Eight Myths of Student Disengagement

Book excerpt: Many teachers report that student disengagement is one of the biggest challenges they encounter in the classroom, and research shows that there is a steady decline in students' engagement that begins as early as kindergarten and persists through the transitions to middle and high school. Young children are naturally curious and want to learn and explore, but unfortunately this all too often gives way to a lack of participation and effort, acting out and disrupting class, disaffection and withdrawal, and failure to deeply invest in academic content. Jennifer Fredricks's book goes beyond the idea that classroom management techniques and on-task behaviour ensure student engagement, to consider the emotional and cognitive dimensions that are critical for deeper learning and student achievement. Fredricks presents compelling strategies based on the research to demonstrate how instructional tasks, teacher-student relations, and peer dynamics all play a pivotal role in cultivating lasting student engagement.