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Взаимосвязь возможностей выбора учебных дисциплин в университете со студенческой вовлеченностью
The article presents the results of an empirical study aimed at exploring the relationship between providing students with the opportunity to choose academic disciplines and their engagement in the learning process. In recent decades, the flexibility of educational programs and offering students the choice of courses has become essential for shaping non-linear career trajectories and soft skills that meet the demands of the modern labor market. However, research shows that in Russian higher education institutions, there is a belief among faculty and administration that, when given the choice, students tend to select easier courses in order to reduce their workload. This belief hinders the increased flexibility of educational programs at universities. Based on data from a large-scale sociological survey of Russian students (N=14,988), we examine the relationships between students’ opportunities to choose courses and four types of engagement (class engagement, extra effort, collaborative learning, and disengagement). It was found that the opportunity to choose courses related to the area of study or within a narrow specialization is statistically significantly and positively correlated with class engagement, and may also contribute to students' extra efforts and engagement in collaborative learning practices. In contrast, the opportunity to choose courses unrelated to the field of study was significantly associated only with engagement in collaborative learning practices but showed no statistically significant effect on class engagement or extra effort. Attending elective courses was positively related to class engagement, collaborative learning, and extra effort, as well as to disengagement. The findings are useful for researchers in higher education, university leaders, faculty, and academic support staff involved in organizing the learning process and developing curricula in universities.