The quiet erosion

Developmental consequences of Dis-engagement in higher education

Nenova, Kalina ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4887-4758 and Speakman, John ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1318-9880 (2026) The quiet erosion. In: RAISE (Researching, Advancing & Inspiring Student Engagement), Northumbria University.

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Abstract / Summary

Student disengagement is frequently addressed only once participation declines, yet its developmental consequences often begin much earlier. This session argues that higher education can inadvertently legitimise emerging disengagement by interpreting withdrawal from collaboration, reduced creative contribution, or quiet compliance as signs of autonomy within group activities.
Presented from a theoretically informed student standpoint, the session draws on
engagement theory and Smythe's e-theory to examine how disengagement signals are missed, why delayed responses matter, and where responsibility for re-engagement is often misplaced. Reflective analysis illustrates how unrecognised disengagement can narrow confidence, constrain capability, and reshape learners' sense of academic agency.
Rather than positioning disengagement as student deficit, the session reframes it as a shared educational responsibility requiring earlier recognition and intentional response.
Attendees will gain a clearer lens for identifying developmental risk and leave better equipped to foster conditions that sustain involvement, protect student growth, and support authentic engagement across collaborative learning environments.

Item Type:	Conference Item (Lecture)
Subjects:	Education Philosophy & Psychology Social Sciences
Department:	Games Academy
Depositing User:	John Speakman
Date Deposited:	22 Sep 2026 15:16
Last Modified:	22 Sep 2026 15:16
URI:	https://repository.falmouth.ac.uk/id/eprint/6586

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