Student engagement in university studies: A comparative analysis between Bolivia and Spain

Abstract

Introduction. Academic engagement involves the active and sustained participation of students in their learning process, exerting a notable influence on various educational variables such as academic performance or dropout rates. This research aims to achieve three objectives: (1) detect or validate effective questionnaires to assess engagement in Spain and Bolivia, (2) employ these questionnaires to evaluate this construct in both contexts, and (3) assess potential cultural differences. Method. A valid instrument has been identified in the Spanish context and underwent a validation process in Bolivia with the participation of four expert judges and 222 students. This instrument was used to assess levels of engagement in both contexts involving 627 students (350 from UTEPSA and 277 from UCM). Results. The results reveal acceptable levels of engagement, with significant differences observed between the two contexts: lower values in the Spanish context, where one out of three students showed negative scores. Discussion. These findings give rise to several hypotheses regarding the observed differences, prompting the development of an instrument that can assess the causes of engagement, as well as the implementation of pilot psychoeducational interventions to enhance this construct.