Student engagement and its relationship with early high school dropout

Abstract

Although the concept of school engagement figures prominently in most school dropout theories, there has been little empirical research conducted on its nature and course and, more importantly, the association with dropout. Information on the natural development of school engagement would greatly benefit those interested in preventing student alienation during adolescence. Using a longitudinal sample of 11,827 French‐Canadian high school students, we tested behavioral, affective, cognitive indices of engagement both separately and as a global construct. We then assessed their contribution as prospective predictors of school dropout using factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Global engagement reliably predicted school dropout. Among its three specific dimensions, only behavioral engagement made a significant contribution in the prediction equation. Our findings confirm the robustness of the overall multidimensional construct of school engagement, which reflects both cognitive and psychosocial characteristics, and underscore the importance attributed to basic participation and compliance issues in reliably estimating risk of not completing basic schooling during adolescence.

A photovoice study of school belongingness among high school students in Norway

“…To date, research and policy have typically attributed failure to complete high school to student or family characteristics, with an emphasis on students’ insufficient level of engagement [6,7], inappropriate behaviour [8] or lack of understanding of educational benefits. Families have been framed as insufficient role models, or blamed for not being supportive of education [9,10].…”

Do girls and boys perceive themselves as equally engaged in school? The results of an international study from 12 countries

“…Some researchers use a three-part typology and conceptualize it as comprising affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions (Fredricks et al, 2004;Jimerson et al, 2003;Lam et al, 2009), whereas some researchers use a four-part typology and add an academic dimension as well (Appleton, Christenson, Kim, & Reschly, 2006). Some researchers include antecedents of student engagement, such as teacher support and peer relationships, in the measurement of student engagement (e.g., Appleton et al, 2006), whereas others include outcomes, such as grades and discipline (e.g., Archambault, Janosz, Fallu, & Pagani, 2009).…”

Psychosocial Wellbeing of Black Youth in the Age of Hip-Hop: From Theory to Practice

“…For this reason, many researchers now focus on the concept of school engagement to better understand what is believed to be a gradual process of disengagement, culminating in a student leaving school before completing the public schooling process [6,7]. Many researchers agree that, by the time a student completely disengages from traditional schooling, it is the end of a long process where the student has progressively become disengaged over time [5,8].…”