Student Engagement, Achievement Goals, and Autonomy Support in German Lecture-Based Courses

This cumulative dissertation examines the relationship between student engagement with achievement goals and autonomy support in lecture-based courses in Germany. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research aims to understand the nature and quality of student engagement in a university context characterized by voluntary attendance. The study focuses on (1) the reactive and proactive dimensions of student engagement, (2) the relationships between these dimensions and achievement goals (both mastery and performance), and (3) the relationships between these dimensions of engagement and the perception of autonomy support from lecturers. The findings highlight the pivotal role of both mastery and performance goals in fostering student engagement. Quantitative analyses based on cross-sectional data collected before and after the COVID-19 pandemic (between 2017 and 2024) indicate that mastery goals are particularly associated with higher levels of student engagement. This increase may, in part, reflect the digital learning experiences brought on by the pandemic that students encountered during their secondary education while preparing for the Abitur. Notably, even in lecture-based courses that may appear impersonal, students who perceive greater autonomy support from their lecturers reported significantly higher levels of engagement, underscoring the importance of supportive instructional environments. Overall, this research highlights that both prior school experiences and the role that lecturers assign to students — as autonomous individuals in the process of specialization within an academic culture and specific field of knowledge — have a decisive influence on perceived engagement levels at university, even in the context of large lecture-based courses. Future research is recommended to examine how perceptions of autonomy influence student engagement in heterogeneous university courses, where students from diverse educational backgrounds—such as the Abitur, vocational training, or international school systems—converge.