When Engagement Metrics Travel: Measurement Invariance, Engagement Indicators, and Self-Reported Learning Gains in Colombian Higher Education

This study examined how indicators from the 2013 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) operate within Colombia’s higher education system shaped by structural inequalities. Using data from 1,713 final-year undergraduate students from six private accredited universities, the analysis combined confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and measurement invariance testing across gender and disciplinary clusters to evaluate psychometric properties, and canonical correlation analysis to examine associations with self-reported learning gains. Nine of the 10 indicators showed acceptable reliability, and first-order CFA supported factorial validity. Collaborative Learning demonstrated weak internal consistency and limited invariance across gender and disciplinary clusters. Supportive Environment and Effective Teaching Practices were most strongly associated with self-reported learning gains, whereas cognitive indicators played a secondary role. The findings suggest that engagement metrics require context-sensitive interpretation and that associations with self-reported learning gains in this sample were strongest for institutional and pedagogical conditions.