Student Engagement and Its Relation to Quality Work Design

When students are authentically engaged in meaningful, quality work, the likelihood for them to learn something new and to remember what was learned increases (Hancock & Betts, 2002). Philip Schlechty (2002), supported by the group at the Center for Leadership in School Reform (CLSR), theorized that when teachers work on the quality of work they give students, the work will engage more students more of the time. Improved student academic performance will result from increased student engagement because students work harder to achieve desired results. This “Working on the Work ” theory attributed to Schlechty has come to be known as the “WOW framework. ” As a result of exposure to Schlechty’s work, I became curious about quality work, student engagement, and the relationship between the two. Consequently, questions followed. What motivates students to become engaged? Is Schlechty’s focus on the quality of the work designed by teachers warranted? What research supports or refutes his claim? The purpose of this literature review is to explore student engagement, the work students find engaging, and the design components of quality work. I wanted to judge whether the literature supports Schlechty’s idea that quality work increases engagement and results in improved performance. By Schlechty’s own admission (2002, p. xvi), “No systematic research program has been directed at assessing the impact of the WOW approach on improving schools.” Consequently, I turned to related studies to seek validation for these ideas