Faculty of Education researchers publish study on student engagement

Prof. Josephine Deguara and Dr Jonathan Borg from the Faculty of Education, together with Professor João Marôco Universidade Lusófona (Portugal), Natallia Bahdanovic Hanssen and Trygve Kvåle Løken Nord University, (Norway) co-authored a publication of their latest research in the Mediterranean Journal of Education, 6(2), 111-128: Assessing Student Engagement in Higher Education: Validation of the University Student Engagement Inventory among Maltese University Students.

The study is the first to validate the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI) within the Maltese higher education context. Drawing on data from University of Malta students, the findings demonstrate that the USEI is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring behavioural, emotional, and cognitive dimensions of student engagement. The research also found that higher levels of student engagement are associated with stronger academic performance and lower intentions to withdraw from university studies.

The publication represents a collaborative effort between researchers from the University of Malta, Universidade Lusófona (Portugal) and Nord University (Norway), highlighting the value of international research partnerships in advancing evidence-informed higher education practice.

This important contribution provides higher education institutions with a robust tool for assessing student engagement and informing initiatives that promote student success, wellbeing, and retention. The Faculty of Education congratulates the authors on this significant achievement.