Students who are not engaged in school are at a higher risk of poor academic achievement, but leaders of after-school programs may not have a good understanding of how to captivate those they serve.
The three types of engagement are behavioral, emotional, and cognitive, according to a new guide for assessing student engagement from Child Trends, a Washington-based research organization.
Out-of-schooltime programs have also been found to increase student interest if they offer mentoring, community service, academic tutoring, and “life skills” training.
“In general, students are more likely to be engaged if they have support from adults at their school, challenging and interesting tasks, adequate structure, support for autonomy, opportunities to learn with peers, and opportunities for active learning,” the report says.
