Investigating teacher influence on student engagement in high schools

Abstract

Student engagement is a pivotal contributor to academic achievement, retention, and well-being, and yet the role of teacher influence on engagement is poorly understood. This is in part due to the contextual and ‘hidden’ nature of student engagement, and as such, levels of student engagement are assumed through observable factors such as attendance and conduct. It is also due to the difficulty in mapping student engagement simultaneously with understanding the teacher practices used to influence it. This article reports on a pre-post case study in which student survey and teacher focus group data were analysed together, revealing the nature and depth of association between the practices adopted by teachers and student engagement. By comparing the change of engagement at a class or homegroup level, it was possible to identify how approaches used by teachers impacted various elements of engagement. Furthermore, it found a high correlation between teacher practices and change in student engagement at a class or homegroup level, providing the opportunity for teachers to learn what practices were effective in their specific context.

Impact of Teacher-Student Rapport in Learning English at the Tertiary Level in Bangladeshi Context

“…Moreover, in a language classroom teacher works as a catalyst for learners' language choice and pro ciency (Inagaki & Nakaya, 2022). Also, the learning of the students can be immediately measured by students' participation or engagement in class, and the teachers' role is paramount in instigating students' engagement in class (Thomas & Nair, 2023). Grit is another quality that helps enormously in learning English.…”