Along the Path to Recovery: Supporting Student Learning Motivation, Engagement and Development in Post-Pandemic Higher Education

About this Research Topic

Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline 06 May 2024

Manuscript Submission Deadline 26 August 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions in educational systems on a global scale. It is estimated that the learning trajectories of approximately 1.5 billion students have been adversely affected, with the most vulnerable segments of the student population having suffered the most. Currently, three years post-outbreak, educational institutions have re-opened worldwide; however, higher education is still in recovery, grappling with the long-term impact of the prolonged closures. Managing the aftermath of the pandemic calls for the implementation of innovative teaching and learning practices. Such practices should be informed by an in-depth and critical reflection on the lessons that we have learned during this crisis, aimed at supporting and reinforcing students’ learning and development. In an era marked by uncertainty and constant changes, it is crucial that our higher education sector remains resilient and adaptable, ensuring that students are equipped to learn, develop, and thrive in the future world.

Recent decades have seen a significant increase in research investigating learning motivation and engagement within higher education, establishing these topics as central themes in academic inquiry. Learning motivation refers to individuals’ willingness, inclination, and enthusiasm to invest time, energy, and effort in academic endeavors, facilitating learning success and achievement. Student engagement refers to “the time and effort students devote to activities that are empirically linked to desired outcomes of college”. Researchers have explored characteristics and determinants of learning motivation and engagement across various learning environments, involving diverse student cohorts differentiated by gender, academic disciplines, educational levels, and cultural backgrounds. Additionally, research has illuminated the influences of motivation and engagement on learning achievement, as evidenced by improved academic performance, gains in general abilities, and intellectual development.

Building upon the insights gained from the above-mentioned conceptual and empirical literature, the current Research Topic seeks to explore the features of and associations among students’ learning motivation, engagement, and development within the post-pandemic higher education contexts. This collection intends to bring together researchers, scholars, and higher education policy-makers to share insights, methodologies, and practices that highlight the importance of supporting student motivation, engagement, and development as cornerstones for the recovery of higher education. The dialogue facilitated by this collection aspires to contribute to the sustainable development of higher education in the post-COVID era. We invite original empirical research and theoretical articles on a range of topics, which include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Measurement of students’ learning motivation, engagement, and development

• Features and influential factors of students’ learning motivation, engagement, and development

• Relationship between students’ learning motivation, engagement, and development

• Teaching pedagogies, assessment innovations, and curriculum designs that enhance learning motivation, engagement, and development

• Learning motivation, engagement, and development among vulnerable student groups, including international students, linguistic and ethnic minorities, and students with disabilities

• Learning motivation, engagement, and development in various learning environments, such as traditional classrooms, online courses, and informal learning spaces

• Uses of technologies, digital tools, and artificial intelligence in promoting learning motivation, engagement, and development

• Other perspectives, approaches, and practices for understanding students’ emotions, psychology, and behaviors, which can be used to provide interventions that support learning and development

Keywords: motivation, engagement, learning and development, higher education, post-COVID 19

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic Editors

Genshu Lu

School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University

Xi’an, China

Mei Tian

Xi'an Jiaotong University

Xi'an, China

Hongbiao Yin

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Shatin, China

Boliang Guo

University of Nottingham

Nottingham, United Kingdom