Though being behaviorally active in the classroom is associated with attractive outcomes, many college students are disengaged. This study examines potential correlates of classroom engagement. Across two waves of data collection, with the second wave providing an internal replication challenge, three variables were consistently related to active classroom engagement. Higher self-esteem, less texting while driving, and lower externally oriented thinking predicted self-report of classroom engagement. Together, the three variables accounted for sixteen percent of the variance in engagement. Adding a fourth variable, gender, led to twenty percent of the variance in engagement being explained.
Bagby, R. M., Parker, J. D. A., & Taylor, G. J. (1994). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale-I: Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38, 23–32. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(94)90005-1
Bagby, R. M., Watters, C., Ayearst, L. E., Morariu, R. A., & Taylor, G. J. (2014). The internet administration version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Psychological Assessment, 26, 16–22. doi: 10.1037/a0034316.supp
Braxton, J. M., Jones, W. A., Hirschy, A. S., & Hartley, H. V., III. (2008). The role of active learning in college student persistence. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 115, 71–83. doi: 10.1002/tl.326
Brennan, A. (1985). Participation and self-esteem: A test of six alternative explanations. Adolescence, 20, 445– 466.
Brint, S., Cantwell, A. M., & Hanneman, R. A. (2008). The two cultures of undergraduate academic engagement. Research in Higher Education, 49, 383-402. doi: 10.1007/s11162-008-9090-y
Broeckelman-Post, M., Johnson, A., & Schweback, J. R. (2016). Calling on students using notecards: Engagement and countering communication anxiety in large lecture. Journal of College Science Teaching, 45, 27-33. doi: 10.2505/4/jcst16_045_05_27
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822–848. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Conner, J., & Pope, D. (2013). Not just robo-students: Why full engagement matters and how schools can promote it. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 42, 1426–1442. doi: 10.1007/s10964-013-9948-y
Downs, C. T., & Wilson, A. L. (2015). Shifting to active learning: Assessment of a first-year biology course in South Africa. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 27, 261–274. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1082860
Eddy, S. L., Brownell, S. E., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Gender gaps in achievement and participation in multiple introductory biology classrooms. CBE - Life Sciences Education, 13, 478–492. doi: 10.1187/cbe.13-10-0204
Feldman, G., Greeson, J., Renna, M., & Robbins-Monteith, K. (2011). Mindfulness predicts less texting while driving among young adults: Examining attention- and emotion-regulation motives as potential mediators. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 856–861. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.07.020
Fischer, M. J. (2007). Settling into campus life: Differences by race/ethnicity in college involvement and outcomes. Journal of Higher Education, 78, 125–161. doi: 10.1080/00221546.2007.11780871
Fritschner, L. M. (2000). Inside the undergraduate college classroom: Faculty and students differ on the meaning of student participation. Journal of Higher Education, 71, 342–362. doi: 10.2307/2649294
Handelsman, M. M., Briggs, W. L., Sullivan, N., & Towler, A. (2005). A measure of college student course engagement. Journal of Educational Research, 98, 184–192. doi: 10.3200/JOER.98.3.184-192
Harris, P., Hines, E., Kelly, D., Williams, D., & Bagley, B. (2014). Promoting the academic engagement and success of black male student-athletes. The High School Journal, 97, 180-195. doi: 10.1353/hsj.2014.0000
Hayashi, Y., Foreman, A. M., Friedel, J. E., & Wirth, O. (2018). Executive function and dangerous driving behaviors in young drivers. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 52, 51–61. doi: 10.1016/j.trf.2017.11.007
Heeok, H., Leppisaari, I., & Lee, O. (2018) Exploring learning culture in Finnish and South Korean classrooms. The Journal of Educational Research, 111, 459-472. doi: 10.1080/00220671.2017.1297924
Howard-Hamilton, M. F. (2000). Creating a culturally responsive learning environment for African American students. New Directions for Teaching and Learning (No. 82, pp. 55-65). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. doi: 10.1002/tl.8205
Hsu, C. F., & Huang, I. T. (2017). Are international students quiet in class? The influence of teacher onfirmation on classroom apprehension and willingness to talk in class. Journal of International Students, 7, 38–52. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1125721
Hu, S., & Kuh, G. D. (2002). Being (dis)engaged in educationally purposeful activities: The influences of student and institutional characteristics. Research in Higher Education, 43, 555. doi: 10.1023/A:1020114231387
Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2005). Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Medicine, 2, e124. doi: 10.1080/09332480.2019.1579573
Kenny, M. E., & Donaldson, G. A. (1991). Contributions of parental attachment and family structure to the social and psychological functioning of first-year college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38, 479–486. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.38.4.479
Kerr, S., Johnson, V. K., Gans, S. E., & Krumrine, J. (2004). Predicting adjustment during the transition to college: Alexithymia, perceived stress, and psychological symptoms. Journal of College Student Development, 45, 593–611. doi: 10.1353/csd.2004.0068
Kim, Y. K., & Lundberg, C. A. (2016). A structural model of the relationship between student–faculty interaction and cognitive skills development among college students. Research in Higher Education, 57, 288–309. doi: 10.1007/s11162-015-9387-6
Kim, Y., & Sax, L. (2009). Student-faculty interaction in research universities: differences by student gender, race, social class, and first-generation status. Research in Higher Education, 50, 437-459. doi: 10.1007/s11162-009-9127-x
Kindermann, T.A. (2007). Effects of naturally existing peer groups on changes in academic engagement in a cohort of sixth graders. Child Development, 78, 1186-1203. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01060.x
Kirkpatrick-Johnson, M., Crosnoe, R., & Elder, G. H. (2001). Students’ attachment and academic engagement: The role of race and ethnicity. Sociology of Education, 74, 318-340. doi: 10.2307/2673138
Lleras, C. (2008). Race, racial concentration, and the dynamics of educational inequality across urban and suburban schools. American Educational Research Journal, 45, 886-912. doi: 10.3102/0002831208316323
Maxwell, S. E., Lau, M. Y., & Howard, G. S. (2015). Is psychology suffering from a replication crisis? What does “failure to replicate” really mean? American Psychologist, 70, 487–498. doi: 10.1037/a0039400
Morrison, T. L., & Thomas, M. D. (1975). Self-esteem and classroom participation. Journal of Educational Research, 68, 374–377. doi: 10.1080/00220671.1975.10884805
National Research Council. (2004). Engaging schools: Fostering high school students’ motivation to learn. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/10421
Parker, J. D. A., Austin, E. J., Hogan, M. J., Wood, L. M., & Bond, B. J. (2005). Alexithymia and academic success: Examining the transition from high school to university. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 1257– 1267. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2004.08.008
Reason, R. D., Terenzini, P. T., & Domingo, R. J. (2006). First things first: Developing academic competence in the first year of college. Research in Higher Education, 47, 149–175. doi: 10.1007/s11162-005-8884-4
Robins, R. W., Hendin, H. M., & Trzesniewski, K. H. (2001). Measuring global self-esteem: Construct validation of a single-item measure and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 151–161. doi: 10.1177/0146167201272002
Rocca, K. A. (2010). Student participation in the college classroom: An extended multidisciplinary literature review. Communication Education, 59, 185–213. doi: 10.1080/03634520903505936
Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M. Y., Spilt, J. L., & Oort, F. J. (2011). The influence of affective teacher–student relationships on students’ school engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic approach. Review of Educational Research, 81, 493–529. doi: : 10.3102/0034654311421793
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Rovai, A. P., Gallien, L. B., Jr, & Wighting, M. J. (2005). Cultural and interpersonal factors affecting african american academic performance in higher education: A review and synthesis of the research literature. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40026735 of Negro Education, 74, 359–370. Retrieved from
Scharfe, E. (2016). Measuring what counts: Development of a new four‐category measure of adult attachment. Personal Relationships, 23, 4–22. doi: 10.1111/pere.12105
Schwarz, N. (1999). Self-reports: How the questions shape the answers. American Psychologist, 54, 93–105. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.54.2.93
Seiler, S. J. (2015). Hand on the wheel, mind on the mobile: An analysis of social factors contributing to texting while driving. CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 18, 72–78. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0535
Spinella, M. (2005). Self-rated executive function: Development of the executive function index. International Journal of Neuroscience, 115, 649–667. doi: 10.1080/00207450590524304
Stoeckli, G. (2009). The role of individual and social factors in classroom loneliness. Journal of educational Research, 103, 28–39. doi: 10.1080/00220670903231169
Weaver, R. R., & Qi, J. (2005). Classroom organization and participation: College students’ perceptions. Journal of Higher Education, 76, 570-601. doi: 10.1353/jhe.2005.0038
Wilcox, G., McQuay, J., Blackstaffe, A., Perry, R., & Hawe, P. (2016). Twenty percent of the variance between students in academic engagement is explained by grade level, gender, family affluence, anxiety, and social https://www.nasponline.org/publications/periodicals/spf/volume-10/volume-10-issue-4-(winter- 2016)/twenty-percent-of-the-variance-between-students-in-academic-engagement-is-explained-by- grade-level-gender-family-affluence-anxiety-and-social-support 397–409. Retrieved from
Wood, J. L. (2014). Apprehension to engagement in the classroom: perceptions of Black males in the community college. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 27, 785–800. doi: 10.1080/09518398.2014.901575
Zumbrunn, S., McKim, C., Buhs, E., & Hawley, L. R. (2014). Support, belonging, motivation, and engagement in the college classroom: A mixed method study. Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences, 42, 661–684. doi: 10.1007/s11251-014-9310-0
Bagby, R. M., Parker, J. D. A., & Taylor, G. J. (1994). The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale-I: Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38, 23–32. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(94)90005-1
Bagby, R. M., Watters, C., Ayearst, L. E., Morariu, R. A., & Taylor, G. J. (2014). The internet administration version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Psychological Assessment, 26, 16–22. doi: 10.1037/a0034316.supp
Braxton, J. M., Jones, W. A., Hirschy, A. S., & Hartley, H. V., III. (2008). The role of active learning in college student persistence. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 115, 71–83. doi: 10.1002/tl.326
Brennan, A. (1985). Participation and self-esteem: A test of six alternative explanations. Adolescence, 20, 445– 466.
