Block Teaching and the Transactional Student A Framework for Understanding Engagement in STEM Education

Abstract

The increasing adoption of block and intensive delivery models across higher education brings with it concerns about their long-term impact on student attendance and engagement. For commuter students and other non-traditional cohorts, the design of delivery models can significantly shape learning behaviours, not only in how students attend, but in how they prioritise, interact, and navigate their studies. Current pedagogical discourse lacks a structured way to describe or interpret these behavioural patterns within compressed formats. This paper explores transactional and transformational student behaviours in higher education, focusing on STEM disciplines within block and intensive delivery models. Drawing on leadership theory and research on student engagement, it synthesises literature to map observable behaviours across delivery modes. A structured review (2010–2025) informed the development of a taxonomy distinguishing extrinsically motivated, assessment-focused behaviours from intrinsically driven, reflective engagement behaviours. The paper highlights how intensive ‘block’ delivery models may amplify transactional tendencies but also enable transformational learning when designed with autonomy, belonging, and workload transparency. By situating findings within marketisation, widening participation, and non-traditional student realities, it reframes transactional engagement as adaptive rather than deficient. However, such behaviours, while rational, often constrain deeper learning, critical reflection, and the development of disciplinary identity, limiting the transformative potential of higher education. The emergent taxonomy offers a practical framework for inclusive curriculum and pedagogical design in STEM higher education.