Rethinking (Dis)Engagement: A Critical Analysis of Student Engagement Theory and Research

• In Event: Critical Perspectives on Motivation in Racially and Ethnically Minoritized Students

Abstract

Student engagement is a central concept with educational psychology, yet few scholars have considered the sociohistorical contexts and cultural assumptions that underlie engagement as a construct. This paper reports on a critical examination of the empirical body of research on student engagement, guided by Critical Race Theory. Empirical articles from a prominent educational psychology journal were coded and analyzed to examine the extent to which they included racial and ethnic minority groups, considered the unique histories and contexts of these groups in the definition and measurement of engagement, and addressed racial and ethnic factors in the study objectives and analyses. Implications for promoting equity in opportunity structures for student engagement are discussed.

Author

• Amanda R. Baker, Massachusetts Institute of Technology