Student learning experiences in higher education in Hong Kong:
An investigation of students’ experiences of academic engagement in relation to the affective dimension of learning

Abstract

Academic engagement is positioned as an important determinant of student success in higher education for it is positively linked with academic performance and other positive qualities such as Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and students’ wellbeing.
The positive link between academic engagement and PsyCap, as a positive psychological capacity, also indicates the importance role of the affective dimension of learning in influencing students’ academic engagement, however this dimension is under-represented in the current literature. Adopting a mixed methods approach, this study aims to examine the process of academic engagement in relation to the role of the affective dimension of learning, particularly in terms of students’ experiences and perception of their engagement in study. The present study was conducted in a private university in Hong Kong, where 270 students participated in a self-reported survey and 20 of them in the subsequent semi-structured interviews. Findings from the survey indicated a positive and reciprocal relationship between academic engagement and PsyCap that the two constructs have mutually influenced each other. The interview findings revealed the influence of various affective elements in promoting students’ academic engagement, which were characterised by affective-cognitive processes as students reported their experiences in detail. All these findings substantiate the influence of the affective dimension of learning on students’ academic engagement and expand the current understanding of academic engagement in higher education students, adding to the body of knowledge in the extant literature. It is hope that findings from the present study would illuminate possible avenues for educators to develop appropriate practices to promote academic engagement and the subsequent academic performance in university students.