Learning, Online Learning environementAbstract
Online learning has experienced a surge in popularity, particularly among higher education institutions. It reduces a substantial number of obstacles associated with university attendance. Furthermore, it may incur fewer financial expenses and be unrestricted by issue time or location. Nevertheless, the majority of students must make preparations in order to adjust to the learning process. They remain oblivious to the repercussions of online education that demand self-regulated learning. This research examines students' perspectives concerning their academic engagement in the online learning setting. Twelve students enrolled in a private higher education institution willingly contributed to the research as respondents. The information was gathered via a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews which were subjected to qualitative data analysis. Four dimensions of academic engagement were identified through the research: behavior online engagement, cognitive online engagement, affective online engagement, and social online engagement. The students' perspectives featured in this article can serve as a basis for developing interactive online learning environments in higher education by emphasizing the students' backgrounds and characteristics.