Investigating student participation, engagement, and wellbeing in higher education: a systematic review of qualitative methods and digital tools

Student participation and engagement are widely recognised as key contributors to academic success and wellbeing. However, few systematic reviews have explored student engagement and participation in relation to the related concepts of wellbeing (e.g. life satisfaction). Drawing from 20 years of literature across four major databases, this article addresses this gap by reviewing research on participation, engagement, and wellbeing in higher education, with a focus on qualitative methodologies and the use of digital tools. It demonstrates how these methods provide a detailed understanding of the factors influencing student experiences. The systematic review also focuses on the implementations of digital tools (i.e. video viewing, annotation, and observation) in analysing student participation and engagement in higher education. The article highlights the importance of innovative methodologies and using video annotation tools for exploring student participation and engagement in relation to wellbeing, and thus may contribute to future educational practices that create inclusive and engaging learning environments.