An Exploratory Study on Students’ Engagement in Social Studies of Year 7

Zolkernain Ishak,Dk Yusimah Pg Hj Amjah

doi:10.5296/jmr.v7i2.6934

Abstract

There is lack of student engagement noticeably among secondary schools. Willms, Friesen, & Milton (2009), studied that disengagement typically becomes a concern in middle school and high school. The study involved student engagement in the classroom, with three specific interests firstly, to look at the perception of teachers on student engagement, where teachers conceptualized student engagement as only behavioral dimension and both agreed that cultural context is a factor in student learning. Secondly, to look at the degree students exhibiting engaging behaviors and thirdly, to explore the factors that affect student engagement. From the analysis, students did exhibit engagement as they were engaged to do the activity (behavioral engagement) and excited to do a group work (affective engagement). Positive body language, consistence focus, verbal participation, student confidence, fun and excitement play deterministic roles in conceptualizing students’ level of engagement. Hopefully, the study will generate outcome that are beneficial to teachers to be aware on the importance of engaging students in learning especially in Social Studies.

Highlights

Friesen, & Milton (2009), studied that disengagement typically becomes a concern in middle school and high school
The study involved student engagement in the classroom, with three specific interests firstly, to look at the perception of teachers on student engagement, where teachers conceptualized student engagement as only behavioral dimension and both agreed that cultural context is a factor in student learning
The study will generate outcome that are beneficial to teachers to be aware on the importance of engaging students in learning especially in Social Studies

Summary

Introduction

The main purpose of this study is to develop or create interest and desire in learning Social Studies to increase the level of engagement amongst students in Year 7 taking Social Studies. It can be a struggle to make students to engage more in their learning as students have changed over the last twenty years, perhaps as a result of their upbringing in technological rich society. They appear to have different needs, goals, and learning preferences than students in the past. Students are attracted to gadgets, technologies and social network such as iPad, Facebook, Twitter and others This is why educators and other stakeholders have tried to incorporate over the past years those technologies and social network into education so that our students will be more engage and increase their interest in learning. Students as future leaders must possess the relevant knowledge and skills, as well as the right values and attitudes in order to meet the changing needs of the society of the future (UNESCO-IBE, 2011)

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