First year students perspectives of learning engagement: The centrality of responsibility

Universities prioritise the first year experience of students in efforts to enhance student experiences and improve retention rates. Many aspects of student life have been investigated, in efforts to clarify factors influencing student engagement. This paper reports on findings of a study which used semi-structured interviews to investigate the perspectives of both first year students, and lecturing staff who teach first year courses, to determine the key elements necessary to create learning engagement in a regional university campus. These findings indicate three key aspects of engagement including social, reciprocal and responsive elements. The scope of this paper is to report specifically on the central dimensions of responsive teaching that the students in this study recognised as good practice