Brint, S., Cantwell, A. M., & Hanneman, R. A. (2008). The two cultures of undergraduate academic engagement. Research in Higher Education, 49, 383-402. doi: 10.1007/s11162-008-9090-y
Broeckelman-Post, M., Johnson, A., & Schweback, J. R. (2016). Calling on students using notecards: Engagement and countering communication anxiety in large lecture. Journal of College Science Teaching, 45, 27-33. doi: 10.2505/4/jcst16_045_05_27
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822–848. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Conner, J., & Pope, D. (2013). Not just robo-students: Why full engagement matters and how schools can promote it. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 42, 1426–1442. doi: 10.1007/s10964-013-9948-y
Downs, C. T., & Wilson, A. L. (2015). Shifting to active learning: Assessment of a first-year biology course in South Africa. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 27, 261–274. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1082860
Eddy, S. L., Brownell, S. E., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Gender gaps in achievement and participation in multiple introductory biology classrooms. CBE - Life Sciences Education, 13, 478–492. doi: 10.1187/cbe.13-10-0204
Feldman, G., Greeson, J., Renna, M., & Robbins-Monteith, K. (2011). Mindfulness predicts less texting while driving among young adults: Examining attention- and emotion-regulation motives as potential mediators. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 856–861. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.07.020
Fischer, M. J. (2007). Settling into campus life: Differences by race/ethnicity in college involvement and outcomes. Journal of Higher Education, 78, 125–161. doi: 10.1080/00221546.2007.11780871
Fritschner, L. M. (2000). Inside the undergraduate college classroom: Faculty and students differ on the meaning of student participation. Journal of Higher Education, 71, 342–362. doi: 10.2307/2649294
Handelsman, M. M., Briggs, W. L., Sullivan, N., & Towler, A. (2005). A measure of college student course engagement. Journal of Educational Research, 98, 184–192. doi: 10.3200/JOER.98.3.184-192
Harris, P., Hines, E., Kelly, D., Williams, D., & Bagley, B. (2014). Promoting the academic engagement and success of black male student-athletes. The High School Journal, 97, 180-195. doi: 10.1353/hsj.2014.0000
Hayashi, Y., Foreman, A. M., Friedel, J. E., & Wirth, O. (2018). Executive function and dangerous driving behaviors in young drivers. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 52, 51–61. doi: 10.1016/j.trf.2017.11.007
Heeok, H., Leppisaari, I., & Lee, O. (2018) Exploring learning culture in Finnish and South Korean classrooms. The Journal of Educational Research, 111, 459-472. doi: 10.1080/00220671.2017.1297924
Howard-Hamilton, M. F. (2000). Creating a culturally responsive learning environment for African American students. New Directions for Teaching and Learning (No. 82, pp. 55-65). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. doi: 10.1002/tl.8205
Hsu, C. F., & Huang, I. T. (2017). Are international students quiet in class? The influence of teacher onfirmation on classroom apprehension and willingness to talk in class. Journal of International Students, 7, 38–52. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1125721
Hu, S., & Kuh, G. D. (2002). Being (dis)engaged in educationally purposeful activities: The influences of student and institutional characteristics. Research in Higher Education, 43, 555. doi: 10.1023/A:1020114231387
Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2005). Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Medicine, 2, e124. doi: 10.1080/09332480.2019.1579573
Kenny, M. E., & Donaldson, G. A. (1991). Contributions of parental attachment and family structure to the social and psychological functioning of first-year college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38, 479–486. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.38.4.479
Kerr, S., Johnson, V. K., Gans, S. E., & Krumrine, J. (2004). Predicting adjustment during the transition to college: Alexithymia, perceived stress, and psychological symptoms. Journal of College Student Development, 45, 593–611. doi: 10.1353/csd.2004.0068
Kim, Y. K., & Lundberg, C. A. (2016). A structural model of the relationship between student–faculty interaction and cognitive skills development among college students. Research in Higher Education, 57, 288–309. doi: 10.1007/s11162-015-9387-6
Kim, Y., & Sax, L. (2009). Student-faculty interaction in research universities: differences by student gender, race, social class, and first-generation status. Research in Higher Education, 50, 437-459. doi: 10.1007/s11162-009-9127-x
Kindermann, T.A. (2007). Effects of naturally existing peer groups on changes in academic engagement in a cohort of sixth graders. Child Development, 78, 1186-1203. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01060.x
