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Dissertation
An explanatory mixed methods study of the factors that affect engagement of adolescent learners and their subgroups
University of West Florida Libraries
Doctor of Education (EDD), University of West Florida
2013
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to discover ways that teachers of adolescents can adjust instructional methods to better engage their students and to give adolescents a voice in the research in order to learn their perceptions of engaging teaching and learning. One component of improving student achievement in the American high school classroom is raising the level of student engagement. The connection between engagement and achievement has been established in the literature, but the connection, if any, between instructional methods and engagement, particularly for adolescents, has not been established. In this mixed methods study, the researcher attempted to identify the impact of different instructional methods on the engagement of adolescent learners and their subgroups by ethnicity, gender, and at-risk status using the Experience Sampling Method and guided interviews. Engagement was examined through political, social, and individual lenses informed by Baldridge's political model, Bandura's theory of triadic reciprocity, Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, and Csikszentmihalyi's theory of flow. The results indicated that providing students with opportunities to make choices and opportunities for social interaction with peers had a positive impact on student engagement, particularly for male students. The results also suggested that there may be a disparity between the perceived competence and actual competence in school among lower achieving students.
Details
- Title
- An explanatory mixed methods study of the factors that affect engagement of adolescent learners and their subgroups
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Publisher
- University of West Florida Libraries
- Format
- pdf
- Number of pages
- 139
- Copyright
- © 2013 Sharon Ruth Thetford
- Identifiers
- 99380090730806600
- Academic Unit
- School of Education
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Doctor of Education (EDD)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Education (EDD), University of West Florida