Showing papers on "Student engagement published in 2017"

A critical review of flipped classroom challenges in K-12 education: possible solutions and recommendations for future research

Abstract: An increasing number of teachers are using flipped classroom approach in their teaching. This instructional approach combines video-based learning outside the classroom and interactive group learning activities inside the classroom. The purpose of the present review is to provide an overview of flipped classroom studies in K-12 education. Particularly, we put emphasis on revealing and addressing the potential challenges of flipped classroom approach. Fifteen journal publications of K-12 flipped classrooms were analyzed in terms of their flipped learning activities, student achievement, student attitude, and challenges encountered. The results suggested that a variety of pre-class (e.g., online exercises) and in-class (e.g., brief review, individual practices) activities were provided in addition to instructional videos and small-group activities respectively. The use of flipped classroom approach in K-12 education yielded a neutral or positive impact on student achievement when compared to traditional classroom. Mixed results of student attitude toward flipped classroom approach were discovered. Challenges of implementing flipped classrooms were identified and categorized into student-related challenges, faculty challenges, and operational challenges. Based on the suggestions of previous studies together with relevant empirical supports, we propose a rudimentary flipped classroom model and a set of 10 guidelines to address these challenges. Finally, several recommendations of future research are provided.

Longitudinal and Contextual Associations Between Teacher–Student Relationships and Student Engagement: A Systematic Review

Abstract: This systematic review examined multiple indicators of adolescent students’ engagement in school, and the indicators’ associations with teacher–student relationships (TSRs). Seven psychology, education, and social sciences databases were systematically searched. From this search, 46 published studies (13 longitudinal) were included for detailed analysis. Cross-sectional studies showed better quality TSRs were associated with enhanced engagement in school. These associations with TSRs were demonstrated among multiple indicators of student engagement (i.e., psychological engagement, academic grades, school attendance, disruptive behaviors, suspension, and dropout). Similar associations were found in longitudinal studies. Longitudinal and cross-sectional associations remained when covariates from the individual, family, school, and teacher contexts known to influence student engagement were controlled for. TSRs were shown to have an important but not exclusive role in their association with a comprehensive r...

Impact of mobile technology on student attitudes, engagement, and learning

Abstract: Mobile devices and collaborative learning environments are common tools in education but not all collaborative learning is structured the same. This study evaluated student learning in three different collaborative learning environments, both with and without mobile technology, to assess students' engagement, critical thinking, and attitudes toward collaborative learning. The results indicate that mobile technology is associated with positive student perceptions of collaborative learning but with increased disengagement by students during class. In addition, the level of students' critical thinking was more closely associated with the tools used to construct written responses than with the collaborative learning environment style. Students constructing paragraph responses on a mobile device demonstrated significantly less critical thinking than those who used a computer keyboard or wrote responses by hand. Speech and eye contact are strong indicators of student engagement in groups.Technology serves important functions but often distracts from engagement.Critical thinking is more evident in typed or written versus texted essays.

Affective Teacher–Student Relationships and Students' Engagement and Achievement: A Meta-Analytic Update and Test of the Mediating Role of Engagement

Abstract: The present study took a meta-analytic approach to investigate whether students' engagement acts as a mediator in the association between affective teacher–student relationships and students' achievement. Furthermore, we examined whether results differed for primary and secondary school and whether similar results were found in a longitudinal subsample. Our sample consisted of 189 studies (249,198 students in total) that included students from preschool to high school. A distinction was made between positive relationship aspects (e.g., closeness) and negative relationship aspects (e.g., conflict). Meta-analytic structural equation modeling showed that, overall, the associations between both positive relationships and achievement and negative relationships and achievement were partially mediated by student engagement. Subsequent analyses revealed that mediation is applicable to both primary and secondary school. Only the direct association between positive relationships and engagement was stronger...

How true is grit? Assessing its relations to high school and college students’ personality characteristics, self-regulation, engagement, and achievement.

