Implementation of a web-based system to measure, monitor, and promote school engagement strategies. A Chilean experience

Abstract

This paper presents the implementation and usability of a technology-based web system and the available evidence on educational engagement’s predictive capacity to influence students’ educational trajectories in Chilean schools. The web-based system was developed through collaborative work between universities, the information technology team, school communities, and stakeholders (government institutions). It is an online system composed of six steps whose axis is centered on a decision-making space between teachers-students-parents (School Engagement Board) tasked with applying online and scientifically validated school engagement and contextual factors measurement instruments, checking specific report results for each actor involved in the system (teacher, School Engagement Board coordinator, school) as well as reviewing promotion strategies relevant to the school context and managing the implementation of strategies supported by the management datasheets that the model offers to schools. The objective of this paper is to present the usability of the system through a case study of the implementation in Chilean public schools. In order to discuss about what elements should be incorporated to adjust and improve the usability of the system and to guarantee its effective implementation, the paper describes those aspects that have favored and/or hindered the use of this educational technological platform in the Chilean case. The results show that there have been more difficulties related to management aspects than IT aspects, which indicates that these conditions are critical for implementation, even when system for evaluation, monitoring and strategies for the promotion of student engagement and contextual factors (SIESE) is designed for stand-alone use. Although there are aspects to be improved, such as extending its use to other browsers, improving the intervention guidelines and other systems functionalities, this web-based system has been considered by the educational communities as a simple, useful, and intuitive platform. The paper concludes on the importance of having this type of platform in Chile and other Latin American countries, for its contribution to school management -being helpful for day-to-day educational practice- due to the different technical facilitators.

School engagement profiles in Chilean secondary students

“…According to the School Vulnerability Index calculated annually by the National School Aid and Scholarship Board, all students came from schools with a high level of school vulnerability. This index took into consideration family socioeconomic context, access to the health system, housing quality, and parents’ educational level, among other factors ( Saracostti et al, 2022 ).…”

“…In this way, members of the research team duly trained for this purpose made the necessary explanations and answered the students’ questions through the virtual platforms they used to attend their virtual classes. Once the questionnaires were explained, the students completed them through an online platform developed for this purpose ( De-Toro et al, 2021 ; Saracostti et al, 2022 ), with an approximate duration between 30 and 40 min.…”

“…SE is a multidimensional construct composed of affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions (Lara et al, 2021). Lara et al (2018) and Saracostti et al (2019Saracostti et al ( , 2022 define affective engagement as the emotional response towards the learning process and the school, characterized by feeling part of a school community and involved. Behavioral engagement is related to participation in academic activities, attendance, and social interactions, whether at home, in face-to-face or online school.…”

Pequeños/as grandes investigadores: niñeces creando conocimiento sobre el compromiso escolar en Chile

“…Primer semestre 2022. Análisis de datos realizados por NNA: durante esta fase los/as estudiantes analizaron los resultados del cuestionario aplicado a escolares a través de la plataforma (Saracostti et al, 2022). La facilitadora promovió que los/as estudiantes hicieran sus propios análisis y que generaran sugerencias sobre cómo fortalecer el compromiso escolar y sus factores contextuales dentro de sus escuelas; ello en línea con el interés de la investigación-acción participativa de facilitar que los/as participantes sean agentes de cambio en sus espacios.…”

“…El apoyo de pares se refiere a las percepciones del estudiantado acerca de sus interacciones interpersonales y a la preocupación y con#anza que ocurre con sus compañeros/as. Por último, la percepción de apoyo y motivación para aprender es aquella brindada por el equipo docente en aspectos académicos o personales Navarro et al, 2021;Saracostti et al, 2022).…”