Faculty and Student Perceptions of Strategies for Effective Student Engagement in the Performing Arts Before and During COVID-19

Abstract

The efficacy of various modalities to engage students and learning outcomes has been debated, but not yet studied, even though the relationship between student engagement and performance is well-documented. Studies have shown how perceived levels of engagement among students lead to greater persistence and completion rates across diverse populations. This study investigates the relationship between the perceived engagement of both students and faculty in different modalities from Fall 2019-Fall 2020 in the performing arts before and during the pandemic. The study confirms that there was a lower perceived level of engagement in the Spring of 2020 as faculty did not have time to prepare to move activities online. However, students were, in fact, more engaged than faculty believed in all terms and valued feedback and engaging with faculty and other students, while faculty valued students being face-to-face and/or synchronous virtually. Faculty noted how important independent practice was, such as recording/submitting work and rehearsing outside of class. Students, on the other hand, desire guided practice.