Student Engagement Differences by Ethnicity and Scale for Ninth Grade Students

Differences on three subscales of student engagement were compared across ethnic groups and by subscale. The ninth grade is often considered a vital juncture that indicates success or failure to graduate high school. When a student goes through a transition he or she often experiences some type of change in student engagement levels and may experience adverse effects in the form of academic, social, and psychological challenges. Researchers of the National Research Council (2004) believe that the engagement process (the successful interaction between the individual and the educational context) is considered a means toward alleviating unsuccessful student outcomes. Therefore, this study explored student engagement in three domains after a high school transition for Hispanic and White ninth grade students attending a small, rural high school. Student engagement was measured for each of three domains of engagement (behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement), treating engagement as a multidimensional construct, using the Student Engagement Survey (SES). Results from the data analyses indicated no statistically significant differences in levels of engagement on the SES across the three engagement subscales (behavioral, cognitive, and emotional) for a group of ninth grade students. Also, no significant differences were found between Hispanic and White students’ views of engagement. Results suggest that future research in which engagement components are present or not present or are being put into practice effectively versus ineffectively may allow researchers to understand the pathways between stratagem for changing the learning environment and the extent to which those changes will influence engagement and, ultimately, individual student success. The inclusion of other aspects of data could make available a broader scope of understanding into the positive and/or negative influences on student engagement. Student engagement was measured for each of three domains of engagement (behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive engagement), treating engagement as a multidimensional construct, using the Student Engagement Survey (SES). Results from the data analyses indicated no statistically significant differences in levels of engagement on the SES across the three engagement sub-scales (behavioral, cognitive, and emotional) for a group of ninth grade students. Also, no significant differences were found between Hispanic and White students\u27 views of engagement. Results suggest that future research in which engagement components are present or not present or are being put into practice effectively versus ineffectively may allow researchers to understand the pathways between stratagem for changing the learning environment and the extent to which those changes will influence engagement and, ultimately, individual student success. The inclusion of other aspects of data could make available a broader scope of understanding into the positive and/or negative influences on student engagement