Do Changing Times Call for Changing Definitions?

Dynamic Definitions of Disengagement as a Response to Trauma from the COVID Pandemic

Abstract

Scholars have noted changes in student engagement following the return to university classes after the COVID-19 lockdowns. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of higher education instructors regarding student engagement over the past three years. The research team shared a link to an electronic questionnaire to recruit participants (n=108). Questions focused on common signs of disengagement and asked faculty about changes they perceived in students’ engagement prior to, during, and following the lockdowns. Following the return to classes, late work was perceived most often to signify disengagement. Behaviors participants interpreted as “student disengagement” are consistent with previously proposed definitions of post-traumatic stress. Although more research is needed to fully understand the phenomenon of student disengagement, it is likely educational practices within institutions of higher learning need to change to meet the needs of today’s students.