Abstract
We present a conceptualization of student engagement based on the culmination of concentration, interest, and enjoyment (i.e., flow). Using a longitudinal sample of 526 high school students across the U.S., we investigated how adolescents spent their time in high school and the conditions under which they reported being engaged. Participants experienced increased engagement when the perceived challenge of the task and their own skills were high and in balance, the instruction was relevant, and the learning environment was under their control. Participants were also more engaged in individual and group work versus listening to lectures, watching videos, or taking exams. Suggestions to increase engagement, such as focusing on learning activities that support students’ autonomy and provide an appropriate level of challenge for students’ skills, conclude the article.
Keywords
- Student Engagement
- Classroom Activity
- Instructional Method
- Flow Theory
- School Subject
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Copyright © 2003 American Psychological Association.
For English language content: Copyright © 2003 by the American Psychological Association. Reproduced with permission. The official citation that should be used in referencing this material is: School Psychology Quarterly, Vol. 18, No 2, 2003, pp. 158–176.
This article was reviewed and accepted for publication under the Editorship of Terry B. Gutkin.
Address correspondence to David Jordan Shernoff, Ph.D, Northern HHnois University, Department of Educational Psychology and Foundations, Graham Hall, Dekalb, IL 60115. E-mail:shemoff@facstaff.wisc.edu.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
The following combinations of class types were constructed in order to derive the classifications of school subjects. English combines English, English composition, literature, and reading. Science combines general science, biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science. Social science/studies combines political science, civics, geography, world culture, psychology, social studies, sociology, anthropology, and ethnic/multicultural studies. Computer Science combines computer science and programming. Art combines music, fine art, photography, drafting, graphics, applied art, and drama. Vocational Education combines agriculture, shop, vo-tech, domestic arts, home economics, business skills, and career exploration/counseling. N refers to the number of ESFs submitted during each school subject, not the number of participants in each subject.
- 2.
Signaling participants after school and on the weekend was considered important to compare the quality of classroom experiences in various contexts with a variety of contexts outside of school (e.g., under what conditions are students in classrooms as engaged as when in activities outside of classrooms?).
- 3.
N refers to the number of beeps or experiences, not individuals.
References
Battin-Pearson, S., Newcomb, M. D., Abbott, R. D., Hill, K. G., Catalano, R. F., & Hawkins, J. D, (2000). Predictors of early high school dropout: A test of five theories. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92, 568–582.
Benware, C. A., & Deci, E. L. (1984). Quality of learning with an active versus passive motivational set, American Educational Research Journal, 21(4), 755–765.
Bidwell, C. E., & Kasarda, J. D. (1980). Conceptualizing and measuring the effects of school and schooling, American Journal of Education, 88, 401–430.
Boggiano, A, Κ., Main, D, S., & Katz, P. A. (1988). Children’s preference for challenge: The role of perceived competence and control. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 54, 134–141,
Brophy, J, E, (1983). Conceptualizing student motivation. Educational Psychologist, 18(3), 200–215.
Christenson, S, L., Sinclair, M. F., Lahr, C. A., & Godber, Y. (2001). Promoting successful school completion: Critical conceptual and methodological guidelines. School Psychology Quar¬terly, 16(4), 468–484.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper- Perennial.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York: HarperCollins.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Finding flow: The psychology of engagement with everyday life. The masterminds series. New York: Basic Books.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Larson, R. (1987). Validity and reliability of the experience-sampling method. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 175, 525–536.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., Rathunde, Κ., & Whalen, S. (1993). Talented teenagers: The roots of success and failure. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Schneider, B. (2000). Becoming adult: How teenagers prepare for the world of work. New York: Basic Books.
DeCharms, R. (1968). Personal causation: The internal effective determinants of behavior. New York: Academic Press.
Deci, E, L. (1975). Intrinsic motivation. New York: Plenum Press.
Deci, E, L., Nezlek, J., & Sheinman, L. (1981), Characteristics of the rewarder and intrinsic motiva¬tion of the rewardee. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 40, 1–10.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1987). The support of autonomy and the control of behavior. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 53, 1024–1037.
Finn, J. D, (1989). Withdrawing from school. Review of Educational Research, 59, 117–142,
Finn, J. D., & Cox, D. (1992), Participation and withdrawal among fourth-grade pupils. American Educational Research Journal, 29, 141–162.
Goodlad, J, I. (1984). A place called school: Prospects for the future. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
Grannis, J, C. (1978). Task engagement and the consistency of pedagogical controls: An ecological study of different structured classroom settings. Curriculum Inquiry, 3, 3–37
Johnson, D., & Johnson, R. (1985). Motivational processes in cooperative, competitive, and individ-ualistic learning situations. In C. Ames & R, Ames (Eds.), Research on motivation in educa¬tion: The classroom milieu (Vol. 2, pp. 249–86). New York: Academic Press
Larson, R. W., & Richards, Μ. H. (1991). Boredom in the middle school years: Blaming schools ver¬sus blaming students. American Journal of Education, 99, 418–443.
Marks, Η, M. (2000). Student engagement in instructional activity: Patterns in the elementary, middle and high school years. American Educational Research Journal, 37, 153–184.
Martens, B. K., Bradley, T. A., & Eckert, T. L. (1997). Effects of reinforcement history and instruc¬tions on the persistence of student engagement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysts, 30, 569–572.
Massimini, F., & Carli, M. (1988). The systematic assessment of flow in daily experience. In M. Csikszentmihalyi & I. S. Csikszentmihalyi (Eds.), Optimal experience: Psychological studies of flow in consciousness (pp. 266–287). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Mitchell, M. (1993). Situational interest: Its multifaceted structure in the secondary school mathe¬matics classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(3), 424–436.
Moneta, G. B., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). The effect of perceived challenges and skills on the quality of subjective experience. Journal of Personality, 64, 266–310.
Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2002). The concept of flow. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 89–105). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Newmann, F. M. (Ed.). (1992). Student engagement and achievement in American secondary schools. New York: Teachers College Press Columbia University.
Newmann, F. M., Wehlage, G. G., & Lamborn, S. D. (1992). The significance and sources of student engagement. In F. M. Newmann (Ed.), Student engagement and achievement in American secondary schools (pp. 11–39). New York: Teachers College Press
Rogoff, B. (1990). Apprenticeship in thinking : Cognitive development in social context. New York: Oxford University Press,
Shernoff, B, J., Schneider, B., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2001, April). Assessing multiple influences on student engagement in high school classrooms. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA.
Shernoff, D. J., & Hoogstra, L. (2001). Continuing motivation beyond the high school classroom. New Directions in Child and Adolescent Development, 93, 73–87.
Slavin, R. E. (1983). Cooperative learning. New York: Longman.
Steinberg, L. D., Brown, S. B., & Dornbusch, S. M. (1996). Beyond the classroom : Why school reform has failed and what parents need to do. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Stipek, D. J, (1996). Motivation and instruction. In D. C. Berliner & R. Calfee, (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 85–113). New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan.
Stodolsky, S. S. (1988). The subject matters: Classroom activity in math and social studies. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Yair, G. (2000). Educational battlefields in America: The tug-of-war over students’ engagement with instruction. Sociology of Education, 73, 247–269.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Shernoff, D.J., Csikszentmihalyi, M., Schneider, B., Shernoff, E.S. (2014). Student Engagement in High School Classrooms from the Perspective of Flow Theory. In: Applications of Flow in Human Development and Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9094-9_24
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9094-9_24
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-017-9093-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-9094-9
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)