Exploring faculty perceptions through qualitative research and the Community of Inquiry framework
Imagine a classroom where students are present but disengaged, where attendance doesn't translate to learning, and where educators struggle to bridge the invisible gap between physical presence and mental absence. This isn't a hypothetical scenario—it's the daily reality in many educational institutions, where student disengagement has become a persistent challenge with far-reaching consequences.
of educators recognize student engagement as a critical metric for academic success 2
of students report being highly engaged, but only 45% of teachers share this positive assessment 2
Recent research reveals that while 93% of educators recognize student engagement as a critical metric for academic success, there's widespread uncertainty about what genuine engagement looks like and how to sustain it 2 . Even more concerning: while 63% of students report being highly engaged, only 45% of teachers share this positive assessment—revealing a significant perception gap in our educational system 2 .
At the heart of this challenge stand faculty members, the frontline observers of student engagement who possess invaluable insights into why students connect or disconnect with their learning.
This article delves into a qualitative exploration of faculty perceptions of student engagement, revealing what educators truly think about this crucial aspect of teaching and learning. Through their eyes, we can begin to understand the complex dynamics of classroom engagement and identify pathways toward more meaningful educational experiences for all students.
Student engagement represents the energy, effort, and attention students invest in their educational experiences. But what does this look like through faculty eyes? Recent surveys show that educators disagree fundamentally about the top indicators of engagement.
While 72% of teachers point to students asking thoughtful questions as the strongest indicator, 54% of superintendents prioritize performance on assessments—nearly twice the rate of teachers who see tests as valuable engagement metrics 2 .
This disconnect reveals that engagement is a multidimensional concept that extends far beyond simple classroom participation. The Community of Inquiry framework, which grounds several studies on this topic, identifies three essential elements that create an engaging educational experience:
The ability of students to project themselves as real people in their learning community
The extent to which learners can construct meaning through sustained reflection and discourse
The design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes to achieve learning outcomes
Qualitative research approaches this complex topic by seeking deep, nuanced understanding rather than statistical generalizations. Through methods like interviews, focus groups, and open-ended surveys, researchers can capture the rich perspectives and lived experiences of educators who navigate engagement challenges daily 9 . This methodological approach allows faculty to express not just what they observe, but how they interpret these observations and what strategies they believe effectively foster genuine student investment in learning.
To understand how researchers investigate faculty perceptions of student engagement, we can examine a qualitative study conducted in 2022 that explored online faculty members' views at community colleges in a Western U.S. state. This research provides a perfect case study of how qualitative methodologies uncover the nuanced realities of educational dynamics 8 .
The study was grounded in the Community of Inquiry framework, which posits that social, cognitive, and teaching presences are critical to engagement and online learning 8 .
Ten online faculty members were carefully selected to provide diverse perspectives across different departments and experience levels.
Researchers administered an in-depth qualitative survey featuring open-ended questions that allowed faculty to describe their experiences in their own words, rather than forcing them into predetermined categories.
The responses were analyzed through manual coding in multiple stages, allowing themes to emerge organically from the faculty descriptions rather than being imposed by researcher assumptions.
The analysis uncovered several compelling insights about how faculty perceive student engagement:
Faculty members universally valued and promoted student engagement, recognizing its importance in online learning environments 8 .
Despite this commitment, most faculty did not foster learning communities or provide specific information about teaching strategies to enhance engagement.
While faculty members' home institutions offered some support, they lacked formal training programs or comprehensive online faculty development programs specifically addressing engagement strategies.
Perhaps the most significant finding was the gap between faculty recognition of engagement's importance and their systematic approach to fostering it.
| Perception Area | Faculty View | Implied Need |
|---|---|---|
| Importance of Engagement | Universally valued as critical | More strategic approaches needed |
| Learning Communities | Rarely fostered systematically | Training on community-building techniques |
| Institutional Support | Available but insufficient | Structured professional development programs |
| Teaching Strategies | Rarely specified or standardized | Sharing of evidence-based practices |
Table 1: Faculty Perceptions of Online Student Engagement Challenges
Without structured support and development opportunities, even well-intentioned educators struggled to implement consistent, effective engagement strategies across their online courses.
