Contents
Presenters
Dr Maria Dymova – Senior Lecturer in Mathematics (Education)
Paper
This presentation aligns with the conference sub-themes by exploring ways to identify students at risk, understand common causes of student disengagement and foster inclusion by early intervention and tailored support. The presentation also shares experience of engagement-enhacing teaching strategies, e.g., active learning, project-based assessments, and student-led assessment design.
Why do students disengage—and how can we bring them back? This presentation explores a proactive, data-informed approach to improving attendance and participation through early intervention. Drawing on a four-year experience of one growing academic programme at City St George’s, the session begins by examining the complex, often hidden reasons students disengage: financial pressure, mental health challenges, digital overload (Selwyn, 2022), a lack of belonging (Kuh et al., 2011), and systemic inequalities in higher education (Reay, 2018). Using attendance tracking, analytics from our VLE, and direct outreach, we identified patterns and key risk points across the academic year.
Rather than wait for formal assessments or missed deadlines, staff trialled structured early interventions—timely, personal contact with disengaged students at important points throughout the academic year. These conversations focused not on reprimanding absence, but on listening, understanding barriers, and connecting students with tailored support.
By shifting the question from “why aren’t they coming?” to “what’s stopping them?”, we gained powerful insight into the lived realities of our students. This informed a responsive model of teaching and support that adapts to student needs rather than expecting students to adapt to the institution.
On the other hand, we also focus on pedagogical strategies that actively foster engagement and motivation. These include flipped learning, which balances motivation with cognitive load (Abeysekera & Dawson, 2015); active learning, which has been shown to significantly enhance performance in STEM fields (Freeman et al., 2014); project-based learning and authentic group work (Sridharan, Tai & Boud, 2019); and co-designed assessments, which promote ownership and partnership (Bovill, 2020). Together, these approaches aim to create an inclusive and stimulating environment where students feel empowered, connected, and eager to participate.
Attendees will:
1. Identify common indicators of early disengagement using data sources such as attendance logs, VLE analytics, and assessment participation.
2. Understand the root causes of student non-engagement through a synthesis of institutional data and qualitative feedback from early interventions.
3. Design and implement effective early intervention strategies, including personalised outreach, needs-based support, and proactive academic guidance.
4. Apply evidence-informed practices to improve engagement, linking data analysis with pedagogical responses that foster inclusion, motivation, and retention.
What Attendees Will Gain: This session provides a data-driven overview of what works in engaging City students, offering practical takeaways for educators. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of engagement issues at City, their underlying causes and possible remedies.
References
Abeysekera, L. & Dawson, P. (2015) ‘Motivation and cognitive load in the flipped classroom: Definition, rationale and a call for research’, Higher Education Research & Development, 34(1), pp. 1-14.
Bovill, C. (2020) ‘Co-creation in learning and teaching: The case for a whole-class approach in higher education’, Higher Education, 79(6), pp. 1023-1037.
Freeman, S., Eddy, S.L., McDonough, M., Smith, M.K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H. & Wenderoth, M.P. (2014) ‘Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), pp. 8410-8415.
Kuh, G.D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J.H. & Whitt, E.J. (2011) Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. 2nd edn. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Reay, D. (2018) Miseducation: Inequality, education and the working classes. Bristol: Policy Press.
Selwyn, N. (2022) ‘The future of AI and education: Some cautionary notes’, European Journal of Education, 57(4), pp. 620–631.
Sridharan, B., Tai, J. & Boud, D. (2019) ‘Does group assessment promote genuine teamwork?’, Higher Education Research & Development, 38(7), pp. 1456-1469.
Wilson, K. & Korn, J.H. (2007) ‘Attention during lectures: Beyond ten minutes’, Teaching of Psychology, 34(2), pp. 85-89.
