STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Students learn in different ways and come to our classrooms with unique learning profiles. When we know information about a students’ interests, learning styles, preferences, differences related to gender, culture and personality, we can support them better by planning instruction that acknowledges and honours their profile to help them develop multiple pathways for learning. When students are working on difficult or unfamiliar tasks, they will be more engaged and motivated if they can work in their areas of interest and strength.
Students are more able to learn in a caring environment when they feel valued and supported, and their cultural background respected and honoured. We need to take into account memory, personality, motivation, mood, and interest, as they all influence how learners will engage in a task. How can we motivate and engage students in their learning and behaviour? Students need to care about what they learn so they are engaged in the learning task.
Students are more engaged and motivated when they learn about something that is interesting to them. Knowing students’ areas of interest from inventories and surveys helps in planning how to: ‘tweak’ projects for students to show what they know; how to vary instructional strategies and, what content and materials to use.Below are some resources to use to learn what motivates and interests your students.