Patterns of situational engagement and task values in science lessons

Katja Upadyaya,Jari Lavonen,Katariina Salmela-Aro,Patricio Cumsille,Beatrice Avalos,Sebastian Araneda

doi:10.1080/00220671.2021.1955651

Abstract

Situational engagement is a key element in promoting students’ maintained interest and focused attention in learning. Most research on students engagement has been variable-centered, and only few studies have examined situational patterns of student engagement. The present study used person-oriented approach (e.g., latent profile analysis with Mplus multigroup comparison and 3-step procedure) to examine patterns of students’ situational engagement in science (e.g., situational interest, skills, and challenge), differences in the engagement patterns during regular vs. intervention science lessons, and the extent to which situational expectations and task values (e.g., attainment and utility values) are associated with engagement patterns. Chilean ninth grade students participated in the study using Experience Sampling Method (N = 77 students; 475 situational responses). Three patterns of engagement were identified: a) medium interest and skills (21% and 23% of the moments during regular/intervention lessons, b) high interest and skills (12% and 16%), and c) low interest, skills, and challenge (13% and 15%). Situational task values and expectations were positively associated with high and medium engagement patterns, especially during the regular science lessons.

Highlights

In the light of international research findings (OECD, 2007, 2015) fostering students’ engagement, motivation, and optimal learning experiences has become a dominant concern due to students’ increasing disengagement and boredom at school (Shernoff & Csikszentmihalyi, 2009; Stephan et al, 2011)
The results showed that the VLMR test supported a two-pattern solution, whereas the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) and Akaike information criterion (AIC) indices supported the four-pattern solution
The results showed, that when the multigroup procedure was applied to the data, the pattern originally described as ‘high skills and challenge’ slightly changed as a proportion of the situational experiences (13%) which initially belonged to this pattern belonged to the ‘high interest and skills’ pattern of engagement

Summary

Introduction

In the light of international research findings (OECD, 2007, 2015) fostering students’ engagement, motivation, and optimal learning experiences has become a dominant concern due to students’ increasing disengagement and boredom at school (Shernoff & Csikszentmihalyi, 2009; Stephan et al, 2011). While performing science activities in the classroom, students may experience high skills, interest, and challenge (high engagement), or low skills and interest but high challenge (disengagement) These engagement patterns can be captured by methods typically used in person-oriented approach (e.g., latent profile analysis, LPA) which enable researchers to identify various homogeneous patterns of students’ situational experiences (von Eye & Bogat, 2006). According to previous research students experience high situational engagement during approximately 15% of the classroom situations (Inkinen et al, 2020), suggesting that during the remaining classroom situations students experience other patterns of engagement (e.g., different combinations of situational interest, skills, and challenge) These different engagement patterns can be examined with person-oriented research (e.g., LPA) which, on the basis of clustering, seeks to identify different homogeneous patterns of students’ situational experiences (von Eye & Bogat, 2006). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it yet remains to be examined what kind of patterns of skills, interest, and challenge are identifiable in natural settings (e.g., during classroom activities, as opposed to retrospectively)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion