Previous empirical research by the authors, focussing on the experience of students studying design, has enabled the development of an illustrative model that may explain variation in the ways that students engage with their studies. This paper extrapolates from the outcomes of that research towards a more generic application of the model. This paper proposes an extension to the model and invites colleagues to reflect on the nature of engagement in various disciplines. At the core of this model ‘sense of being’ and ‘sense of transformation’ mediate the way in which students focus their attention on different experiences and elements of their studies. In this paper we explore the pedagogical implications of this model as it has the potential to help us understand the ways in which higher education inclines students towards different levels of engagement with their studies.

Keywords: engagement, sense of being, identity