A Preliminary Qualitative Study on Student Engagement and Pedagogical Policy Enactment in A Technology Free Higher Education Classroom
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Abstract
While digitalization has been reinforced in higher education, there are growing concerns regarding the drawbacks of technology and artificial intelligence towards students’ engagement. This preliminary study explores student learning experiences in a technology-free classroom environment within an undergraduate course on educational policy and community development at a public university in Indonesia using a qualitative case study design. Data were collected from 28 students through written reflections produced during classroom sessions. From the thematic analysis, five preliminary themes emerged: better classroom engagement, improved material comprehension, experiential learning, meaningful activities, and enjoyable participation. Even though students were confused at the beginning of the lesson, they reported feeling more involved and challenged in the classroom. From the preliminary findings, this study tentatively suggests that technology-free classrooms may work as learning spaces that can complement and critically interrogate dominant digitalisation agendas. However, the findings of this study do not reject technology. These preliminary findings show the importance of balanced digital and non-digital approaches within Indonesian higher education policy contexts. The study also acknowledges its limited scope, so it recommends further research on this topic with stronger triangulation.
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