Unlocking student engagement:  Strategies for meaningful learning outcomes

All teachers agree student engagement is vital to the educational process, but it’s not always clear how to initiate student informational processing and meaning-making. Creating activities where students appear actively engaged without reaching the learning objectives and outcomes is possible. Did the activity equate to learning? This article briefly overviews effective student engagement: what it is, why it’s important, and how to measure learning using engagement activities.

What is Student Engagement?

According to the Glossary of Education Reform:

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. Generally speaking, “student engagement” is predicated on the belief that learning improves when students are inquisitive, interested, or inspired and that learning tends to suffer when students are bored, dispassionate, disaffected, or otherwise “disengaged.”

Student engagement is not just about capturing their attention. Student involvement is more deeply rooted in the psychology of human behavior and manifests itself in the science of learning. Human beings need to know things. It’s a natural state of mind to solve problems. Our brain loves puzzles. Teachers are tasked with unlocking students’ natural curiosity and need to solve problems to prepare them for college and careers.

Attending to students’ behavioral, cognitive, and emotional needs fosters a positive classroom environment, leading to improved academic performance, life skills, emotional well-being, and resilience. Let’s not forget the benefits for teachers. What a joy to ply your teaching skills and watch students flourish in your classroom, displaying curiosity and enthusiasm and stretching academically.

Researchers identify three dimensions of student engagement: Behavioral engagement, cognitive engagement, and emotional engagement.

Behavioral Engagement

Behavioral engagement is the visible actions students take to participate in the learning process. These actions include adherence to rules and norms, effort put into learning tasks, active participation in class discussions, consistent attendance, and assignment submission. Research shows that high behavioral engagement enhances academic outcomes and retention.

Cognitive Engagement

Ownership of learning includes deep learning strategies, critical thinking, a desire to understand complex concepts, and persevering through challenges. Students will not only complete assignments but seek to understand concepts and think critically.

Emotional Engagement

All students need a sense of belonging. Those who feel emotionally supported and connected often remain engaged and committed to their studies. Positive relationships with classmates and teachers spark motivation and joy in learning, resulting in long-term academic persistence and hope for the future.

Why Increase Student Engagement?

If a student’s school experience is tied to confidence and optimism for the future, and engagement is closely aligned with student success, a teacher’s job is supremely important. Finding a way in your teaching activities to engage students remains a top priority.

According to a 2024 Walton Family Foundation-Gallop Voices of Gen Z survey, less than half of Gen Z K-12 students say their school work positively challenges them (49%) or aligns with what they do best (46%). It’s important to note that non-college-bound students show disinterest and seem less hopeful and prepared for the future. Fewer than two in 10 students strongly agree that what they learn feels meaningful, engaging, challenging, or aligned with their natural talents.

In one survey segment, Gallup asked students what excites them about school when their teacher makes the topic stimulating and interesting. Students responded:

• The topic was something I wanted to learn about.
• The teacher made it exciting and interesting. 
• I was able to learn in a hands-on way, such as doing an experiment, simulation, or demonstration. 
• The topic was something new to me.
• The teacher helped me understand how it could be used in the real world.
• The topic was something I could use in my everyday life.
• The topic was something I could use in a current or future job.
• The lesson used technology to help me learn.

Six in 10 chose the first two items. They demonstrated a high interest in the topic, and the teacher made it exciting and interesting. Nearly half like learning the topic hands-on, and one in three like the connection to the real world.

Strategic Approaches to Increased Engagement

We know that cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors influence how actively and meaningfully students participate in the learning process. Below are a few effective teaching methods critical to fostering deeper learning.

Active Learning

There are times when teachers need to employ direct instruction within a lesson, but active learning techniques such as involving students in group discussions, solving tasks, and peer teaching activities help to round out lessons and keep engagement high. New research suggests that mixing strategies in short intervals, such as shifting between direct instruction and collaboration with peers every three to six minutes, may be even more effective. In addition, combining low-challenge and high-challenge tasks every three to six minutes increases academic achievement and replenishes energy for more complex tasks.

Personalized Learning

Student engagement increases when teachers address topics of interest. Personalizing instruction to student needs, interests, and learning styles can heighten motivation and satisfaction and improve academic performance. Use tools and activities like quizzes, surveys, and discussions to gather information on needs and interests. Collaborate with students to set specific, achievable, clear, measurable goals. Tech tools excel in fostering personalized learning and allow students to take control of their knowledge, encouraging a sense of ownership and responsibility and creating independence and self-discipline.

Tech tools like Xello’s Educator Tools make it easy to track and support student progress in easy-to-read dashboards and reports. Students create and share individual profiles, providing teachers with valuable information on specific interests, goals, and skills and reinforcing student engagement.

Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning is a technique richly infused with life-building skills that follow students through school and careers. Benefits include improved problem-solving skills, enhanced communication skills, development of social skills, confidence-building, critical thinking, and helping students understand complex concepts, leading to stronger teamwork and personal growth.

The most popular collaborative strategies include “Think-Pair-Share,” peer teaching, small group discussion, “Jigsaw” technique, and problem-based learning. Each student has a defined role and accountability while actively contributing. Ease students into the process with short, structured bursts of collaborative activity about one to four minutes long. As students build confidence and understanding, extend the time. The cognitive load becomes more manageable.

Tips on Measuring Student Engagement

Student engagement is a significant factor in learning, but how do we know if students are learning? According to John Hattie, a premier expert on student learning, students learn best when they understand the learning goals, can actively monitor their progress, receive timely and specific feedback, and are actively engaged in the learning process. His work on Visible Learning provides a structure to assess prior learning and plan for and measure student outcomes through the use of well-thought-out lesson plans, learning objectives, and success criteria.

Prior Achievement

Research shows that a student’s current knowledge has a powerful impact on achievement. Teachers need to know what students already know and can do to adjust instruction to students’ individual needs. In addition, teachers need to understand how students learn. Listening attentively during peer-to-peer discussions is an effective way to determine prior knowledge. In addition, assess self-attributes. Are they displaying self-confidence? Are they showing self-agency? Do they need help accepting feedback? 

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

We need to plan for learning intentions and success criteria to measure learning. Be clear about what needs to be learned (learning intentions or objectives). Then, assess whether the learning outcomes have been met (success criteria). Success criteria should be specific, observable, and clearly communicated to the students. Also, consider involving students in creating learning intentions and success criteria. 

Assessing their progress and actively understanding what they need to do to be successful enhances student engagement. Occasionally, allow them to create their own learning intentions and success criteria. The three dimensions of student engagement are at work here. Behaviorally, students use their voice to create what and how they learn. Cognitively, students take ownership of their learning, and behaviorally, they experience a deep sense of belonging when teachers ask for their input.

When lessons are planned with attention to prior knowledge, closely stated objectives, and the criteria for successful learning, both teachers and students can assess progress in the learning process. It’s exciting and motivating and ignites a sense of purpose.

Students who are motivated and engaged in the learning process are more likely to build the necessary skills and attitudes for life-long success. They’re natural learners. Supporting students cognitively, behaviorally, and emotionally unleashes that inner scholar and helps prepare them for life beyond school.

Xello helps educators and students build engagement

Please click here to discover how Xello can help your school or district better engage students in planning for their future.