Abstract: Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, and Kelly (2007) defined grit as one’s passion and perseverance toward long-term goals. They proposed that it consists of 2 components: consistency of interests and perseverance of effort. In a high school and college student sample, we used a multidimensional item response theory approach to examine (a) the factor structure of grit, and (b) grit’s relations to and overlap with conceptually and operationally similar constructs in the personality, self-regulation, and engagement literatures, including self-control, conscientiousness, cognitive self-regulation, effort regulation, behavioral engagement, and behavioral disaffection. A series of multiple regression analyses with factor scores was used to examine (c) grit’s prediction of end-of-semester course grades. Findings indicated that grit’s factor structure differed to some degree across high school and college students. Students’ grit overlapped empirically with their concurrently reported self-control, self-regulation, and engagement. Students’ perseverance of effort (but not their consistency of interests) predicted their later grades, although other self-regulation and engagement variables were stronger predictors of students’ grades than was grit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)

Using Kahoot! in the Classroom to Create Engagement and Active Learning: A Game-Based Technology Solution for eLearning Novices:

Abstract: Instructional games are gaining acceptance in the classroom as the eLearning merits of student engagement and immediate feedback are recognized. Within higher education, the use of these tools is o...

‘It'd be useful, but I wouldn't use it’: barriers to university students’ feedback seeking and recipience

Abstract: For feedback to be effective, it must be used by the receiver. Prior research has outlined numerous reasons why students’ use of feedback is sometimes limited, but there has been little systematic exploration of these barriers. In 11 activity-oriented focus groups, 31 undergraduate Psychology students discussed how they use assessment feedback. The data revealed many barriers that inhibit use of feedback, ranging from students’ difficulties with decoding terminology, to their unwillingness to expend effort. Thematic analysis identified four underlying psychological processes: awareness, cognisance, agency, and volition. We argue that these processes should be considered when designing interventions to encourage students’ engagement with feedback. Whereas the barriers identified could all in principle be removed, we propose that doing so would typically require – or would at least benefit from – a sharing of responsibility between teacher and student. The data highlight the importance of training students ...

Individualising gamification: An investigation of the impact of learning styles and personality traits on the efficacy of gamification using a prediction market

Abstract: Gamification is increasingly being used as a way to increase student engagement, motivate and promote learning and facilitate the development of sustainable life skills. Findings from research carried out to date on the effectiveness of gamification in educational contexts can be summarised as cautiously optimistic. However, researchers warn that further and more nuanced research is needed. It is generally accepted that matching an individual's learning style with the appropriate form of an instructional intervention significantly impacts upon the performance of the student and his/her achievement of learning outcomes. It is also widely acknowledged that personality traits have a significant impact on academic achievement. Knowing how individual characteristics will impact on the experience of gamification will inform the effective design of gamified learning interventions and enable its effective integration into the learning environment. This research examines the impact that different learning styles and personality traits have on students'; (1) perceptions of, (2) engagement with and, (3) overall performance in a gamified learning intervention developed using a prediction market. The study evidences a range of responses to gamification based upon individual learning styles and personality traits. Findings suggest that individuals who are orientated towards active or global learning styles have a positive impression of gamification. Other results suggest that extraverted individuals like gamification, while conscientious individuals are less motivated by it. These findings have important implications for practitioners deploying gamification. The key conclusion is that, as a tool for influencing individuals and mediating learning behaviours, gamification must be investigated and deployed in a nuanced manner with due regard paid to issues such as individual learning styles and personality traits.

Computer-based technology and student engagement: a critical review of the literature

Abstract: Computer-based technology has infiltrated many aspects of life and industry, yet there is little understanding of how it can be used to promote student engagement, a concept receiving strong attention in higher education due to its association with a number of positive academic outcomes. The purpose of this article is to present a critical review of the literature from the past 5 years related to how web-conferencing software, blogs, wikis, social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter), and digital games influence student engagement. We prefaced the findings with a substantive overview of student engagement definitions and indicators, which revealed three types of engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive) that informed how we classified articles. Our findings suggest that digital games provide the most far-reaching influence across different types of student engagement, followed by web-conferencing and Facebook. Findings regarding wikis, blogs, and Twitter are less conclusive and significantly limited in number of studies conducted within the past 5 years. Overall, the findings provide preliminary support that computer-based technology influences student engagement, however, additional research is needed to confirm and build on these findings. We conclude the article by providing a list of recommendations for practice, with the intent of increasing understanding of how computer-based technology may be purposefully implemented to achieve the greatest gains in student engagement.

