Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Redefining Engagement
by Martha Doennig, Coordinator, Professional Learning

Standard #1: Content knowledge aligned with appropriate instruction
Quality Indicator #2: Student engagement in subject matter

Have you engaged in a conversation around a topic in which you had little expertise, only to hear the words, “Let’s Google that”? On a daily basis, nearly 5.7 billion queries rely on Google for content expertise. Considering that Google is just one of many search engines, the internet has the potential to make educators feel obsolete. While we know that teachers are actually far from obsolete, we need to rethink engagement in the classroom since students have other outlets to find answers.

Why does student engagement matter?
In a recent edition of Education Week, a Gallup poll was referenced as finding that nearly 50% of students report that they are not engaged or are actively disengaged in school. This staggering statistic poses a problem for schools as disengagement is one of the largest factors leading to a student’s decision to drop out. While dropout rate has received much attention in recent years and has steadily declined nationwide, lack of engagement is becoming a growing concern as it comes with its own costly price tag.

So what is new about student engagement?
Many discussions about student engagement focus on behavioral indicators. This measure
certainly does not tell the whole story, as engagement includes the emotion and cognition of the student as well. When students make a cognitive, behavioral, and emotional investment, their personal ownership in learning increases (Sparks, 2013). Empowered to actively and constructively participate in learning, students will be beating down the doors to get in…not out.

What’s this about emotion and cognition?
Emotional engagement ties to the culture of the learning environment. To be emotionally engaged, one must feel accepted into the culture of the classroom while finding meaningful connections, interest, and relevance to the learning.

Cognitive engagement refers to the ability to manage and monitor one’s own learning. Providing choice and autonomy in learning allows students to navigate content, leading to deeper learning.

What does the research tell us?
Authors of The Highly Engaged Classroom explore the concept that information must be important for the working memory to maintain it for long. If students do not believe learning is relevant, the brain with eventually reject it. To successfully engage the mind, four questions must be considered: How do I feel? Am I interested? Is this important? Can I do this? (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2011).
Current research from Phillip Schlechty explains engagement as a connection between attention, persistence, and commitment, all of which tie to Marzano’s questions.  The “Levels of Engagementinfographic explores five ways in which students respond or adapt to school-related tasks and activities.

No longer can we look at ritual compliance, also known as demonstrating positive behavior, as engagement.  In ritual compliance, students are missing critical emotional and cognitive engagement, therefore leading to complacent, yet unfulfilling, learning.

Strategic compliance still misses the mark of authentic engagement since students miss the relevance of learning, causing low retention.

How might I make a difference in engagement?
When you think about times your students have shown authentic engagement in learning, what factors contributed to your success? Which of those factors might you want to emulate time and time again?

Suggestions for enhancing student engagement in the classroom include the following:

  • Provide students with rich learning experiences signaling real purpose and relevance of content.
  • Evoke student curiosity through lesson design and questioning opportunities.
  • Trust students’ voice and choice as they take the reins of learning.
  • Allow for student autonomy.
  • Increase global interactions.
  • Create meaningful fun.
Rethinking engagement will create an environment that is far beyond Google’s reach as emotional, cognitive, and behavioral factors of engagement are satisfied in all our students. 


References:

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., & Heflebower, T. (2011). The highly engaged classroom. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research Laboratory.

Schlechty Center on Engagement (2013). Retrieved from http://www.schlechtycenter.org/tools-for-change.

Sparks, Sarah. “Active Student Engagement Goes Beyond Class Behavior, Study Finds.” Education Week. N.p., 10 July 2013.