Student Engagement

The current research about student engagement is telling us that there is a close relationship between students’ experience of engagement and student learning.  It has revealed that students learn best when they are engaged in deep, sustained and compelling work… in the company of teachers dedicated to taking up their work in generous, informed and exciting ways…with students who feeling a strong sense of belonging.

Student engagement occurs when students make a psychological investment in learning.  Students are engaged when they are involved in their work, persist despite challenges and obstacles, and take visible delight in accomplishing their work. 

Learning tasks that engage students have particular characteristics.  They require and instill deep, critical thinking.  They immerse the student in disciplinary inquiry.  They are authentic and relevant for students. They require students to interact and be meaningfully involved.  And they have intellectual rigour.


In addition to attention to classroom relationships and thoughtful, intentional designs of learning, teaching practices (i.e. clear learning targets, exemplars, assessment criteria, descriptive feedback, self assessment, peer assessment) have a powerful effect upon student engagement.

Educational research has also revealed that motivation is a precursor to engagement.  Engagement requires a self-determined commitment to learning.  Commitment to think deeply and critically, to grapple with ideas, and to make connections in information happens when motivation is intrinsic. 

A number of measures have been used in the research to determine if students are engaged in their learning.  Historically, measures have focused on behaviours such as attendance and quantitative data such as achievement and graduation rates. More recently, researchers are looking at qualitative data focused on engagement in learning.  For example engagement can be measured by the extent to which students identify with and value schooling outcomes, have a sense of belonging at school, participate in academic and non academic activities, strive to meet formal requirements of schooling and make serious personal investment in learning.

Learn more about Student Engagement from AISI Publications:

• Student Engagement:  Literature Review (2011)

Hear stories from AISI projects about Student Engagement and other themes:

• AISI Videos
• AISI Stories

Search AISI projects focusing on Student Engagement:

• AISI Project Synopses Search Tool

Explore other Education and Government initiatives and resources:

• Speak Out
• Student Engagement and Attendance
• Tell Them From Me Project:  Measuring Student Engagement
• We Heard YOU
• High School Completion Strategic Framework 

Resources related to Student Engagement from National Organizations:

• Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA)
  Recent articles published by the professional teachers' association in Alberta on the theme of Student Engagement include:
  Enriching Experience:  Engaging Students (2011)
  
  
• Canadian Education Association (CEA)
  The publication Education Canada includes many articles about current educational research.  Recent articles on the theme of Student Engagement include:
  Engaging Students through Effective Questions (2011)
  Illuminating the Blind Spots: Climbing from Student Voice to Student Involvement (2011)
  From Sorting to Learning:  Developing Deep Learning in Canadian Schools (2010)
  Student Engagement and Web 2.0:  What’s the Connection (2010)
  Beyond doing School:  From “Stressed-out” to “Engaged in Learning” (2010)
  Raising the Floor and Lifting the Ceiling (2008)
  Student Engagement for Effective Teaching and Deep Learning (2008)
  CEA  has partnered with 17 school districts, Galileo Educational Network and The Learning Bar in the project What Did You Do in School Today? Publications resulting from this initiative are also available on the web site:
  What Did You Do in School Today?
  Exploring the Concept of Student Engagement and Its Implications for Teaching and Learning in Canada (2009)
  

Resources related to Student Engagement from International Organizations:

• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
  Free full text articles published in Educational Leadership on the theme of Student Engagement are available on this site. 
  Teaching Screenagers (2011)
  Teaching the iGeneration (2011)
  Giving Students Meaningful Work (2010) 
  Reaching the Reluctant Learner:  Engaged and On Track (2008)
  
  
• Daniel H. Pink (2010)
  This lively RSAnimate video, is adapted from Daniel Pink's talk about the hidden truths behind what motivates people.  This thought provoking video can be found on You Tube: 
  Drive:  The Suprising Truth about What Motivates Us
   
  
• Education Week
  Education Week is a national newspaper focusing on K-12 education policy in the United States.  The following is a recent article on the topic of Student Engagement.
  Measuring Student Engagement in Upper Elementary through High School: A Description of 21 Instruments (2011)
  
  
• Edutopia
  This interactive web site contains an extensive archive of continually updated best practices related to K-12 education.  It includes many diverse and innovative media resources for teachers, school leaders and parents.  The following are examples of current articles and videos related to Student Engagement.
  Ten Steps to Better Student Engagement (2011)
  Game-Based Learning Units for the Everyday Teacher (2011)
  Science Shows Making Lessons Relevant Really Matters (2010)
  
  
• International Center for Leadership in Education
  The following paper is about engagement-based learning and teaching:
  Strengthening Student Engagement (2008)
  
  
• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
  The following report is a result of an international study of student engagement through the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), in 2000.
  Student Engagement at School:  A Sense of Belonging and Participation (2003)
  
  
• SoundOut
  This organization focuses on promoting student voice and meaningful student involvement throughout education.  Resources and publications are available on the website.
  SoundOut.org 
  Meaningful Student Involvement:  Guide to Students as partners in School Change (2005)