Enhancing Student Engagement: An Empirical Study of Impacting Factors and TARGET-Based Intervention Among Electronic Commerce Students in China

Background and Aim: Student engagement is essential for academic success in higher education. In Chinese universities, however, traditional teaching methods, large class sizes, and digital distractions often hinder engagement. This study explores the key factors impacting student engagement and examines how structured instructional intervention can enhance engagement among university students. Materials and Methods: A mixed-methods design was adopted to examine student engagement among e-commerce undergraduates at a university in Yunnan. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using multiple linear regression. A structured instructional intervention was then implemented, with pre- and post-intervention interviews conducted to evaluate its effectiveness. Results: Initial findings indicated that motivation to learn, self-efficacy, and instructor interactivity had significant positive impacts on student engagement, while active collaborative learning and student-student interactions showed limited impacts. Following the implementation of structured interventions, all student engagement factors—both significant and previously insignificant—demonstrated notable improvement. Conclusion: The findings underscore the critical role of targeted pedagogical strategies in fostering student engagement. While certain elements may appear ineffective in conventional settings, their impact can be substantially enhanced through deliberate instructional design. This study provides empirical support for engagement-focused teaching practices and offers valuable implications for future intervention research in higher education contexts.