Qualitative research in education requires specific methodological tools to ensure rigorous and meaningful results. For researchers investigating complex topics like faculty perceptions, having the right "tools" in their methodological toolkit is essential. These approaches allow investigators to capture the richness and complexity of human experience in educational settings.
| Research Method | Primary Function | Application in Engagement Research |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth Interviews | Capture detailed individual perspectives | Explore faculty understanding of engagement indicators |
| Focus Groups | Generate collective insights through discussion | Identify shared challenges in fostering student engagement |
| Qualitative Surveys | Gather open-ended responses from larger samples | Collect detailed examples of engagement strategies across disciplines |
| Coding & Thematic Analysis | Identify patterns across qualitative data | Uncover common themes in faculty perceptions and experiences |
Table 2: Essential Qualitative Research Methods for Studying Faculty Perceptions
Allow researchers to explore individual faculty narratives in rich detail, uncovering personal theories about what drives student engagement.
Create spaces where educators can build on each other's insights, potentially revealing institutional patterns that might not emerge in one-on-one conversations.
Enable researchers to gather perspectives from a broader range of faculty while still maintaining the depth that comes from open-ended responses.
Through structured coding procedures, researchers transform raw qualitative data into meaningful insights. This typically involves multiple passes through the data—first identifying discrete ideas, then grouping these into categories, and finally developing broader themes that capture the essence of faculty perceptions. This rigorous approach ensures that findings genuinely reflect faculty voices rather than researcher assumptions 9 .
The insights gleaned from qualitative studies of faculty perceptions have significant implications for educational practice and policy. Research reveals that while teachers and administrators both value engagement, they often lack a shared framework for recognizing and measuring it. This alignment gap may explain why only 60% of teachers report that their schools have clear systems for measuring engagement, compared to 99% of superintendents who believe such systems exist 2 .
| Stakeholder Group | Primary Engagement Indicator | Institutional Alignment Need |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers | Asking thoughtful questions (72%) | Shared metrics that value classroom interactions |
| Administrators | Performing well on assessments (54%) | Recognition of multiple engagement pathways |
| Students | Learning interesting, relevant content | Opportunities to explore personal interests |
| Parents | Attendance and grades | Better communication about classroom experiences |
Table 3: Engagement Perception Gaps Across Educational Stakeholders
Schools must create opportunities for faculty and administrators to collaboratively develop a common language and framework for recognizing student engagement that extends beyond superficial indicators.
The finding that institutions rarely provide formal training on fostering engagement 8 highlights the need for specialized faculty development programs that address engagement strategies specific to different learning environments.
Including faculty perspectives in institutional planning ensures that engagement initiatives reflect classroom realities rather than top-down assumptions.
The potential benefits of addressing these gaps are substantial. Recent data shows that when students have teachers who make them excited about the future—a key engagement indicator—they report significantly higher levels of preparedness and wellbeing 5 . By bridging the gap between faculty perceptions and systematic support, educational institutions can create more engaging, effective learning environments that benefit all students.
The qualitative exploration of faculty perceptions of student engagement reveals a crucial insight: even when educators recognize the importance of engagement, they often lack the systematic support, shared frameworks, and specialized training needed to effectively foster and sustain it in diverse learning environments. The disconnects between different educational stakeholders—teachers, administrators, students, and parents—further complicate efforts to create consistently engaging learning experiences.
As educational institutions continue to navigate post-pandemic challenges, including persistently high chronic absenteeism , the faculty perspective becomes even more valuable.
By listening to these frontline voices and responding with targeted support, collaborative framework development, and evidence-based strategies, we can transform engagement from an abstract concept into a tangible reality in every classroom.
The path forward requires honoring faculty insights while providing the structural support needed to translate perception into practice. As one research participant noted, the ultimate goal is creating educational environments where engagement is not just valued but systematically cultivated through shared understanding and evidence-based approaches 8 . In such environments, both faculty and students can thrive, bridging the engagement gap that too often separates educational potential from lived reality.
References will be added here in the required format.