Modeling Student Engagement in Tier-II Indian B-Schools: A Five-Factor Engagement Approach Using Structural Equation Modelling

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Student Engagement in Tier-II Indian B-Schools: This study explores the key determinants of student engagement with a particular focus on the impact of instructor influence and psychological involvement.

The study adopted a quantitative survey approach, collecting data from 246 MBA students using a 30-item engagement scale adapted from Rich, Lepine, and Crawford (2010). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted for factor extraction, followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to validate the five-factor engagement model, Emotional, Physical, Cognitive, Instructor-Driven, and Psychological Engagement ensuring its reliability and construct validity.

The analysis highlights that Instructor interactions and psychological engagement significantly drive student involvement, with Engagement due to Instructor and Emotional Engagement having the strongest influence. Meaningful faculty-student interactions and psychological belonging enhance participation and learning outcomes, reinforcing the validity of the five-factor engagement model in management education.

The insights from this study offer practical recommendations for educators, institutional leaders, and policymakers. Key strategies to boost engagement include: Faculty development programs that emphasize interactive and student-focused teaching approaches, Structured mentorship programs to foster strong instructor-student relationships and, institutional policies that enhance psychological well-being and encourage active learning.

This study provides a novel contribution to the discourse on student engagement in Tier-II Indian B-schools by developing and validating a five-factor engagement model using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM).