Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Engaging Young Adolescents in Learning

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Young Adolescent Engagement in Learning

Abstract

This chapter foregrounds the context of young adolescent learning in schools, emphasising that engaging young adolescents is crucial to achieving optimal educational outcomes. The authors explain their contention that all young adolescent students are at risk of disengagement or underachievement. The approach taken in this book reflects current educational trends away from a deficit view of young adolescents at risk of disengaging from schooling towards a more holistic view of the factors that lead to student disengagement. In this chapter, the authors explore the challenge of engaging young adolescents in learning, including those students with complex learning needs, who exhibit challenging or aggressive behaviour, or who have additional support needs; and interrogate the factors that may contribute to student disengagement and those that enhance engagement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abrams, F. (2010). Learning to fail: How society lets young people down. London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Adolescent Success. (2018a). About us. https://www.adolescentsuccess.org.au/.

  • Adolescent Success. (2018b). Adolescent Success position paper. Brisbane, QLD: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Apple, M. (2010). Global crises, social justice and education. New York, NY: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). (2010). This we believe: Keys to educating young adolescents. Westerville, OH: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE). (2018). AMLE at a glance. https://www.amle.org/AboutAMLE/AMLEataGlance/tabid/122/Default.aspx.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2017). 4221.0—Schools, Australia, 2016. Canberra, ACT: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). (2012). Junior Secondary—Theory and practice. Brisbane, QLD: Queensland Government, Department of Education and Training.

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2014). Engagement in Australian schools. Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Discussion Paper, Melbourne, VIC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2015). Australia’s Welfare 2015 (Australia’s Welfare Series No. 12, Cat. No. AUS 189). Canberra, ACT: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bahr, N. (2017). The adolescent learner. In D. Pendergast, K. Main, & N. Bahr (Eds.), Teaching middle years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment (3rd ed., pp. 21–46). Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ball, S. (2012). Global education Inc.: New policy networks and the neo-liberal imaginary. London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, R. (2016). Weekly wire: The global forum. The World Bank. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/weekly-wire-global-forum-271.

  • Bridgeland, J. M., Dilulio, J. J., Jr., & Morison, K. B. (2006). The silent epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts. Washington, DC: Civic Enterprises.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1992). Ecological systems theory. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caskey, M., & Anfara, V. A. (2014). Developmental characteristics of young adolescents: Research summary. Westerville, OH: Association for Middle Level Education. https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/455/Developmental-Characteristics-of-Young-Adolescents.aspx.

  • Commissioner for Children and Young People. (2018). Speaking out about school and learning: The views of WA children and young people on factors that support their engagement in school and learning. Perth, WA: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Commonwealth of Australia. (2017). Shifting the dial: 5 Year productivity review (Inquiry Report No. 84). Canberra, ACT: Productivity Commission, Commonwealth of Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Commonwealth of Australia. (2018). Report on Government Services, 2018. Canberra, ACT: Productivity Commission, Commonwealth of Australia. https://www.pc.gov.au/research/ongoing/report-on-government-services/2018/child-care-education-and-training/school-education.

  • Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. (2017). Closing the gap Prime Minister’s Report 2017. Canberra, ACT: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. (2018). Closing the gap Prime Minister’s Report 2018. Canberra, ACT: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R. W. (1993). Schools and social justice. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R. W. (1994). Poverty and education. Harvard Educational Review, 64(2), 125–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R. W. (2013). Why do market ‘reforms’ persistently increase inequality? Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 34(2), 279–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Council of Australian Governments (COAG). (2013). Education in Australia 2012: Five years of performance. Canberra, ACT: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cranston, N., Watson, J., Allen, J. M., Wright, S., Hay, I., Beswick, K., … Kameniar, B. (2016). Overcoming the challenges of keeping young people in education: A wicked problem with implications for leadership, policy and practice. Leading and Managing, 22(1), 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education and Training. (2017). Everybody’s business: Re-engaging young Queenslanders in education. http://advancingeducation.qld.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/everybodys-business-web-upload.pdf.

  • Duffy, G., & Elwood, J. (2013). The perspectives of ‘disengaged’ students in the 14–19 phase on motivations and barriers to learning within the contexts of institutions and classrooms. London Review of Education, 11(2), 112–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evangelou, M., Taggart, B., Sylva, E. M., Sammons, P., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2008). What makes a successful transition from primary to secondary school? London, UK: Institute of Education, University of London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, J., Meyer, D., Pinney, A., & Robinson, B. (2009). Second chances: Re-engaging young people in education and training. Ilford, UK: Barnardo’s.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, B., & Mills, M. (2012). Schools as damaging organisations: Instigating a dialogue concerning alternative models of schooling. Pedagogy, Culture and Society, 20(2), 251–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredricks, J. A., McColskey, W., Meli, J., Mordica, J., Montrosse, B., & Mooney, K. (2011). Measuring student engagement in upper elementary through high school: A description of 21 instruments (Issues & Answers Report, REL 2011–No. 098). Washington, DC: Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs.

  • Garvis, S., Phillipson, S., Clarke, S., Harrison, L., McCormack, J., & Pendergast, D. (2018). Child development and learning: The theoretical, practical and planning guide. Sydney, NSW: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, R., & Poskitt, J. (2010). Student engagement in the middle years of schooling (Years 7–10): A literature review (Report to the Ministry of Education). New Zealand: Ministry of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goss, P., Sonnemann, J., & Griffiths, K. (2017). Engaging students: Creating classrooms that improve learning. Carlton, VIC: Grattan Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, D. (2012). Re-engaging marginalised young people in learning: The contribution of informal learning and community-based collaborations. Journal of Education Policy, 27(5), 641–653.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, D., Mills, M., Christie, P., & Lingard, B. (2006). Teachers making a difference. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopwood, B., Hay, I., & Dyment, J. (2016). The transition from primary to secondary school: Teachers’ perspectives. Australian Educational Research, 43(3), 289–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraftl, P. (2013). Geographies of alternative education. Bristol, UK: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, S., Jackson, J., Walstab, A., & Huo, S. (2015). Educational opportunity in Australia 2015: Who succeeds and who misses out? Melbourne, VIC (Centre for International Research on Education Systems, Victoria University, for Mitchell Institute): Mitchell Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langberg, J., Epstein, J., Altaye, M., Molina, B., Arnold, L., & Vitiello, B. (2008). The transition to middle school is associated with changes in the developmental trajectory of ADHD symptomatology in young adolescents with ADHD. Journal Clinical Child Adolescent Psychology, 37(3), 651–663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lingard, B., Martino, W., Rezai-Rashti, G., & Sellar, S. (2016). Globalizing educational accountabilities. New York, NY: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lingard, B., & Sellar, S. (2014). Equity in Australian schooling: The absent presence of socioeconomic context. In S. Gannon & W. Sawyer (Eds.), Contemporary issues of equity in education (pp. 1–21). Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loutzenheiser, L. W. (2002). Being seen and heard: Listening to young women in alternative schools. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 33(4), 441–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luke, A., Elkins, J., Weir, K., Land, R., Carrington, V., Dole, S., … McIntosh, A. (2003). Beyond the middle: A report about literacy and numeracy development of target group students in the middle years of schooling (Vol. 1, pp. 1–166). Brisbane, QLD: School of Education, The University of Queensland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Main, K., & Pendergast, D. (2017). Student wellbeing and engagement. In D. Pendergast, K. Main, & N. Bahr (Eds.), Teaching middle years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment (3rd ed., pp. 47–65). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • McFadden, M., & Munns, G. (2002). Student engagement and the social relations of pedagogy. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 23(3), 357–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, G. (2015). Counter-narratives that challenge neo-liberal discourses of schooling ‘disengagement’: Youth professionals informing the work of teachers. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 38(4), 551–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, G., Mills, M., Te Riele, K., Hayes, D., & Baroutsis, A. (2017). Re-imagining schooling for education. London, UK: Palgrave-Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie, P., Weldon, P. R., Rowley, G., Murphy, M., & McMillan, J. (2014). Staff in Australia’s schools 2013: Main report on the survey. Sydney, NSW: ACER.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mills, M., & McGregor, G. (2010). Re-engaging young people in education: Success factors in alternative schools. Brisbane, QLD: Youth Affairs Network Queensland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA). (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Melbourne, VIC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noble, T., Wyatt, T., McGrath, H., Roffey, S., & Rowling, L. (2008). Scoping study into approaches to student wellbeing: Final report. Brisbane, QLD: Australian Catholic University and Erebus International. https://docs.education.gov.au/documents/scoping-study-approaches-student-wellbeing-final-report.

