A Comparative Quantitative Study of Engagement, Learning Environment, and Educational Outcomes of High-Achieving Engineering Students

Studies have shown that students’ college experience and involvement in academic and non-academic activities are pivotal in determining what educational outcomes they attain in college. However, little is known about how high-achieving engineering students’ college experience compares with the national norm. This paper investigates the extent to which the two groups differ in terms of the quality of effort expended, college environmental emphasis, and attainment of the desired educational outcomes. It is shown that high-achieving engineering students spend more time and invest more quality effort in academic tasks than the national norm. High-achieving engineering students also make more significant progress toward the desired educational outcomes than the national norm. The perception of high-achieving engineering students about their environment is not different from the national norm. This study corroborates the theory of involvement that educational achievement is directly related to engagement.