Cognitive Depth and its Relationship with Academic Engagement among Students of the Science Department

Abstract

This study aims to identify the level of cognitive depth and its relationship with academic engagement among students of the Department of Science (Chemistry). It seeks to answer two main questions: whether the students possess cognitive depth and academic engagement, and the nature of the relationship between them (positive or negative). The study adopted a descriptive correlational approach. The research population consisted of (219) male and female students from the third and fourth years in the Department of Science (Chemistry), who were selected randomly. To collect data, two instruments were developed: a cognitive depth test consisting of (24) items, including (15) multiple-choice items and (9) essay items; and an academic engagement scale consisting of (45) items distributed across three domains, with (15) items for each domain and five response options. The validity of the instruments (face validity and construct validity) was established, and reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha, which reached (0.85) for the cognitive depth test and (0.961) for the academic engagement scale. The instruments were administered during the first semester of the academic year (2024–2025). Data were analyzed using several statistical methods, including the one-sample t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, regression analysis, and the t-test for the significance of correlation. The results indicated that students of the Department of Science (Chemistry) possess a good level of cognitive depth and academic engagement. Statistically significant differences were found based on gender, with females outperforming males in cognitive depth, while males showed higher academic engagement. Furthermore, the results revealed a statistically significant correlation between cognitive depth and academic engagement among the students.