Student Motivation & Engagement

Education news, analysis, and opinion about efforts to get students involved and active in learning and classroom activities
a geometrical floor with the North Star in the center that becomes a space of listening. The colors of the floor enforce this idea of the meeting of the needs of education and students.
Francesca Gastone for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Students Don't Think School Matches Their Life Goals. How Can We Fix That?
Disengagement is not solved by overstuffed standards, tests, and pacing guides.
Robert C. Pianta, April 14, 2026
•
5 min read
The concept of deeper math understanding. A dice iceberg with deeper math comprehension under the surface.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty
Mathematics Opinion I Thought I Knew When Students Were Engaged in Math Class. I Was Wrong
Engagement is about more than participation; it’s about how students are thinking.
Michael Norton, April 13, 2026
•
5 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion We All Agree Student Voice Matters. But What Do You Actually Do With It?
Start by assuming that students come to the classroom with important things to say.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 18, 2026
•
10 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Student Agency Inspires Learning. Here Are 8 Ways to Foster It
Teachers must shift their mindset from dictating rules to co-creating agreements with students.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 6, 2026
•
8 min read
Portrait of Laurie Lehman in the classroom at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on January 23, 2026.
Laurie Lehman, the esports manager for New Mexico's Albuquerque Public Schools, visits La Cueva High School on January 23, 2026.
Ramsay de Give for Education Week
School & District Management Leader To Learn From How This Leader Uses Gaming to Change Students’ Lives
Laurie Lehman helped her district see the power of esports to illuminate new career paths for students.
Olina Banerji, February 9, 2026
•
12 min read
Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, English Learner lead for Galax City Public Schools, works a jigsaw puzzle with students at Galax High School on Monday Jan. 12, 2026.
Elizabeth Stringer-Nunley, English-learner lead for Galax City Public Schools, works a jigsaw puzzle with students at Galax High School on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.
Kate Medley for Education Week
English Learners Leader To Learn From How One Rural District Used College Students to Keep English Learners in School
This leader's mentorship program with a local university has helped rural English learners at risk of dropping out.
Lauraine Langreo, February 9, 2026
•
13 min read
swingspaces pgk 45
Chairs are arranged in a classroom at a school in Bowie, Md. Classroom seating is one of the first decisions educators make at the start of the school year, and they have different approaches.
Pete Kiehart for Education Week
Teaching What's the Ideal Classroom Seating Arrangement? Teachers Weigh In
Educators employ different seating strategies to optimize student learning.
Jennifer Vilcarino, January 28, 2026
•
1 min read
Students at Glover Middle School in Spokane, Wash. sing karaoke during Falcon Time on Dec. 3, 2025.
Students at Glover Middle School in Spokane, Wash., sing karaoke during Falcon Time on Dec. 3, 2025. The district has gone all-in on engaging extracurriculars and activities.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement One District's Battle to Curb Cellphones and Get Kids to Engage in Real Life
Spokane's leaders are pushing extracurriculars to help students strengthen in-person social skills.
Alyson Klein, January 26, 2026
•
12 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion A Little Shift in Teaching Can Go a Long Way in the Classroom
These teachers explain how a small change here and there can impact the classroom.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 20, 2026
•
10 min read
Composite trend artwork sketch image 3d photo collage of huge black white silhouette hand hold book immerse yourself in new world fantasy imagination inspiration.
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy Opinion Stop Assigning Boring Books in English Class
Many teens and young adults aren’t reading for pleasure anymore. School isn’t helping.
Erich May, January 16, 2026
•
4 min read
Teenage girl working on laptop computer at home.
iStock
Student Achievement Are Students 'Quiet Quitting'? What the Workplace Trend Can Teach Us About K-12
Students' homework production is at a record low. Is it a symptom of post-pandemic apathy?
Elizabeth Heubeck, December 17, 2025
•
5 min read
Children playing and learning with their teachers, school supplies and books: back to school and education concept
E+/Getty
Teaching Opinion The Three Big Misconceptions About Student Engagement
For teachers, engagement is the holy grail. But what if we’re thinking about it all wrong?
Rebecca A. Huggins, December 5, 2025
•
5 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Assessment Letter to the Editor It’s Time to Think About What Grades Really Mean
"Traditional grading often masks what a learner actually knows or is able to do."
November 26, 2025
•
1 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Classroom Technology Opinion Do Cellphone Bans Really Fix Student Engagement?
Can schools offer a more compelling alternative to social media or AI?
Rick Hess, October 28, 2025
•
5 min read
Load More ▼