Earlier this year, Wonderlic and the Imagine America Foundation (IAF) teamed up to jointly conduct a research project on factors that influence student engagement.
Results from this study will be used to develop educational benchmarks of student attitudes, opinions, performance, and satisfaction. These benchmarks will provide schools with ideas and markers to help their students have the best overall educational experience possible.
More than 4,000 students nationwide in four categories participated in the study which focused on the real impact of student and school characteristics on student success. Our analyses suggest that both school and student characteristics affect educational outcomes. To improve student outcomes, schools need the right resources and they need to select the right students.
Our analyses found that if schools support their students, educate them about loan repayment, and engage them in the classroom, then students are also more likely to have more positive educational outcomes. For example, such students are more likely to graduate, are more likely to be up to date with their loan payments, and are more likely to secure gainful employment within their field of study.
It is not surprising that engaged learners have more positive educational outcomes. Indeed, students who invest in their learning demonstrate great success inside the classroom. However, it may be surprising that schools can do a great deal to increase student engagement.
We hope you were able to attend the full presentation on this material at the 2012 APSCU Conference. If not, stay tuned for a full report which will be published in the coming months.
