LEARNING TO LEARN
What do we mean by ‘ student engagement ’?
Mark Beverley Director of Institute of Teaching & Learning
‘ Student engagement ’ is a phrase commonly used in schools , and in contexts associated with both teaching and learning . Classroom observation and feedback often refer to whether or not a teacher has successfully ‘ engaged ’ students in the lesson ; reports written by teachers not infrequently provide comment on how independently ‘ engaged ’ in their learning a student would seem to be . But the term can fall foul of misconceptions and logical flaws . What , after all , does it actually mean to be engaged , and how can we know if engagement is actually happening ?
Studies describe the concept of engagement in a variety of ways , however , a kind of consensus has come to exist in relation to three areas , nominated by Bloom ( 1956 ), Fredricks , Blumenfeld and Paris ( 2004 ), cited by Trowler ( 2010 ): Behavioural engagement , which relates to a student ’ s activity in lessons – for example , the extent to which they contribute voluntarily to discussion or make notes etc ; Emotional engagement , which relates to a student ’ s sense of belonging or being of value , and Cognitive engagement , which describes internal , deliberate intellectual investment in learning processes . Of course , it is important to state that these domains are interconnected : students who feel that they matter and that the teacher cares about them , for example , are far more likely to be behaviourally engaged in their learning . ( Nguyen et al 2018 )
Behavioural engagement typically elicits more attention because it is far more visible . We can see and hear students who contribute to a group discussion or who make independent notes during a lesson , for example .
But this does not necessarily mean that students who are not speaking are disengaged or passive . In her book , Quiet , Susan Cain ( 2020 ) makes a very compelling plea for us to recognise the characteristics of students who are introverted and / or shy . Not speaking does not necessarily signify a lack of engagement ; quite the opposite might well be true . Cain writes , “ Introverts often work more slowly and deliberately . They like to focus on one task at a time and can have mighty powers of concentration .” ( p . 11 ). Extroversion for Cain is a largely Western ideal , culturally located in a narrative that prioritises individuality , vocalisation , ‘ visible ’ engagement , and she compares these tenets to notions of quietness , persistence and humility which are described as more recognisably Asian in the status afforded to them . With close reference to this theme , Jamie Thom ( 2020 ) argues against our tendency as teachers to refer with undue weight to participation in discussion . Students who do not speak might well be listening very actively and thinking very deeply – in other words ‘ engaging ’ at a level in which their more vocal classmates might well be remiss . However , how often do we come across statements in reports that a student should try to ‘ listen more ’, as opposed to ‘ contribute more ’ in class discussion ? Schultz ( 2010 ), cited by Sedova et al ( 2022 ) remarks that students who contribute vocally and at speed are often noticed more by their teacher , but their interjections do not necessarily provide evidence of any more thought than those who are silent . Sedova ( 2022 ) therefore comments , “… the notion of classroom participation should be revised to encompass silent thinking as something different from passivity .”
Taking account of the multiplicity of ways in which students engage ( or not ) in their learning is essential if we are serious about maximising opportunity for the many , not the few . And making use of silence as a means through which thinking and reflection take place can be extremely powerful , not least as a way to invoke classroom equity . All students can write in silence ; not all students feel at ease volunteering points in discussion . Far from seeing silence as some kind of punishment , it can be presented as an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in ways that are more developed , more nuanced – that necessitate greater cognitive activity , than can often present themselves in speech . Silent practices to which students can become accustomed might include ‘ do now ’ activities as they are coming into the class – perhaps a short retrieval quiz , being asked to respond to a question on the board , or a short written reflection at the end of a lesson , which summarises the main ideas covered within it . And during a lesson , asking students to write down in silence their answer to a question is in my experience a highly effective way to engage all students – especially
11