ABSTRACT
The UK has high rates of student retention, progression and completion compared to international comparators. However, surveys across seven institutions involving 1,574 students found that between 33 per cent (one-third) and 42 per cent (two-fifths) of students think about withdrawing from higher education (HE) (Thomas, 2012). This suggests that a significant minority of students consider leaving, and that there is scope to enhance the student experience. Research finds that high-quality, student-centred learning and teaching makes a significant contribution to improving student engagement and belonging, and improves the success of all students, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds (Thomas, 2002; Crosling et al., 2008; Thomas, 2012). This chapter discusses effective approaches to learning and teaching to engage a diverse student body.