An exploration of online behaviour engagement and achievement in flipped classroom supported by learning management system

Abstract: How to promote engagement and achievement in flipped classroom has been a critical research issue. It has been recognized that a course design enticing students' behaviour, emotional and cognitive engagements could promote achievement. Among the different types of engagements, behaviour engagement is relatively easier to measure and collect, especially with the help of learning management systems (LMS). This study focuses on the exploration of how online behaviour engagement affects achievement in flipped classroom with a problem-centered learning flow consisting of activation, demonstration, application, and integration. Learning data collected from ten courses was analysed. All the courses were conducted on the Moodle platform, with a total of 488 undergraduate students enrolled from 2010 to 2015Â at a university in Taiwan. A model depicting how online behaviour engagement affects achievement was developed using the partial least squares SEM (PLS-SEM) method. Findings demonstrate that engagement in problem-solving activities has a significant effect on achievement. Furthermore, engagement in self-assessment and self-reflection activities have a significant direct effect on engagement in online studies and social interaction, which in turn have a significant direct effect on engagement in problem-solving activities. Most important of all, the effect of the engagement in self-assessment and self-reflection on achievement is mediated by the engagement in problem-solving activities. Based on these findings, it is argued that the design of attractive and progressive problem-solving activities is at the heart of an effective flipped classroom, and promoting a learning culture of self-reflection and self-assessment helps trigger active engagements in other online learning activities.

Investigating student engagement in blended learning settings using experience sampling and structural equation modeling

Abstract: We investigated activity-level student engagement in blended learning classes at the university level. We used intensive longitudinal methodology to collect activity level engagement data throughout a semester for 68 students enrolled in six blended courses across two universities. We used structural equation modeling to gain a holistic understanding of learning environments, including the influence of personal characteristics, course design, and student perceptions of the learning experience on in-the-moment cognitive and emotional engagement. To investigate longitudinal relationships between emotional and cognitive engagement, we employed cross-lagged modeling techniques. Findings showed that course design and student perception variables had a greater influence on engagement than individual student characteristics and that student multitasking had a strong negative influence on engagement. Students' perceptions of the importance of the activity had a strong positive influence on both cognitive and emotional engagement. An important outcome of engagement was the students' perceptions that they were learning and improving.

Flipped Learning: Gateway to Student Engagement

Abstract: Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, Flipped Learning: Gateway to Student Engagement, International Society for Technology in Education: Eugene, Oregon and Washington, DC, 2014; 169 pp.: ISBN 978-1-56484-344-9There are two main reasons for the book Flipped Learning: Gateway to Student Engagement being an interesting read. The first is that the book discusses a relatively new concept, dating back to only 2006. The second is that it is written by the pioneers of the concept of flipped learning. Both reasons add to high expectations for this book.The authors of the book, Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, both have teaching experience and were in fact colleagues when they started developing the idea of flipped learning. They were both teaching high school chemistry and shared a common vision: 'to put our students first so they could develop both cognitively and affectively' (p. ix). From their initial collaboration and the idea of flipping, stemmed a numerous online community of educators interested in flipping their teaching, the Flipped Learning Network (flippedclassroom.org) with a membership of over 20,000 in 2014.The book Flipped Learning: Gateway to Student Engagement is divided into two halves. In the first four chapters, the authors explain their background and aim to persuade the reader about the efficiency of the presented concept. Bergmann and Sams substantiate their thesis of flipped learning being a unique experience for each teacher and their class by including stories from a wide range of subject matter teachers, such as math, chemistry, physical education, biology, history, English and science (Chapters 5 to 11). There is also a story by a primary school fifth-grade teacher who flips her classes (Chapter 12) and a story of flipping professional development courses for teachers (Chapter 13). The final chapter summarises the teachers' stories, reviews the benefits of flipping, and even suggests that school administrators should flip their staff meetings to make better use of face-to-face time and thus empower teachers.The book cover presents the book as a 'revolutionary education philosophy' taken to the next level. This refers to Bergmann and Sams' previous book, Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day (2012), in which the authors focused mainly on producing high-quality videos for students, while in Flipped Learning, the classroom is truly student-centred and the teacher individualises instruction in order to engage each student. The book offers a general introductory look into the concept of flipped learning and indicates possible further exploration. The authors have expanded these primary notions by writing four more books dedicated to different subjects of flipping - a book series that supports flipped learning in five topic areas: science, math, English, social studies, and the elementary classroom.Bergmann and Sams define flipped learning as an instructional model in which direct instruction is delivered individually through videos. The amount of whole-class instruction is minimised and time and space are given to other student grouping forms and activities, such as problem-based learning, discussion, inquiry, project work, etc. Throughout the book, the 'One Question' that the authors pose in the Introduction, is a common thread and this question is "What is the best use of face-to-face time with students?" (p. 3). Bergmann and Sams insist that this is the question that is the core of flipped learning and one that each teacher should ask constantly. Moreover, they believe each teacher should provide a unique and individual answer to it, according to the needs of their own students.The concept of flipped learning appeared in 2006 and has passed several developmental stages since then, which also affected the terminological aspect of the concept. Originally, the concept of the flipped classroom, as it was then called, was based on the use of video as a medium of content transfer, while the teacher was at the centre of instruction. …

Combining University Student Self-Regulated Learning Indicators and Engagement with Online Learning Events to Predict Academic Performance

Abstract: Self-regulated learning theories are used to understand the reasons for different levels of university student academic performance. Similarly, learning analytics research proposes the combination of detailed data traces derived from technology-mediated tasks with a variety of algorithms to predict student academic performance. The former approach is designed to provide meaningful pedagogical guidance, while the latter is designed to identify event patterns and relations that can be translated into actionable remediation. The benefits of both approaches have motivated this study to investigate if a combination of the self-report data and data arising from an observation of the engagement of students with online learning events offers a deeper understanding and explanation of why some students achieve relatively higher levels of academic performance. In this paper we explore how to combine data about self-regulated learning skills with observable measures of online activity in a blended learning course to increase predictive capabilities of student academic performance for the purposes of informing teaching and task design. A case study in a course with 145 students showed that the variation of the students’ final score for their course is better explained when factors from both approaches are considered. The results point to the potential of adopting a combined use of self-report and observed data to gain a more comprehensive understanding of successful university student learning.

Active Learning: Engaging Students to Maximize Learning in an Online Course.

Abstract: Student engagement is key to successful teaching and learning, irrespective of the content and format of the content delivery mechanism. However, engaging students presents a particular challenge in online learning environments. Unlike face‑to‑face courses, online courses present a unique challenge as the only social presence between the faculty and the student is via the Internet. In a recent poll conducted by the authors, 100% of the respondents considered student engagement a challenge regardless of the number of years they have been teaching online. This paper explores various strategies that can be incorporated into the design of online learning courses to foster a high level of student engagement based on multiple pedagogies. In addition, the role of collaborative student engagement tools for the design and delivery of online courses is discussed as well as the role these tools play in creating an atmosphere where students actively participate in learning activities and are contributors to lively discussions. Perspectives on various mechanisms of student engagement that are founded in classic active learning pedagogies and enhanced with new technologies are presented in this paper, including perspectives on the design of courses to facilitate student engagement as well as best practices of design and delivery of online courses. Finally, this paper emphasizes the importance of deliberate course design in the pursuit of actively engaging students in online course settings.

Staff student partnership in assessment: enhancing assessment literacy through democratic practices

Abstract: In recent years, research and practice focused on staff and students working in partnership to co-design learning and teaching in higher education has increased. However, within staff–student partnerships a focus on assessment is relatively uncommon, with fewer examples evident in the literature. In this paper, we take the stance that all assessment can be oriented for learning, and that students’ learning is enhanced by improving their level of assessment literacy. A small study in a Scottish university was undertaken that involved a range of different adaptations to assessment and feedback, in which students were invited to become partners in assessment. We argue that a partnership approach, designed to democratise the assessment process, not only offered students greater agency in their own and their peers’ learning, but also helped students to enhance their assessment literacy. Although staff and students reported experiencing a sense of risk, there was immense compensation through increased motivatio...

Teacher perceptions of the value of game-based learning in secondary education

Abstract: Teachers' perceptions of the usefulness of digital games might be a reason for the limited application of digital games in education. However, participants in most studies of teaching with digital games are teachers who do not use digital games regularly in their teaching. This study examined the practice-based perceptions of teachers who do teach with digital games - either playing or creating games - in their classroom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 43 secondary education teachers. Our findings showed that most teachers who actually use games in class perceived student engagement with a game and cognitive learning outcomes as effects of the use of games in formal teaching settings. Fewer teachers mentioned motivational effects of learning with digital games. The implications of these findings for the use of digital games in teachers educational practice are discussed. Teachers reported that teaching with games engaged their students.Teachers mentioned that game-based teaching motivated students to learn.Teachers reported that teaching with games influenced learning outcomes of students.Competition appeared to be an important game feature.A minority of the teachers integrated game use into their daily teaching practice.

Understanding student engagement in online learning environments: the role of reflexivity

Abstract: It is important to develop understanding of what underpins the engagement of students in online learning environments. This article reports on a multiple case study that explored student engagement in a set of postgraduate degrees offered on a fully online basis. The study was based on a theorization of student engagement as the exercise of intentional human action, .or agency. It identified ways in which tasks and social relations in the online learning environments triggered reflexivity on the part of students, with ‘reflexivity’ understood to mean the ordinary mental capacity to consider oneself in relation to one’s social setting. A different relationship between reflexivity and student engagement was in view than that identified by Margaret Archer with regard to reflexivity and social mobility. Rather than displaying one dominant mode of reflexivity, the students considered in the study were seen to draw on a range of modes. The engagement of these students in their learning was also seen to depend on the manner in which they engaged in reflexivity centred on the pursuit of shared goals, that is in collective reflexivity. Specific practices were seen to trigger constructive forms of collective reflexivity, while fractured and restricted forms of collective reflexivity were linked to student disengagement in relation to joint tasks. As well as adverting to the importance of collective reflexivity to learning, the study highlights scope for dissonance between the modes of reflexivity and practices favoured by an online learning environment and the reflexive profile of the student.

Understanding the school experiences of children and adolescents with serious chronic illness: a systematic meta-review.

Abstract: Background Serious chronic illness can have a detrimental effect on school attendance, participation and engagement, leaving affected students at risk of failing to meet their developmental potential. An improved understanding of factors that help to explain or mitigate this risk can help educators and health professionals deliver the most effective support. This meta-review critiqued the available evidence examining the link between six chronic illnesses (asthma, cancer, chronic kidney diseases, heart diseases, cystic fibrosis and gastrointestinal diseases) and children's and adolescents' school experiences and outcomes, as well as investigating the medical, school, psychosocial and sociodemographic factors that are linked to poorer or better school outcomes. Methods We searched CINAHL, Cochrane Database, EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE, ProQuest Theses and Dissertations, and PsycINFO (2000–2015). Systematic and narrative reviews, and meta-analyses, of original studies examining students' subjective school experiences and objective school outcomes were eligible. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses criteria to critically appraise all systematic reviews. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system guided our recommendations for practice and research. Results Eighteen reviews of 172 studies including more than 40 000 students were eligible. Therefore, we chose to conduct a meta-review to provide an overview of the literature on the relationship between chronic illness and school experiences and outcomes. We also explored the associated medical, school, psychosocial and sociodemographic factors affecting the relationship between illness and school experiences and outcomes. Conclusion Students with chronic illness demonstrate mixed school experiences and outcomes that are often worse than students without chronic illness. Modifiable factors, such as students' engagement with school, may be novel yet appropriate targets of educational support to ensure that these students reach their full schooling potential.

Studies of student engagement in gamified online discussions

Abstract: This article presents two trial studies using the gamification approach in online discussions to increase student engagement. A gamified online discussion tool, gEchoLu, was designed and implemented. The first trial focused on examining student engagement in online discussions. The results indicated that gEchoLu had positive influences on student behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement. The second trial aimed to investigate the effect of specific game elements implemented in gEchoLu on student motivation and engagement in online discussions. Findings from the second trial suggested that badges, thumps-ups, progress bars, and avatars in gEchoLu promoted student engagement in online discussions. The limitations and implications are discussed.

Use of digital game based learning and gamification in secondary school science: The effect on student engagement, learning and gender difference

Abstract: This study aimed to identify the impact of a game based learning (GBL) application using computer technologies on student engagement in secondary school science classrooms. The literature reveals that conventional Science teaching techniques (teacher-centered lecture and teaching), which foster rote learning among students, are one of the major concerns in Pakistan Education system. This leads to student disengagement in science lessons eventually resulting in student absenteeism and dropouts from the schools. This study consisted of five stages: (1) examining the impact of Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) and gamification on engagement, learning and gender difference, and literature related to using DGBL models for instructional design; (2) planning learning activities and developing a GBL application based on a specific content in Science; (3) conducting an intervention with a sample of 72 participants of 8th grade (aged 12---15) in a low cost private school of Pakistan following quasi-experimental research framework; (4) observing behaviour and emotions of the participants during science lessons; (5) conducting pre and post tests to assess the learning outcomes of participants followed by focus groups discussion. Analysis from Friedman test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test show that the GBL application has a positive influence on student engagement. However, GBL application was not equally effective for all students since girls outperformed boys in terms of engagement and learning outcomes. This study gives insights into the development of better educational games to promote student learning.

