Abstract
Engaging each student in learning comprises a continuous challenge and concern for the contemporary teacher. Educational research confirms the alarming increase of the disengaged students, relating student disaffection to adverse effects on students’ academic development. In the present research through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews, we investigate 80 Greek in-service kindergarten teachers’ opinions with regards to the significance of engaging the disengaged students in learning activities in preschool environments. The interviews based on Creswell’s (2009) interview model, incorporate open-ended and close-ended questions that offer a well-rounded view of the subject. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis of teachers’ opinions show that engaging each disengaged preschooler has multiple benefits on students’ academic development, class climate, and cohesion, and teacher’s self-efficacy, as well. Specifically, teachers’ engaging actions offer students the opportunity to develop their abilities, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging. The interviewees also recognise that increased student engagement levels decisively affect teachers—students’ interactions, offering at the same time clear feedback to the teacher.
Highlights
School disaffection, as a social phenomenon has taken concerning dimensions
The concept of student disaffection closely correlates with the multidimensional construct of student engagement [6]
The following definition offered by Skinner and Belmont indicates that conceptualisation of school disaffection bases on the opposite concept of student engagement: ‘The opposite of engagement is disaffection
Summary
As a social phenomenon has taken concerning dimensions. Educators and research communities have become preoccupied with increasingly high levels of student “detachment”. Teacher’s support facilitates student engagement in learning [1,10,11,16,19,25] This positive, motivating influence that teacher “launches” creates a cordial classroom atmosphere that draws students into learning, promotes their desire to learn [22,27], and fosters closer relationships [14]. Whether teachers experience students’ disaffection as a diagnostic tool signalizing that the specific student needs more instructional and emotional support, teachers’ reactions may have a positive impact on him/her [10]. If teachers make systematic use of teaching strategies that support emotionally and instruct the disengaged students, they may break the adverse circle of disaffection and foster re-engagement
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
