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Handbook of Research on Student Engagement pp 743–761Cite as

Finding the Humanity in the Data: Understanding, Measuring, and Strengthening Student Engagement

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Abstract

Within the emerging field of research on student engagement, there exists a wide variety of work in terms of definitions, constructs, and methodologies. In this chapter, we argue for the importance of “finding the humanity in the data,” understanding and investigating student engagement and disengagement as a function of the perceptions of students about their experiences in the learning environment. After setting out a conceptualization of engagement, we examine data from the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE), a self-report survey containing both multiple-option and open-response questions. Our analysis is focused on the words and school experiences of students as a way of understanding levels and dimensions of student engagement in school. Using examples from the field, we describe ways in which schools use student perception data to understand and strengthen student engagement. We conclude by setting out challenges for research, policy, and practice in the field of student engagement.

My school is a good school, but I feel the only thing they care about are scores on standardized tests, not us students as individuals.

– Student respondent on the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE), Spring 2010

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. First Light Education Project, Denver, CO, USA

    Ethan Yazzie-Mintz Ed.D.

  2. Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Indiana University School of Education, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Kim McCormick M.A.

Authors
  1. Ethan Yazzie-Mintz Ed.D.
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  2. Kim McCormick M.A.
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Correspondence to Ethan Yazzie-Mintz Ed.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, E. River Road 56, Minneapolis, 55455, Minnesota, USA

    Sandra L. Christenson

  2. Dept. Educational Psychology &, Instructional Technology, University of Georgia, Aderhold Hall 325N, Athens, 30602, Georgia, USA

    Amy L. Reschly

  3. Educational Research, New Zealand Council for, Wellington, New Zealand

    Cathy Wylie

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Yazzie-Mintz, E., McCormick, K. (2012). Finding the Humanity in the Data: Understanding, Measuring, and Strengthening Student Engagement. In: Christenson, S., Reschly, A., Wylie, C. (eds) Handbook of Research on Student Engagement. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_36

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