It’s about time that we reconsider the meaning of student engagement and assess ourselves as educators if we are making it a priority to establish a relationship with students.
A study in Australia tracked students over a 20-year period. Researchers found out that “the more children felt connected to their school community and felt engaged (rather than bored), the greater their likelihood of achieving a higher educational qualification and going on to a professional or managerial career, over and above their academic attainment or socioeconomic background.”
What exactly is student engagement?
David Price cites three myths or traps that we fall into when looking at what we believe is student engagement:
Myth #1: “I can see when my students are engaged”
Price talks about “invisible disengagement.”
Myth #2: “They must be engaged — look at their test scores!”
Price says our culture has bred a group of “disengaged achievers.”
Myth #3: “They must be engaged — they’re having fun.”
“Humor is important, of course,” writes Price, “but students need intellectual stretch — shallow engagement isn’t enough.”
Price’s full article elaborates on each of these three myths. Read the full article by David Price on Mindshift.com.