To Engage or Disengage? A Look at Student Engagement

Abstract

Student engagement is paramount to effective teaching and learning in a classroom setting. If we are to nurture more creative, well-mannered, and intelligent individuals through education we must have their attention. What are the biggest factors influencing student participation? I find this question important and relevant as a middle school educator to my daily work and my profession at-large. Student participation is the core factor that drives everything I do each day. Some lessons and classroom discussions fully engage students. Other topics they completely tune out and participation lacks. As teachers we try to create some level of excitement or curiosity for students. We do this with our personality or enthusiasm, varying lesson styles, different subject matter, and many teaching tactics we’ve learned along the way throughout our careers. There are other teachers who leave students watching the clock wishing for class to end through their style and approach. I want to know more about what are the specific factors that cause students to engage with their learning and what specific factors cause them to disengage with their learning. Specifically, I want to know more about how instructional design, lesson format, subject matter, and the educators themselves influence students' own perception of their participation. Moreover, I’d also like to know which factors have the biggest impact on whether or not students engage or disengage. This is very important because it’s the challenge educators face daily. How can I better engage students to participate in classroom activities, instead of just being a passive participant as they move from class to class?