The Glossary of Education Reform (2016) states, “In education, student engagement refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education” (as cited in Barkley & Major, 2020, p. 7). Further, Bomia et al. (1997) defines student engagement as “students’ willingness, need, desire, and compulsion to participate in, and be successful in, the learning process” (as cited in Barkley & Major, 2020). Moreover, student engagement affirms that learning is enhanced just as “students are inquisitive, interested, or inspired” (“Student Engagement,” 2016).
Student engagement can also be created throughout “periods of thoughtful intensity and even silence, when moments of reflection may lead to deeper learning” (“4 Tested Techniques to Engage Students,” 2019). According to Hugh (2021), “Student engagement is a critical measure of long-term student success”. She further goes on to tell us that “student engagement is a measure of a student’s level of interaction with others, plus the quantity of involvement in and quality of effort directed toward activities that lead to persistence and completion”.
Sutton (n.d.) states that “student engagement can be seen as the glue that holds together all aspects of student learning and growth. Not only does student engagement make teaching itself more fun, engaging, and rewarding, but it has been shown to have critical impacts on students”. In addition, Johnson (2013) claims that “The ultimate engagement is to put the learner in charge of learning. Create a rich learning environment and a motivation to learn, and the students do all the hard work of learning, while the teacher merely facilitates”.
References
4 Tested Techniques to Engage Students. (2019, July 9). Harvard Business Publishing Education. Retrieved from https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/4-tested-techniques-to-engage-students
Barkley, E. F. & Major C. H. (2020). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hugh, K. (2021, August 12). Defining student engagement at your institution. Mainstay. Retrieved from https://mainstay.com/blog/defining-student-engagement-at-your-institution/
Johnson, B. (2013, November 2). How Do We Know When Students Are Engaged? Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-engagement-definition-ben-johnson
Student Engagement. (2016, February 18). The Glossary of Education Reform. Retrieved from https://www.edglossary.org/student-engagement/
Sutton, E. (n.d.). Student Engagement: Why it’s important and How to Promote it. Branching Minds. Retrieved from https://www.branchingminds.com/blog/student-engagement-remote-in-person
