Student Engagement and Sense of Belonging in Online Higher Education: A Comparison by Students' Geographical Proximity to Their University.

Participant Information Sheet (PIS)

Study title: Student Engagement and Sense of Belonging in Online Higher Education: A Comparison by Students' Geographical Proximity to Their University

Please take time to read the following information carefully. And ask the researcher if anything is unclear: [email protected]

What is the purpose of the study?
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between sense of belonging and student engagement among fully online higher education students. It will also examine whether belonging and engagement differ between students who live in the same country as their university and those who live in a different country.

Why have I been invited to participate?

You are aged 18 or above.
You are currently enrolled in a fully online higher education degree program.
You have completed at least three months of your current degree program.
You have sufficient English proficiency to understand and complete the survey.

Do I have to take part?

It is up to you to decide whether to take part. If you decide to participate, you are still free to withdraw without giving a reason.

What will happen if I decided to take part?

You will be asked to complete an online survey containing a sense of belonging scale, a student engagement scale and few basic questions about your program. The survey will take approximately 4-6 minutes to complete.

The survey will not ask you to provide your name, student number or contact details. Your IP address will be temporarily recorded and retained in QuestionPro for 72 hours after submission, solely to enable you to request withdrawal of your responses. To request withdrawal, please email the researcher at [email protected] within 72 hours of submitting the survey and provide your IP address. IP addresses will be deleted from the research dataset after 72 hours, after which withdrawal will no longer be possible.

What are the potential benefits and risks of taking part?

There are no direct benefits to you from participating in this study. However, your participation may contribute to a better understanding of sense of belonging and student engagement among fully online higher education students, including how these experiences may differ according to students' geographical proximity to their university. No significant risks are anticipated. However, reflecting on your experiences of belonging and engagement within your degree may cause mild emotional discomfort. You may discontinue the survey at any time before submission without giving a reason.

Will my taking part in the study be kept confidential?

Yes. Your participation and responses will be treated confidentially. The survey will not ask for directly identifying information. Your IP address will be retained for 72 hours to allow your responses to be located if you request withdrawal and will then be deleted.
Only the researcher and their supervisor will have access to the research data, which may also be subject to external examination for academic assessment purposes. Findings will be reported in an aggregated form, and you will not be identifiable in the dissertation or any resulting academic outputs.

What will happen at the end of the research study?

The survey data will be analyzed to examine the relationship between students’ sense of belonging and engagement and whether these variables differ according to geographical proximity to their university. The findings will be used to produce a dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MSc Psychology at the University of Wolverhampton and may later be used in academic publications or presentations.

Contact for further information, a problem, or a concern?
Contact the researcher at: [email protected]
Or contact the lead researcher’s supervisor at: [email protected]

Who has reviewed the study?
This study will be reviewed by the relevant University of Wolverhampton research ethics reviewers. The study will only begin following the required ethical approval.

Supervisor: Deborah Abdel Nabi
Second reviewer: Aneela Khan
Thank you for your interest in participating in this study.

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