Student Engagement: Enhancing Student Achievement and the Appreciation of Learning in High Schools
Roundtable Discussion: Solmaz Khodaeifaa
Session A | 9:00 – 9:40 | Location: Room 304 A
Abstract:
Students’ perspectives and ideas related to classroom learning seem to be mostly ignored in high schools, and only the decisions and points of view of teachers and other adults are regarded as important. Not only does this issue result in both teachers and students struggling in the process of teaching and learning, but students also fail to appreciate the intrinsic value of the curriculum content. It is therefore important to explore the significance of student engagement, interest, and motivation on their appreciation of learning as well as any positive effects that it might have on their success. This session has two main aims. First, it provides an overview of the significance of student engagement and the issues associated with disregarding students’ views and their active roles in learning and how these roles are linked to their success in school. Second, it provides a sketch of the attempts made toward the use of technology and social media to motivate and engage students in content learning. Consequently, the session has three main sections. The first gives succinct descriptions of student engagement and motivation in high school. The second part traces the ways that students are helped to develop an appreciation for learning and highlights the importance of the impact of student engagement in learning. The third section interweaves students’ interest and engagement with digital media and an appreciation of content learning. In so doing, the session (paper) suggests that social media could be an aid for students to learn the content in the subjects being studied, which connects their in-school context and experience to out of school.
Related questions are:
Main question: How can teachers improve students’ success and their appreciation of learning content?
Subsidiary questions:
- Why do students seem to lack an appreciation for the learning of the course content?
- How are students helped to develop an appreciation for course content?
- Why is student engagement important in the process of learning the course content?
- Why should teachers engage and motivate their students?
- Why does the use of social media motivate student learning?