Student engagement has become a buzzword in recent times. Read any content surrounding the latest educational technology and trends, and you are bound to come across this term. So what exactly is it?
By definition, student engagement refers to how interested and invested a student is in learning in the classroom.
It matters because research shows that students who are engaged in a classroom are 2.5 times more likely to get better grades and about 4.5 times more likely to look forward toward a hopeful and bright future.
In short, engagement is the key to effective education. Now that we know what student engagement is and why it matters, let’s look at some of the factors that influence engagement and discuss student engagement strategies to improve it.
Factors influencing student engagement
Effective student engagement is a complex and multifaceted science that can be broadly classified into behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement.
These points are crucial to understanding the various factors that influence student engagement, which are:
Teacher-student relationship
Research shows that the positive student-teacher relationship directly impacts student engagement levels. After all, for the first few years of their life, students spend as much time as they do with teachers as with their parents.
Nurturing a healthy relationship with students will directly impact all three aspects of student engagement. A good rapport and trust between a teacher and their students will encourage them to open up about any issues and difficulties they are facing.
It will also encourage them to engage in the classroom without fear, and are more likely to look forward to attending school.
A survey showed that about 75% of high school students had a negative outlook towards schools and named stress and boredom as the leading factors.
The classroom environment
The overall classroom environment, too, directly impacts student engagement levels, while a lot of it depends on the overall rapport between the teacher and the students.
That said, studies have shown that a classroom’s physical layout also directly impacts student engagement and certification levels.
The curriculum and teaching methodology used
Another factor that influences student engagement is the curriculum and teaching methodology used in the classroom. It is now common knowledge that not every student learns the same way.
Some are visual learners, some are auditory learners, and some are kinesthetic learners. Additionally, you should also take into account the fact that attention spans are dropping significantly due to the digital age.
Therefore, the curriculum and teaching methodology should be tailored to cater to each learning style and make the overall learning experience interactive, engaging and fun.
Strategies for enhancing student engagement
As we have seen, many factors influence student engagement. But how can we enhance student engagement in practice?
Here are some student engagement strategies for improving engagement in the classroom.
Incorporating technology
Thanks to the pandemic, most educational institutions now have a robust digital infrastructure in place. As teachers, you can capitalize on this and incorporate numerous technologies the Edtech industry has to offer.
Interactive e-books are a great starting point. They are full of rich multimedia elements that can engage learners of all types – something traditional textbooks couldn’t do. Interactive textbooks do more than just improve engagement levels.
In fact, one study showed that interactive e-books improved their test scores by 26.91 points, compared to 9.97 points when traditional textbooks were used.
Incorporating gamification into the curriculum is another sure-shot way to improve student engagement in classrooms. Gamification has been found to improve engagement levels by 65%.
Surveys have also shown that 67.7% of students show increased motivation when learning via gamification.
Encouraging student participation
As advanced as technology has gotten, it still cannot one-up the “human” factor. Encouraging student participation is a great way to boost their confidence levels and improve their communication and social skills.
Rather than making communication in the classroom a one-sided affair, allow students to talk and play a role in deciding what they want to discuss.
Ask open-ended questions that encourage them to go beyond the limited scope of their textbooks and develop out-of-the-box thinking.
Personalizing learning
Truth be told, the traditional education model has always favoured some students more than others, which negatively impacts engagement levels. Personalized learning can level the playing field and help improve student engagement levels across the board.
Personalized learning is a technique that uses the power of AI and data analytics to alter lessons based on each student’s capability. When a student can learn at their own pace and according to their own interest, it will automatically instil a sense of confidence and, in turn, improve their engagement levels.
Measuring the impact
Measuring the impact of student engagement is an essential step in evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies you are implementing in the classroom.
Assessments and quizzes are great ways of measuring improvements in learning outcomes of newly implemented student engagement strategies. The AI-driven data analytics features of modern learning management systems can also give you detailed reports on student performance.
That said, as educators, your observations and judgment play an equally important role in understanding and gauging the effectiveness of said student engagement strategies.
Summing it up
Student engagement is the gateway to an effective education. Improved engagement will not only help students improve academically and on a personal level but also help them develop a love of learning that will last a lifetime.
The student engagement strategies discussed are a great starting point for developing a classroom environment where every student of yours can thrive. Change isn’t easy, but with QFix’s help, the transition can be efficient and smooth. And the result? They’ll be worth it, and your students will thank you!