Student Engagement and Flexibility in Distance Learning in Higher Education

This study examines a possible relationship between flexibility (content, teacher contact, and time) and student engagement (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) in distance learning in higher education. The study applies a quantitative approach to give a response to the hypothesis of the research whether flexibility in distance education is positively related to student engagement. Participants comprised 164 distance students attending online classes in two faculties and four vocational schools of a state university in Türkiye in the fall semester of the 2023 to 2024 academic year. They completed an online survey measuring the levels of cognitive engagement, emotional engagement, and behavioral engagement and the flexibility of content, teacher contact, and time in distance education. The results revealed that the flexibility of teacher contact was significantly related to behavioral engagement while the flexibility of content was positively correlated with cognitive engagement. Additionally, time flexibility was significantly correlated with both behavioral and cognitive engagement. It was concluded that a positive relationship between flexibility and student engagement in distance education existed.