Student engagement in higher education

The goal of this study is to examine student engagement in higher education and the factors affecting it. The study was designed according to the exploratory sequential design from mixed-method research. Eight faculties (Pharmacy, Literature, Education, Science, Law, Economics and Administrative Sciences, Communication Sciences and Engineering) from Anadolu University are determined as the universe. In this context, the Student Engagement Scale in Higher Education (SESHE) was developed and later administrated to a composed of 1327 students. According to the findings of t-Test, ANOVA and frequency analysis, some individual characteristics, gender (female), faculty (Faculty of Education) and the average time allocated to academic studies weekly, contributed positively and significantly to the sub-dimensions' and total engagement scores generally. According to the findings of multiple and binary logistic regression analyses, the model established with sub-dimensions of engagement explained 6.0% of student achievement and the second model in which individual characteristics were controlled explained 27.1% of student achievement. However, the model established with engagement sub-dimensions explained 23.3% of the odds of being satisfied with the university experience, while the second model in which individual characteristics were controlled explained 29.4%. Finally, the model established with engagement sub-dimensions explained 8.1% of the odds of pursuing postgraduate education, while the second model in which individual characteristics were controlled explained 15.6%. At the end of the research, various measures were recommended to researchers, practitioners (the institution) and policymakers based on the discussions and the results of the study.