The Impediments to Student Engagement: A Hybrid Method Based on Fuzzy Delphi and Fuzzy DEMATEL

Abstract

Student engagement is one of the most important determinants of learning outcomes in higher education institutions. This paper focuses on impediments to student engagement. The Fuzzy Delphi technique was used to screen and elicit important impediments. Four main criteria (individual, family, institution, and environment) and Twenty three sub-criteria were selected by experts through the fuzzy Delphi technique. The fuzzy DEMATEL technique was used to determine the causal relationships among the criteria (impediments). Findings showed that institutional, environmental, and family factors were in the cause group, individual, and family factors were in the effect group. Among the 23 sub-factors, eleven factors were in the cause group and twelve factors were in the effect group. The first three influencing factors were: teachers' poor quality of teaching, inadequate facilities of classroom and institution, and non-applicable materials and curriculum. The first three influenced factors were: poor quality of the relationship between teachers and students, financial problems and high tuition fees, and decreasing the value and status of education in the society.