Standing out in the crowd - A framework for inclusive and effective student engagement

In a complex and technology-focused environment, student engagement is a challenge in higher education – within the UK and internationally.

With student profiles and their preferred engagement methods changing continually, providers need to reconsider student engagement methods to remain innovative, inclusive and deliver effective learning experiences. This, in turn, ensures that teaching and learning remains effective, life-long learning attributes are established and students have the opportunity to develop skills that will enhance their work-readiness.

Focusing on students as co-creators of knowledge, this project aims to provide a deeper understanding of the factors that impact student engagement to drive educator and student behaviour.

Global, multi-cultural research on best practice principles and tools of student engagement will enhance the learning experience and sense of belonging by promoting inclusivity, considering diverse learning styles and cultural backgrounds, and creating a more equitable environment for learning. The project will produce an effective framework of inclusive student engagement that speaks globally and contextualises locally.

Blog

All Stories are Different - Motivation for the project Standing Out in the Crowd: A framework for inclusive and effective student engagement

Professor Nadia Gulko, University of Lincoln, and project partner Associate Professor Lorraine Derbyshire, University of Cape Town

Outputs

A webinar for educators across the globe, sharing the research findings and good practice examples
Project report summarising the research findings
Literature review report
Student engagement toolkit based on the evidence gathered from the partner institution
Useful learning videos on the contextual and practical understanding of inclusive student engagement

Final report: standing out in the crowd

Publication date: 26 Sep 2025

This report, from a QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project, examines a multifaceted concept of students engagement in business education. We share findings from a review of academic literature as well as empirical research on how student engagement plays out across a wide range of educational contexts across nine countries. By learning from global perspectives and centring diverse student voices, we explore inclusive, meaningful learning experiences.

Format:	PDF
Size:	5.73 MB

Enhancing inclusive student engagement in higher education: Literature review

Publication date: 15 Aug 2024

This literature review report is an output from the QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project ‘Standing out in the crowd: A best practice framework for inclusive and effective student engagement’. It provides a summary of prior studies surrounding a multifaceted and complex concept of student engagement to which all stakeholders in the learning process (students, staff, and the institution) have a contribution to make. Prior literature demonstrates specific areas which are important in defining student engagement, such as behavioural, cognitive, psychological, sociocultural, socio-demographic, and institutional aspects.

Author:	QAA
Format:	PDF
Size:	2.05 MB

Impact

The student voice has been at the heart of our “Standing Out in the Crowd” project, which aims to understand what inclusive student engagement means to students around the world.

Professor Nadia Gulko, Project Lead
Professor of Accounting Education and Sustainability at University of Lincoln

This project has been insightful and valuable, and it changed how I think about teaching. Reading about how students described their experiences helped me understand the importance of creating learning spaces where everyone feels they belong. It reminded me to be more thoughtful and inclusive in how I teach.

Professor Sanlie Middelberg

North-West University, South Africa

In increasingly disruptive and uncertain times across societies, placing inclusivity at the centre of higher education will be crucial. We are therefore incredibly grateful to be partnering with QAA to dig deeper into the diverse student voice, sharing insights on how inclusive student engagement looks, feels and is for students globally today. We are excited about how a deeper student perspective can enrich and further develop educators’ and administrators’ understandings to enhance student learning experiences.

Professor Nick McGuigan
Professor of Accounting and Director of Equity, Diversity and Social Inclusion at Monash University, Australia

Lead institution: University of Lincoln

Partner institutions: Australia (Monash University), Belgium (Ghent University), Canada (Lakehead University), Ghana (University of Cape Coast), India (Sri Sri University), Malaysia (Monash University), South Africa (North-West University), South Africa (University of Cape Town), UK (Queen Mary University of London), UK (University of Greenwich) and USA (Northern Illinois University)

Other Collaborative Enhancement Projects

QAA supports a number of projects every year, covering a range of topics and interest areas. Each is led by a QAA Member, working in collaboration with other members institutions. You can find more information on all projects, and access resources and outputs, on our website.

Find out more