Kirkpatrick-Johnson, M., Crosnoe, R., & Elder, G. H. (2001). Students’ attachment and academic engagement: The role of race and ethnicity. Sociology of Education, 74, 318-340. doi: 10.2307/2673138
Lleras, C. (2008). Race, racial concentration, and the dynamics of educational inequality across urban and suburban schools. American Educational Research Journal, 45, 886-912. doi: 10.3102/0002831208316323
Maxwell, S. E., Lau, M. Y., & Howard, G. S. (2015). Is psychology suffering from a replication crisis? What does “failure to replicate” really mean? American Psychologist, 70, 487–498. doi: 10.1037/a0039400
Morrison, T. L., & Thomas, M. D. (1975). Self-esteem and classroom participation. Journal of Educational Research, 68, 374–377. doi: 10.1080/00220671.1975.10884805
National Research Council. (2004). Engaging schools: Fostering high school students’ motivation to learn. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu/read/10421
Parker, J. D. A., Austin, E. J., Hogan, M. J., Wood, L. M., & Bond, B. J. (2005). Alexithymia and academic success: Examining the transition from high school to university. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 1257– 1267. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2004.08.008
Reason, R. D., Terenzini, P. T., & Domingo, R. J. (2006). First things first: Developing academic competence in the first year of college. Research in Higher Education, 47, 149–175. doi: 10.1007/s11162-005-8884-4
Robins, R. W., Hendin, H. M., & Trzesniewski, K. H. (2001). Measuring global self-esteem: Construct validation of a single-item measure and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 151–161. doi: 10.1177/0146167201272002
Rocca, K. A. (2010). Student participation in the college classroom: An extended multidisciplinary literature review. Communication Education, 59, 185–213. doi: 10.1080/03634520903505936
Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M. Y., Spilt, J. L., & Oort, F. J. (2011). The influence of affective teacher–student relationships on students’ school engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic approach. Review of Educational Research, 81, 493–529. doi: : 10.3102/0034654311421793
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Rovai, A. P., Gallien, L. B., Jr, & Wighting, M. J. (2005). Cultural and interpersonal factors affecting african american academic performance in higher education: A review and synthesis of the research literature. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40026735 of Negro Education, 74, 359–370. Retrieved from
Scharfe, E. (2016). Measuring what counts: Development of a new four‐category measure of adult attachment. Personal Relationships, 23, 4–22. doi: 10.1111/pere.12105
Schwarz, N. (1999). Self-reports: How the questions shape the answers. American Psychologist, 54, 93–105. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.54.2.93
Seiler, S. J. (2015). Hand on the wheel, mind on the mobile: An analysis of social factors contributing to texting while driving. CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 18, 72–78. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0535
Spinella, M. (2005). Self-rated executive function: Development of the executive function index. International Journal of Neuroscience, 115, 649–667. doi: 10.1080/00207450590524304
Stoeckli, G. (2009). The role of individual and social factors in classroom loneliness. Journal of educational Research, 103, 28–39. doi: 10.1080/00220670903231169
Weaver, R. R., & Qi, J. (2005). Classroom organization and participation: College students’ perceptions. Journal of Higher Education, 76, 570-601. doi: 10.1353/jhe.2005.0038
Wilcox, G., McQuay, J., Blackstaffe, A., Perry, R., & Hawe, P. (2016). Twenty percent of the variance between students in academic engagement is explained by grade level, gender, family affluence, anxiety, and social https://www.nasponline.org/publications/periodicals/spf/volume-10/volume-10-issue-4-(winter- 2016)/twenty-percent-of-the-variance-between-students-in-academic-engagement-is-explained-by- grade-level-gender-family-affluence-anxiety-and-social-support 397–409. Retrieved from
Wood, J. L. (2014). Apprehension to engagement in the classroom: perceptions of Black males in the community college. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 27, 785–800. doi: 10.1080/09518398.2014.901575
Zumbrunn, S., McKim, C., Buhs, E., & Hawley, L. R. (2014). Support, belonging, motivation, and engagement in the college classroom: A mixed method study. Instructional Science: An International Journal of the Learning Sciences, 42, 661–684. doi: 10.1007/s11251-014-9310-0
Daugherty, T., Hoffner, K., & Light, A. (2020). Correlates of College Student Engagement: An Internal Replication. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 7(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.17220/ijpes.2020.01.001