Results Show Student Engagement Increase

Written by Diane Titche, Early Literacy Coach at Kent ISD

How do we get our students to be truly and authentically engaged in classroom activities and learning? How can we know when they are engaged, and how do we sustain high levels of engagement once students have reached them?

These are the questions that a small group of educators set out to answer this school year. Together, this cohort of professionals and I embarked on a year-long journey of professional learning grounded in Ellin Oliver Keene’s research on student engagement, which she shares in her book Engaging Children: Igniting a Drive for Deeper Learning (K-8).

With support from Ellin Keene we learned that the only person who can engage a student in their learning is that student. We studied the difference between compliance, participation, motivation, and engagement. Plus, we gained an understanding of the conditions that lend themselves to high levels of student engagement. Between our regular meetings, with my support and the support of their coaches, the teachers in the cohort began to make changes in their classrooms and teaching practices to increase the likelihood their students would choose to engage.

We collected data in the classrooms of these teachers as well as in control classrooms where these changes were not being made. As of January 2020, the last point of data collection, there were significantly greater gains in the cohort classrooms than the control classrooms. 

Data Findings (September 2019 to January 2020):

Excitement about learning increased

We saw a 5% increase in the amount of cohort students excited about what they’re learning compared to a 1% decrease in the control classrooms. 

Typically as we move through the school year, students tend to lose some of their excitement about learning. Using the strategies in Ellin’s book, we actually saw an increase! 

Students recognize and express changes in their thinking

The cohort classrooms saw a 5% increase in students who are aware of how their thinking changes as a result of their learning while the control classrooms saw no increase.

Through explicit teaching and modeling, we have been able to increase students’ awareness of how their thinking grows and changes as they learn.

Students collaboration increases

The level to which students engage in collaborative group work increased by 3% in the cohort classrooms while it decreased by 18% in the control classrooms.

We have come to understand that learning doesn’t happen in isolation. The more opportunities we give our students to collaborate, the more flexible they become in their thinking and the more they are able to retain and reapply what they learn. In addition, students learn multiple strategies for solving problems and handling a variety of situations as a result of working together with their peers.

Students now able to consider multiple perspectives

The level to which students are able to engage in intense but civil discourse increased by 18% in the cohort classrooms while it decreased by 33% in the control classrooms.

Ellin Keene says one of the four pillars of engagement is perspective bending, which means to recognize that we can influence others’ thinking and they can influence ours. Our students are developing an understanding that every issue has multiple perspectives and there usually isn’t one that’s 100% correct.

Through conversation and collaborative learning, they are beginning to hold multiple perspectives simultaneously. Our students are learning to discuss difficult topics, consider each others’ perspectives, and see how, even if they don’t change their mind, their thinking is modified. 

Students are eager to learn more

The level to which students are driven to learn increased by 47% in the cohort classrooms compared to 30% in the control classrooms.

A huge part of student engagement is grounded in student choice. In our cohort classrooms, we have steadily increased the types and amount of choice our students have, giving them more control over their own learning. What we’ve seen as a result is an increase in students’ desire to keep learning, even on their own time. The facebook post below, from 5th grade teacher Bridget Rieth, one of our cohort teachers, exemplifies this sense of intellectual urgency. 

Students are intentional in remembering their learning

The level to which students are purposeful in remembering their learning increased by 63% in the cohort group compared to 38% in the control group.

We explicitly teach our students how to recognize when they have new learning and help them understand the various strategies we use to remember what we learn. That, combined with the impact choice has on their desire to learn, has resulted in our students being much more intentional in their learning and conscious of the moves they make to help them remember and reapply what they learn. 

What are members of the cohort saying about their experience?

While the teachers and coaches in the cohort have experienced a steep learning curve, the positive impact of their work is clearly reflected in the data, even after only four months of classroom implementation. Reflections from the cohort members on their work include the following (click on the images to enlarge them): 

How can you bring high levels of engagement to your students?

We will be offering two identical encore presentations of Ignite Engagement (K-8) with Ellin Oliver Keene in the fall of 2020. Ellin’s webinars in April both sold out in a couple of days, and these sessions will fill quickly too. 

• October 13th is a full day workshop. It will be held online as a webinar from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Participants are limited to 150 and thecost is $25 per person.
• October 15th and 22nd is a two half day workshop. We will be repeating the same workshop webinar in two afternoon sessions from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Participants are limited to 150 and the cost is $25 per person.

In addition to this year’s cohort of educators continuing their work next year, a second Ignite Engagement cohort will be started next fall to dive into this work with me, Diane Titche, Early Literacy Coach for Kent ISD, and Ellin Keene. 

Apply today for Ignite Engagement 2020-2021 Cohort!

Stay tuned…we will be doing an advanced workshop with Ellin Oliver Keene in January!

#IgniteEngagement2020 #WeLeadLearning #KentISDpd

Source:

Titche, Diane. 2020. Ignite Engagement Cohort Survey of Classrooms. Kent Intermediate School District. Unpublished raw data.