Student Motivation & Engagement

Education news, analysis, and opinion about efforts to get students involved and active in learning and classroom activities
Collage-style illustration of a young student standing on a dotted line path that zig-zags from the bottom of the frame to the top right. The student is wearing a backpack and pointing to a yellow circle on the end of the path at the top right. At the bottom of the frame a teacher's hand is open and facing upwards at the beginning of the dotted path. Smaller yellow dots are placed along the path, near the teacher's hand and where the student is standing.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Teaching Profession Opinion No, Self-Directed Learning Doesn't Make Teachers Obsolete
When students own their own learning, professional expertise becomes more important.
Tyler Thigpen & George Philhower, October 21, 2026
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5 min read
Tom Bober
Students read books in the library at Captain Elementary School in Clayton, Mo., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. School Librarian Tom Bober works with teachers at the school to help instill a culture of reading early in students' lives.
Neeta Satam for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Creating a Culture of Reading for Pleasure Amid a Focus on Basics
School librarians at Missouri's Clayton school district bring a culture of reading to all students.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 19, 2026
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9 min read
Students read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon in Jaime Johnson’s 6th grade language arts class at Murphy Middle School in Dacula, Georgia on September 22, 2026.
Students read <i>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</i> in teacher Jaime Johnson’s 6th grade language arts class at Murphy Middle School in Dacula, Georgia on September 22, 2026. Johnson has students do most of the reading in class—to improve fluency, created a shared culture of engagement in books, and above all make sure every student completes the text.
Dustin Chambers for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Getting Middle Schoolers to Do the Reading Is Hard. Can Communal Reading Help?
New classroom methods aim to help kids internalize the message that engaging in print is worth it.
Sarah Schwartz, October 19, 2026
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11 min read
EL 20261015 TurningThePage 15
Ivana Moore, 33, reads a book to her son, Jahlil Moore, 4, during a community night hosted by the nonprofit Turning the Page at Lee Montessori-East End elementary school in Washington on Oct. 15, 2026.
Eric Lee for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Can Pizza Hut-Style Rewards Spark Lifelong Reading Habits?
Schools need to partner with parents and community organizations to help students read more.
Olina Banerji, October 19, 2026
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8 min read
A student reads from his copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon at Murphy Middle School in Dacula, Ga., in teacher Jaime Johnson's 6th grade class. Johnson has students read together in class as part of an effort to ensure they complete texts and, hopefully, get hooked on the power of books.
A student reads from his copy of <i>Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</i> at Murphy Middle School in Dacula, Ga., in teacher Jaime Johnson's 6th grade class. Johnson has students read together in class as part of an effort to ensure they complete texts and, hopefully, get hooked on the power of books.
Photo by Dustin Chambers
Special Report Tackling the Decline in Student Reading
Our newest report examines strategies to counter low student engagement in reading, inside and outside of class.
October 19, 2026
Illustration of children's hands holding books in a circle in the center of the frame.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Video Want Kids to Read More? An Expert Shares the Low-Cost Tips That Work (Video)
A researcher shares her tips about how to motivate kids to read more.
Stephen Sawchuk, Marvin Joseph & Emily Wright, October 19, 2026
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1 min read
Reading & Literacy Spotlight The Engagement Imperative: Closing Literacy’s Most Overlooked Gap
Literacy growth takes more than skills. Explore how engagement, motivation, and evidence-based instruction can help students thrive.
October 15, 2026
Science Spotlight From Curiosity to Creation: Reengaging Students Through STEM
Student engagement through hands-on STEM, real-world problem-solving, and learning experiences that make school feel more relevant.
October 15, 2026
Tue., October 13, 2026, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET
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School Climate & Safety Webinar There But Not Present: Rethinking Student Engagement
Learn how to recognize the early signs of disengagement and what the behavioral science reveals about which interventions actually work.
Content provided by Frontline Education
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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 When Students Have Agency, Learning Flourishes. Here's Why
Creating the conditions for learners to thrive requires the right elements in the classroom.
Larry Ferlazzo, October 12, 2026
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6 min read
Tue., October 06, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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Artificial Intelligence Webinar From Passive to Active Reading: Student Engagement in the Age of AI
What the research tells us about active reading and student engagement—and what it means for teaching in an AI-enabled world.
Content provided by Pearson
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Collage of student hands working on a laptop with half of a teacher's face looking at the screen. The eye is ominous as it is bright blue, while the teacher is otherwise dark in the shadows. There is a red alert symbol on the student's laptop. All is against a yellow background with a subtle binary code and broken glass texture on top.
Illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Getty
Artificial Intelligence How AI Suspicions Are Undermining Student-Teacher Relationships
A new report highlights how AI can fuel mistrust—and how educators can fix it.
Arianna Prothero, September 30, 2026
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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 What Brings Joy and Fulfillment to Teachers? It's All About the Students
Teachers share their best classroom moments.
Larry Ferlazzo, September 28, 2026
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9 min read
A new class of seniors watches a sunrise as if from backstage. Mindful of the year ahead.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
School & District Management Opinion I’ve Been an Educator for 30 Years. My Students Still Surprise Me
A student’s reaction to our new cellphone restrictions was just the first surprise of the year.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, September 22, 2026
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3 min read