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Student

Engagement:
To Engage or
not and helpful
resources

Richelle mansfield

University of south Florida

April 23, 2017


Background
Purpose:

The purpose behind this inquiry is to create a rich and


engaging environment in which students are actively
learning as opposed to simply sitting in their seats,
giving them many opportunities to lose focus. Research
has demonstrated that engaging students in the learning
process increases their attention and focus, motivates
them to practice higher-level critical thinking skills and
promotes meaningful learning experiences (Engaging
Students in Learning, 2017). Overall student success
could increase. It also gives teachers the opportunity to
continuously learn and adapt their practice, keeping it
fresh, as opposed to falling trap to the monotony of
lecture style (authority model) teaching.
My Wondering

With this purpose I wondered how can I


incorporate engagement strategies in the
content areas to increase student success?
Methods:

Data Collection:
Literature
Coded Field Notes
Student Feedback
Student Work
Observations
Formative Assessments
Summative Assessments
Actions Taken:
Cooperating Teacher Interview
Student Survey
Observation of Environment and
Students
Tested Engagement Strategies
Whole Group
Small Group
Attended Professional Development
Methods Continued
Workshops
Findings

1. Utilizing engagement strategies during


curriculum instruction help improve my
students focus and academic achievement.
2. Incorporating movement that is purposeful to
the school day helped minimize student
disengagement in my field experience
classroom.
3. With careful planning and attention to detail, I
could modify activities to fit our learning
environment.
Learning Statement 1: Utilizing engagement strategies during curriculum
instruction help improve my students focus and academic achievement.

After spending a few weeks noticing the trend of disengagement in my field


experience, I turned to the literature I had collected last semester when I
initially began this inquiry. The central theme to engaging students seemed to
be linked to how the material was presented and whether students could make
real-life connections. As stated in the actions I took, I began to incorporate
strategies and activities throughout the lessons I planned. I collected exit
tickets, field notes, and student work to show they had in fact helped improve
student focus and academic achievement.
Learning Statement 2 - Incorporating movement helped minimize student
disengagement in my field experience classroom.

When we incorporated movement in the classroom, I noted


a decrease in the amount of students that pulled their clips
each day. I also noticed observational changes when I
compared my original field notes taken the first week of my
internship and notes taken by my supervisor towards the
end of my internship.
Learning Statement 3: With careful planning and attention to
detail, I could modify activities to fit our learning environment.
I think as educators, we often find a strategy and if it doesnt fit our
students or our classroom setup we automatically toss it aside and
say, That wont work. However, after participating in this inquiry,
I have discovered that we shouldnt be so quick to toss these
strategies or activities to the side. If we take the time to modify
them, they can have a positive impact on our students success and
their desire to want to focus. I noted that in the improvement of my
students grades as well as the decrease in student disengagement.
Every time my students found out I was teaching a subject, they
would smile and make comments like Yay! Learning is always fun
when you teach! All it required was extra planning time,
determining how I could rearrange the activity to fit our small space,
how I would ensure all students were involved, and how I would
determine if something was working or not.
Conclusions

Overall, this inquiry taught me the importance


of reflecting on my teaching practice. I now
understand the need to reflect on why my
students might be disengaged and what
aspects of our classroom learning community I
can work with to remedy this. In my future
practice, I will record when disengagement is
occurring and what type of disengagement is
going on before reacting.
New Wonderings

Going forward Im left wondering, does


community play an important role in student
focus and achievement? I want to create a safe
and inviting classroom that promotes student
academic curiosity. Will this have a positive
effect on my students engagement during
instruction?
References

Dill, M. How to Engage Students in the Learning Process with Interest Inventories: Use Your Students' Interests and the Curriculum to Guide Your

Instruction. (2012, Janurary 20). Retrieved from Bright Hub Education: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-methods-tips/17677-using-

student-interest-inventories/

Goudvis, A., & Harvey, S. (2007). Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers.

Marks, H.M. (2000). Student Engagement in Instructional Activity: Patterns in the Elementary, Middle, and High School Years. American Educational

Research Journal, 37 (1), 153-184.

Pinterst. (2017, January 10). Engagement Strategies. Retrieved from pinterest.com

University of Washington Center for Teaching and Learning. Engaging students in learning. (2017). Retrieved March 12, 2017, from

http://www.washington.edu/teaching/teaching-resources/engaging-students-in-learning/

Wilson (2014, March 12). Move Your Body, Grow Your Brain. [Web log]. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/move-body-grow-brain-

donna-wilson

Whitaker, K.; Whitaker, M.; Whitaker, T. (2016). Your First Year: How to Survive and Thrive as a First-Year Teacher. New York, NY: Routledge

Publishing,

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