Sustainable School Environment as a Landscape for Secondary School Students’ Engagement in Learning

Agne Brandisauskiene,Loreta Buksnyte-Marmiene,Egle Kemeryte-Ivanauskiene,Jurate Cesnaviciene,Ausra Daugirdiene,Rasa Nedzinskaite-Maciuniene

doi:10.3390/su132111714

Abstract

The sustainable school is important in today’s education system to ensure the well-being of younger generations. This research work attempted to empirically test the different predictions of a sustainable school environment for secondary school students’ engagement in learning. The following objectives were formulated: to analyse the differences of sustainable school environment and engagement in learning based on gender and SES background; to analyse the relationship between sustainable school environment variables and engagement in learning; and to examine how sustainable school environment variables could predict students’ emotional and behavioural engagement. The research sample consisted of students from three districts of Lithuania with a disadvantaged SES context. We assessed the sustainable school environment variables and students’ emotional and behavioural engagement in learning with the What Is Happening in this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire, a short form of the Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ), and the Student Engagement Scale. The results showed a statistically significant difference in behavioural engagement between boys and girls. There are no differences in sustainable school environment variables and engagement in relation to SES. Teachers’ autonomy supportive behaviour perceived by students has the strongest correlation with emotional and behavioural engagement in learning. Thus, in the Lithuanian schools surveyed, a sustainable school environment is developing.

Highlights

IntroductionRemote learning in COVID-19 conditions can affect school dropout rates, as well as widen social gaps in cognitive, social, and emotional skills of a student [5]
A statistically significant difference was found between lower behavioural engagement means for the boys (M = 3.24, SD = 0.59) compared to the girls (M = 3.55, SD = 0.60; t = −3.413, p < 0.001)
Emotional engagement and behavioural engagement were used as the dependent variable of the study

Summary

Introduction

Remote learning in COVID-19 conditions can affect school dropout rates, as well as widen social gaps in cognitive, social, and emotional skills of a student [5]. These authors argue that such inequalities may persist or even increase over time and have a negative impact on learning outcomes. Under these circumstances, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—ensuring “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”—are even more urgent [6]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion