Student Engagement in an Online Class

Abstract

The present study used descriptive research design to assess student engagement in an online class of a city college in Southern Philippines. It underscored the critical role of student engagement in shaping the various educational outcomes in an online learning environment. A sample of 239 college students were randomly selected to respond to a researcher-made questionnaire, which was pilot-tested and passed the test of validity and reliability. With at least two years’ experience of attending online classes that started during the COVID-19 era, the students’ Internet profile was characterized as having used cellphones and phone Internet to attend online classes and having spent more than 2 to 4 hours daily on the Internet for non-academic purposes. The findings of this study have further shown that the students are engaged in the cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains of online learning. Using the Kruskal-Wallis test for Likert-scale data, no significant difference was found in student engagement in an online class when grouped according to access to Internet, time use of Internet for non-academic purpose, and types of gadgets used. Based on these findings, the study has recommended the following: a) the use and mastery of teaching strategies that promote active listening, asking direct questions to the teachers, greater talking time of the students, and more interaction between teacher and students; and b) the use of breakout rooms in an online classroom for small group discussions and greater collaborative learning among students.