Teaching Approaches and Student Engagement in Secondary Schools in Arua City, Uganda

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between teaching approaches and student engagement in secondary schools in Arua City, Uganda. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between constructivist teaching approaches and behaviourist teaching approaches with student engagement. This study adopted a correlation analysis as the basis for determining whether there was a relationship between the study variables. Data were collected from a sample of 341 students using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling were used to analyse data. Descriptive results revealed that while students’ engagement was moderate, teachers’ use of the constructivist approach was lower than student-centred approaches. Structural equation modelling using SmartPLS results revealed that constructivist teaching approaches positively and significantly predicted student engagement, while behaviourist teaching approaches negatively significantly predicted student engagement. This study concluded that the constructivist teaching approach promotes student engagement, and behaviourist teaching approaches do not enhance student engagement. It was therefore recommended that teachers should emphasise using constructivist teaching approaches, and teachers have to reduce the use of behaviourist teaching approaches. This article will be of value to both researchers and policymakers in the education sector in Uganda as it identifies appropriate teaching approaches that enhance the effective engagement of students. Therefore, it might inform policy-making on curriculum development and further research