  • Ogg, T., & Kaill, E. (2010). A new secret garden? Alternative provision, exclusion and children’s rights. London, UK: Civitas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2012). Equity and quality in education: Supporting disadvantaged students and schools. Paris, France: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pendergast, D. (2017a). Middle years education. In D. Pendergast, K. Main, & N. Bahr (Eds.), Teaching middle years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment (3rd ed., pp. 3–20). Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pendergast, D. (2017b). Transition. In D. Pendergast, K. Main, & N. Bahr (Eds.), Teaching middle years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment (3rd ed., pp. 98–111). Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pendergast, D., Allen, J. M., McGregor, G., & Ronksley-Pavia, M. (2018). Engaging marginalized, “at-risk” middle-level students: A focus on the importance of a sense of belonging at school. Education Sciences, 8(3), 138–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, M. M., Poirier, J. M., Faller, S. E., Gable, R. A., & Tonelson, S. W. (2006). An examination of school climate in effective alternative programs. Preventing School Failure, 51(1), 11–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., & Fuller, G. (2018). SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2018. New York, NY: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlechty, P. C. (2002). Working on the work: An action plan for teachers, principals and superintendents. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaddock, A., Packer, S., & Roy, A. (2015). Schools for all children and young people: Report of the Expert Panel on students with complex needs and challenging behaviour. Canberra, ACT: ACT Government, Education and Training Directorate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, J., & Fasoli, L. (2007). Climbing over the rocks in the road to student engagement and learning in a challenging high school in Australia. Educational Research, 49(3), 273–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, J., & Hattam, R. (2004). ‘Dropping out’, drifting off, being excluded. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, J., & McInerney, P. (2013). Making ‘space’: Young people put at a disadvantage re-engaging with learning. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 34(1), 39–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, W. J., & Wrigley, T. (2013). Living on the edge: Re-thinking poverty, class, and schooling. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • St Luke’s. (2009). Review of deemed enrolment program. Bendigo, VIC: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, L. (2010). Adolescence (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, A. M., Johnson, B., Owens, L., & Conway, R. (2014). Punish them or engage them? Teachers’ views of unproductive student behaviours in the classroom. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(6), 43–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Te Riele, K. (2007). Educational alternatives for marginalised youth. Australian Educational Researcher, 34(3), 53–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, P. (2002). Schooling the rustbelt kids: Making the difference in changing times. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E.

  • Vagle, V. (2012). Not a stage! A critical re-conception of young adolescent education. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, M., & Schwerdt, G. (2012). The middle school plunge. Education Next, 12(2), 62–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2009). The spirit level: Why equality is better for everyone. London, UK: Allen Lane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wishart, D., Taylor, A., & Shultz, L. (2006). The construction and production of youth ‘at risk’. Journal of Education Policy, 21(3), 291–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Jeanne Allen

  2. School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Glenda McGregor

  3. School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Donna Pendergast

  4. School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia

    Michelle Ronksley-Pavia

Authors
  1. Jeanne Allen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Glenda McGregor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Donna Pendergast
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michelle Ronksley-Pavia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeanne Allen .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Allen, J., McGregor, G., Pendergast, D., Ronksley-Pavia, M. (2019). Engaging Young Adolescents in Learning. In: Young Adolescent Engagement in Learning. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05837-1_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05837-1_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-05836-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-05837-1

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation