Teaching in University Settings: Vignettes of Student Engagement

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63608/ssj.4038

Keywords:

Student engagement, Vignette research, teaching, tertiary education, quality education, student success

Abstract

As access to tertiary education has increased worldwide, the importance of understanding the complexities of student engagement has become progressively evident. Yet, studies on student engagement are frequently abstract, and commonly informed by statistics on completion rates. Understandings of student engagement at the micro-engagement level are often sparse. The current study utilised Innsbruck Vignette Research (IVR) to explore and explain student engagement at a micro-engagement level across multiple subject fields. Four exemplary vignettes were extracted from a dataset of 22 vignettes, collected at tertiary institutions in Austria and South Africa. Data were collected in statu nascendi (as it emerges) during lectures on music, education, physics, and mathematics. Findings foreground the importance of classroom climate, emotional atmosphere, and intimate interaction interfaces between lecturers and students. Findings furthermore suggest inordinate pressure on lecturers for engagement and propose increased advocacy for student agency in the student engagement equation.

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Author Biographies

Irma Eloff, University of Pretoria South Africa

Irma Eloff is a professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and an adjunct professor at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. She is a former dean of Education at the University of Pretoria and a registered educational psychologist. She conducts research in sustainability sciences with foci on health and wellbeing and quality education. She has pioneered the use of vignette research in the South African context and leads the Student Wellbeing@UP project.

Ann-Kathrin Dittrich, University of Innsbruck Austria

Ann-Kathrin Dittrich is an assistant professor at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. Her research interests include the (international) professionalisation of teacher educators, teachers and pre-service teachers with a focus on SDGs, professional knowledge, well-being and meta-cognitive development. Since 7/2022 she has been Director of Studies at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research.

Wietske Boon, University of Pretoria South Africa

Wietske Boon holds a PhD in Early Childhood Education from the University of Pretoria. She completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Educational Psychology and continues to do research as a Research Associate at the University of Pretoria. Her research explores teacher educator professionalism and quality higher education (SDG 4), as well as socio-emotional and language development and well-being (SDG 3) in early childhood education contexts. 

Maryam Rabani Nia, University of Vienna Austria

Maryam Rabbani Nia is a PhD student in Educational Science at the University of Vienna. Her research focuses on learning and teaching strategies, teacher education, sustainability, transformative education, and refugee inclusion. Her current doctoral research examines teacher educators’ sustainability practices and how they support transformative approaches in education.

Lucas Weinberg, University of Innsbruck Austria

Lucas Weinberg is a research associate at the Institute for Subject-Specific Education at the University of Innsbruck. As part of the Research Unit for Mathematics and Science Education, his work focuses on projects related to climate change and environmental education. As a PhD candidate, his research focuses on learners’ conceptions of high mountain environments and their perceptions of nature. His broader research interests include teacher education and professional development, as well as the education and professional development of teacher educators.

Kgadi Mathabathe, University of Pretoria South Africa

Kgadi Mathabathe serves as the Director of Student Affairs at the University of Pretoria, where she is dedicated to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and engaging environment for all students. Kgadi holds a PhD in Science Education from the University of Pretoria, where she focused on innovative teaching and learning strategies that promote self- and socially regulated learning as well as the development of student and educator metacognition. Her commitment to creating an enabling environment is driven by a belief in the transformative power of education and the importance of providing every student with the opportunity to succeed.

Evi Agostini, University of Vienna Austria

Evi Agostini is based at the University of Vienna, where she is affiliated with the Centre for Teacher Education and the Department of Education. She coordinates the international VignA network, advancing phenomenological and vignette-based approaches in educational research through interdisciplinary and international collaboration. Her research focuses on pedagogical-ethical action, professional perception, pedagogical ethos, and the relational dimensions of teaching and learning. Using qualitative and phenomenological methodologies, particularly Innsbruck Vignette Research (IVR), she investigates how educational experiences, professional responsibility, and engagement emerge in lived educational situations. Through her research, teaching, and supervision, she contributes to educational ethics, teacher professionalism, and innovative qualitative methodologies in education.

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Published

18-09-2026

How to Cite

Eloff, I., Dittrich, A.-K., Boon, W., Rabani Nia, M., Weinberg, L., Mathabathe, K., & Agostini, E. (2026). Teaching in University Settings: Vignettes of Student Engagement. Student Success. https://doi.org/10.63608/ssj.4038

Issue

Online First

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2022 Irma Eloff, Ann-Kathrin Dittrich, Wietske Boon, Maryam Rabani Nia, Lucas Weinberg, Kgadi Mathabathe, Evi Agostini

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International Licence (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.