It’s hard to believe that it has been three months since my last entry. How time flies when you are working your butt off! Unfortunately, part of that work meant changing jobs, which is a long story I’ll discuss in my next blog. I said that I would follow up on student engagement and student motivation at the end of my last entry and I suppose that is far overdue. I’m going to take a bit of a slant on it, if I may.
As teachers, we are in the midst of difficult times. We have become the scapegoats for all things wrong in our education system. We are inundated with news of bad teachers, ineffective teachers, and the corruption of our unions. It can be difficult to focus on teaching, when one feels that his/her every action will be scrutinized to the nth degree. New teachers become wary, experienced teachers become disenfranchised, and older teachers just get tired. It’s hard to be engaging in the midst of such turmoil. As if that were not enough, let’s look at many of the students we face each day. Many students come to school carrying technology that some teachers barely use (or understand all that well). We face ringing cell phones, I-pods and MP3 players, phone cameras, I-Pod cameras, and a host of other technology that can be disruptive, if not annoying. Add this to the fact that many of today’s students come to school with little respect for their teachers and their own education. Student apathy is one of the biggest problems we face and we are charged with the task of “winning” them over. Let’s engage!
WHAT?!? Engage? You’re kidding right? Hardly! According to Conner (2009), “researchers are increasingly viewing engagement as a multidimensional construct, consisting of three distinct factors: an affective or emotional factor; a behavioral factor; and a cognitive factor” (p. 10). This would be translate into numerous outputs, including attendance rates, meeting work deadlines, following directions, participation in and out of class, and positive interactions with teachers. It has been reasoned that the three factors correspond to “what students feel, do, and think” (Fredericks, Blumenfeld, and Paris (as cited in Conner, 2009, p. 10). It is also noted that student engagement is NOT the same as student motivation, though some intersection does occur (Fletcher, 2007). As teachers, we are encouraged to create lessons and assessments that result in high student engagement. In other words, using the factors above, the assignments/lessons will get and keep the students’ interest, result in completion of the work, and reflect student learning. Not impossible, that’s for certain, but Conner (2009) notes that it has been found that “Engagement is a desirable, but rare, state, particularly for students in the latter years of secondary schooling” (p. 10). So, what influences the work we do in the classroom? Fletcher (2007) explains that one step that will assist classroom engagement is a faculty-wide shared definition of engagement. As I’ve noted before, consistency among teachers at a school can go far in establishing a school culture that encourages, no, expects student engagement at a high level. Clearly we, the teachers, have a responsibility as well. We need to make certain we provide clear expectations for each assignment/lesson, offer timely feedback, present good examples of successful student products, and explain the skills necessary for success.
Wait! Hold on! If that works to create student engagement, should it still remain an issue? Does that clear up student apathy? While we focus on engagement, we cannot ignore motivation. More and more, our students are asking “Why do I have to do this?,” “Will I really use this after I graduate?” How we answer these questions influences the outcome as much as the creation of engaging lessons. The fact is, many of our students will choose careers that are not heaving in Algebra or Geometry (not to say it doesn’t influence our everyday lives – math teachers, don’t get upset). Many students are not going to choose college majors or careers that will rely on their knowledge of literature, or art, or history, or, well, you get the picture. So what is the point? My reply to these questions has always been the following: “You may be right. Perhaps you won’t use math, literature, art, etc., but you might.
You don’t know what life as in store for you. However, let’s say you’re correct. Then what is the point of taking these courses. I’ll give you two. 1. You don’t live in a vacuum, but a world filled with a diversity of people and experiences. The more you study different concepts, the more well rounded you and the greater ability you will have to engage with others and think at higher levels. In the end, this leads to success. 2. School, just like a job you will one day have, means doing things you don’t always enjoy or like. Every person, no matter how much they love their careers, can cite at least one task they have to do that they wish they didn’t have to (I cite some of my own – i.e. administrative paperwork, meetings, etc.). However, in order to be successful, we have to practice the behaviors that lead to achievement when we do these tasks, just as we do with every other part of our jobs. Think of these courses you don’t like or you don’t feel are necessary, as opportunities to practice success behaviors that will allow you to prepare for greater achievement beyond school.” I can’t say it always works, but I do believe it holds great truth.
Beyond this, much of our students’ motivations come from what they learn about education at home. Do their parents value it? Do they set high expectations for it and follow through when they are (or aren’t) met? Without a well-rounded approach that grounds our students in a sense of personal responsibility when it comes to their education, what hope do we or they have for success? How long will we continue to ignore the multitude of interactions that influence student outcomes? When will society stop pointing the finger at the teacher, when clearly, teachers are not the only ones at fault? I guess that would require another entry…well, I guess I know where I’m going with my next entry!
What do you thing about the issue of student engagement?
Finally, let me recommend the following book to you. I was introduced to it through my last job and, while I was there a very short time, it was one of the positive things I garnered from the experience. Take a movement to find and read:
Lemov, D. (2010). Teach like a champion: Techniques that put students on the path to college. San
Francisco: Wiley & Sons.
References:
Conner, J. (2009). Student engagement in and independent research project: The influence of cohort
culture. Journal of advanced academics 21(1), 8-38.
Fletcher, A. (2007, July). Defining student engagement: A literature review. Retrieved from
http://www.soundout.org/.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
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