Daily autonomy supporting or thwarting and students’ motivation and engagement in the high school science classroom.

Abstract: This diary study provided the first classroom-based empirical test of the relations between student perceptions of high school science teachers’ various autonomy supporting and thwarting practices and students’ motivation and engagement on a daily basis over the course of an instructional unit. Perceived autonomy supporting practices were hypothesized to predict autonomous motivation and engagement outcomes, while perceived autonomy thwarting practices were hypothesized to predict controlled motivation and disaffection outcomes. In line with this prediction, multilevel modeling results based on regular reports of 208 high school students in 41 science classes across 6 weeks suggested that 4 perceived daily supports (choice provision, consideration for student preferences and interests, rationales for importance, and question opportunities) and 1 daily thwart (use of uninteresting activities) predicted changes in daily autonomous motivation and engagement. In contrast, changes in students’ daily controlled motivation and disaffection were predicted primarily by 3 perceived daily thwarts (controlling messages, suppression of student perspectives, and use of uninteresting activities). Results also suggested that practices interacted such that the perception of thwarts generally bolstered desirable daily relationships between perceived supports and students’ motivation and the perception of supports generally mitigated undesirable daily relationships between thwarts and motivation. Supplemental exploratory results suggested that the effects of choice and suppression of student perspectives may be heterogeneous and depend on the outcome and/or the presence of other practices. Implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

Implementing the Flipped Classroom in Teacher Education: Evidence from Turkey.

Abstract: Introduction Enhancing students' learning experiences and meeting their needs and expectations have been among the primary concerns of higher education institutions over three decades (Demirer & Sahin, 2013; Garrison & Hanuka, 2004). Therefore, extensive research has been conducted in order to investigate the ways of improving the teaching and learning environment (Biggs & Tang, 2011). Blended learning (BL) has emerged with its "potential to transform higher education institutions" to supplement the traditional classroom setting and increase the quality of student learning (Garrison & Hanuka, 2004). Despite its growing popularity, there is not an agreed upon single definition of BL in the literature. In Singh and Reed's (2001) definition, BL refers to a learning program using more than one delivery model to increase students' academic achievement and reduce costs. In Banados' words (2006), BL is "a combination of technology and classroom instruction in a flexible approach to learning that recognises the benefits of delivering some training and assessment online but also uses other modes to make up a complete training programme which can improve learning outcomes and/or save costs" (p. 534). According to Garrison and Vaughan (2008), BL is about the thoughtful integration of face-to-face and online learning; the redesigning of a course to increase student engagement; and the restructuring and replacement of traditional class hours. They add that BL blends "the best of traditional and Web-based learning experiences," and this blend or integration is "multiplicative, not additive" (p. 7). Common to these definitions is the recognition of BL as the combination of face-to-face and online-delivery methods to enhance students' learning and reduce costs. The use of BL has been reported to be on the rise in higher education (Garrison & Vaughan, 2008; Graham, Woodfield, & Harrison, 2013). Its popularity is attributed to research suggesting that BL results in improved learning outcomes (Bonk & Graham, 2006; Vaughan, 2010), improved pedagogy (Graham, 2006), increased learner motivation and satisfaction (Collopy & Arnold, 2009; Fulkerth, 2010), increased interactions (Bonk & Graham, 2006; Delialioglu & Yildirim, 2007), and reduced costs (Bonk & Graham, 2006; Graham, 2006). In recent years, the flipped or inverted classroom, falling under the broad definition of blended learning, has gained prominence in higher education institutions as an alternative pedagogical model reversing what traditionally occurs in and out of the class. The flipped classroom The flipped classroom is an emerging pedagogical model in which traditional lecture is moved outside the classroom via technology and assigned as homework while in-class time is spent on collaborative inquiry-based learning (Bergman & Sams, 2012; Lage, Platt, & Treglia, 2000; Stone, 2012; Tucker, 2012). The flipped classroom is defined by Bishop and Verleger (2013) as follows: The flipped classroom is a new pedagogical method, which employs asynchronous video lectures and practice problems as homework, and active, group-based problem solving activities in the classroom. It represents a unique combination of learning theories once thought to be incompatible- active, problem-based learning activities founded upon a constructivist ideology and instructional lectures derived from direct instruction methods founded upon behaviourist principles. (p. 1) The flipped classroom model has developed through the years with contributions from several researchers. In 1996, Mazur argued against using lectures and having passive students in the classroom. He used a technique called "Peer Instruction" to change the traditional instructional model. He asked his students to prepare for class by reading the assigned materials so that they could be actively engaged in the learning process with their peers (Mazur, 2009). …

