Assessment of Engagement and Disaffection With the Student Engagement Instrument

Abstract

Research suggests the need to assess both positive and negative forms of student engagement. The purpose of this study was to pilot disaffection items with the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI) with a sample of middle school students from a rural area in the Southeastern U.S. This study explored the factor structure of the piloted items alongside the SEI, measurement invariance, and associations between student engagement and disaffection with educational outcomes such as mathematics and reading test scores, discipline referrals, and absences. Results hold implications for our theoretical understanding of engagement, suggesting that engagement and disaffection dimensions are theoretically and psychometrically distinct.