Teacher Support for Students’ Engagement: Differences Across School Levels Based on a National Teacher Survey

• In Event: Multi-Theoretical Perspectives on Instructional Supports for Student Motivation

Abstract

Purpose
The current study examined the extent to which U.S. teachers’ reported use of engagement supportive practices differed across school levels and in turn, predicted differences in perceptions of students’ engagement. In addition, we explored whether these relationships varied across classrooms by percentage of students of color, receiving reduced price lunch, or speaking a language other than English at home.

Theoretical Framework
Engagement in schoolwork is critical to students’ academic success (e.g., Christenson et al., 2012). However, teachers report concerns about engagement (Guthrie et al., 2012). A pattern of decreasing engagement across school levels is well-documented (e.g., Wang & Eccles, 2012). Researchers suspect that declines are partly a result of increased misalignment between students’ needs and teachers’ motivational strategies (e.g., Eccles et al., 1993). This claim is bolstered by extensive research from multiple theoretical perspectives, including self-determination, expectancy value, goal orientation, cultural relevance, interest, and belongingness theories, that have identified a variety of practices that support engagement (Patall et al., 2022). Moreover, a complex history of racism and unequal schooling (Darling-Hammond, 2006) suggests that practices that support engagement may decline especially among teachers serving students of color, low income students, and immigrant students or might have more pronounced impact among these groups. However, variation in teachers’ practice use across school levels in a U.S. national sample has yet to be examined.

Methods
Full-time U.S. teachers were recruited to participate in a survey administered in May/June 2022. Participants included 954 public school teachers (80% female) from 50 states and various school levels (31% elementary, 41% middle, 28% high). Survey items were adapted from existing measures to assess the extent to which teachers used eight engagement supportive practices (choice, activities that incorporate student interests, personally relevant rationales, culturally relevant teaching, individualized challenge, teaching caring, opportunities for collaboration, and community building). Teachers rated students’ behavioral and agentic engagement using items adapted from Rochester Assessment Package for Schools and the Agentic Engagement Scale (Reeve, 2013). Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the structure and invariance of measures across school levels and student demographics.

Results
In a structural equation model (SEM; see Figure 1), we found statistically significant negative direct paths from both comparisons of middle to elementary school and high to elementary school to teachers’ reported use of supportive practices. Direct paths from both school level comparisons to teacher perceptions of students’ agentic engagement and behavioral engagement were also significant and negative. Further, there were statistically significant positive direct paths from teacher support to both forms of engagement. Indirect paths were all statistically significant. Follow-up SEMs for each of the eight individual practices suggested a consistent pattern. In contrast to hypotheses, relationships were consistent across teachers serving students of varying backgrounds.

Discussion and Significance
Results highlight that many theory and evidence-based engagement-supportive practices decline across school levels, along with engagement. This trend was consistent across teachers serving students of various backgrounds. It points to an imperative need to prepare, encourage, and support U.S. secondary teachers to better integrate motivationally supportive approaches in their practice.

Authors

• Erika A. Patall, University of Southern California

• Amanda Vite, University of Southern California

• Diane Lee, University of Southern California

• Jeanette Zambrano, California State University - San Bernardino