The Impact of Student Engagement and Motivation in the Statistics Learning Process

The aim of the present exploratory study was to examine students’ situational engagement and motivation in the statistics classroom at Zayed University, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Two instruments were used for this purpose: a) experience sampling method (ESM), and b) the validated Mathematics Motivation Questionnaire (MMQ). This study employed two samples, at undergraduate level (2nd and 4th Semesters). Participants consisted of 100 students enrolled in Statistics I and Statistics II (Probability and Structure of Randomness). The results indicate that, apart from challenge and effort, emotional engagement is not significantly different across different activities. The results also indicate increases in intrinsic value and utility value and decreases in test anxiety. Finally, results indicate higher engagement and effort when social interaction is purposely planned and fostered, such as in small groups. On the contrary, individual class activities seem to generate slightly lower levels of engagement and effort. These findings have significant implications for educators and researchers who seek to enhance students' engagement and motivation in their statistics courses