Reflections on student persistence

Abstract: The Feature for this issue—Reflections on Student Persistence—has been prepared by Professor Vincent Tinto, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University, United States of America (USA) and a long-time friend and supporter of STARS. Vincent explores the case for motivation to be considered as a significant aspect of the tertiary student psyche by drawing on theoretical frameworks, research and practical experiences related to the issue. He synthesises this extensive, detailed, rich but often somewhat impenetrable data into a trilogy of clear and credible key dimensions of the motivation construct—student self-efficacy, sense of belonging and perceived value of the curriculum. This interpretation of the literature is a personal but informed reflection and is a timely piece which highlights the breadth and profundity of the presentations at this year’s conference in Adelaide, Australia where students in all their diversity are central to our focus on enhancing the student experience. In this opening article, Vincent refers directly to the STARS papers selected for this Conference issue of the Journal which also address the importance of student persistence, self-efficacy and building the sense of belonging within their own institutional communities (Fernandes, Ford, Rayner & Pretorius; Kahu, Nelson, & Picton; McFarlane, Spes-Skrbis T Naylor; Smallhorn). Echoing his position on social justice and his advocacy for underserved students, Vincent reminds us that educational equity gaps still exist, and he encourages us to see the issue of persistence through the eyes of the students to support their perseverance and completion and thereby help reduce educational disadvantage.

Perceived challenge, teacher support, and teacher obstruction as predictors of student engagement

Abstract: [Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 109(1) of Journal of Educational Psychology (see record 2016-23265-001). In this article, the sixth sentence of the Relations of Challenge and Support subsection of the Results section should read “Results from a baseline null cross-classified model indicated that 53% of the variance in engagement occurred between cell (cross-classification of student and instructional episode), about 37% occurred between-students, and about 10% was attributed to instructional episode.”] This study explored associations between students’ perceptions of challenge, teacher-provided support and obstruction, and students’ momentary academic engagement in high school science classrooms. Instrumental and emotional dimensions of support and obstruction were examined separately, and analyses tested whether the relationship between challenge and engagement was moderated by teacher support, teacher obstruction, and individual characteristics like gender and grade level. Students’ perceptions of challenge were positively related to their momentary reports of engagement in science learning activities, while teachers’ instrumental support was positively associated with engagement across all levels of perceived challenge. Even though teachers’ provision of emotional support was not predictive of student engagement, teachers’ emotional obstruction was negatively associated with student engagement. Teachers’ instrumental obstruction had less consistent associations with student engagement, and was only associated with declines in engagement during those moments when students perceived greater challenge in class. Both gender and grade level emerged as moderators of the relationship between challenge and engagement. Results are discussed in terms of implications for future research and instructional practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)

In Peer Matters, Teachers Matter: Peer Group Influences on Students' Engagement Depend on Teacher Involvement.

Abstract: This study focused on the joint effects of teachers and peer groups as predictors of change in students’ engagement during the first year of middle school, when the importance of peer relationships normatively increases and the quality of teacher–student relationships typically declines. To explore cumulative and contextualized joint effects, the study utilized 3 sources of information about an entire cohort of 366 sixth graders in a small town: Peer groups were identified using sociocognitive mapping; students reported on teacher involvement; and teachers reported on each student’s engagement. Consistent with models of cumulative effects, peer group engagement and teacher involvement each uniquely predicted changes in students’ engagement. Consistent with contextualized models suggesting differential susceptibility, peer group engagement was a more pronounced predictor of changes in engagement for students who experienced relatively low involvement from teachers. These peer effects were positive or negative depending on the engagement versus disaffection of each student’s peer group. Person-centered analyses also revealed cumulative and contextualized effects. Most engaged were students who experienced support from both social partners; steepest engagement declines were found when students affiliated with disaffected peers and experienced teachers as relatively uninvolved. High teacher involvement partially protected students from the motivational costs of affiliating with disaffected peers, and belonging to engaged peer groups partially buffered students’ engagement from the effects of low teacher involvement. These findings suggest that, although peer groups and teachers are each important individually, a complete understanding of their contributions to students’ engagement requires the examination of their joint effects.