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Engaging in Learning: The Challenges and Consequences for Students from Challenging Backgrounds

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Empowering Engagement

Abstract

Acknowledging the critical role of engagement to learning and achievement, this chapter focuses on students at risk of learning disengagement—marginalized students in alternative education settings who have experienced chronic exclusion and disadvantaged students from high-poverty backgrounds. It provides a description of major issues and problems experienced by these students in relation to sustained learning engagement. Special research attention is required to investigate factors and conditions that may contribute to learning engagement and disengagement of these at-risk students. This chapter maintains that these students are capable of learning and engaging when appropriate supports are provided to ensure their opportunity to learn. This chapter ends with a brief discussion of important considerations for researching engagement and disengagement with students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The considerations include engagement fluctuates; engagement has a focal object; engagement is situational and malleable; engagement is purposeful; and engagement is negotiable and often involved power struggles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Learning Sciences & Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Clarence Ng

  2. Faculty of Education & Arts, Australian Catholic University, Virginia, QLD, Australia

    Brendan Bartlett

  3. Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Stephen N. Elliott

Authors
  1. Clarence Ng
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  2. Brendan Bartlett
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  3. Stephen N. Elliott
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Ng, C., Bartlett, B., Elliott, S.N. (2018). Engaging in Learning: The Challenges and Consequences for Students from Challenging Backgrounds. In: Empowering Engagement . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94652-8_1

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