Elizabeth Niehaus, assistant professor in educational administration, has been awarded two grants to study Caribbean student engagement in higher education. The American College Personnel Association Foundation awarded a $2,500 grant and the NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators In Higher Education) Foundation awarded $4,650—both projects are housed in CYFS.
This study will provide key insight into how Caribbean educators can create supporting, engaging environments to foster student success.
Elizabeth Niehaus, assistant professor of educational administration
Niehaus’ study, “Exploring Student Engagement and Student Development in Caribbean Tertiary Education,” builds on existing research on student engagement in the U.S. and around the world. The purpose of this exploratory, mixed-methods study is to identify the role of engagement in students’ interpersonal, intrapersonal and cognitive development in the context of Caribbean higher education.
“Student affairs and services is a growing field in tertiary education across the Caribbean, yet often educators don’t have reliable data on how their work is affecting students,” Niehaus said. “This study will provide key insight into how Caribbean educators can create supporting, engaging environments to foster student success.”
Large-scale survey data from three institutions in Trinidad and Tobago will be paired with in-depth interviews with graduating students to inform a better understanding of student engagement and student development specifically in the Caribbean context. Findings will expand the knowledge base of student affairs and services around the world, and provide Caribbean student services practitioners with vital information to help them best support student learning and development.
The study is being done in collaboration with Dr. Letitia Williams, assistant vice president for student support services at the University of Trinidad and Tobago.
Written by: Brad Stauffer, College of Education and Human Sciences