Teaching Approaches and Student Engagement in Secondary Schools in Arua City, Uganda
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between teaching approaches and student engagement in secondary schools in Arua City, Uganda. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between constructivist teaching approaches and behaviourist teaching approaches with student engagement. This study adopted a correlation analysis as the basis for determining whether there was a relationship between the study variables. Data were collected from a sample of 341 students using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling were used to analyse data. Descriptive results revealed that while students’ engagement was moderate, teachers’ use of the constructivist approach was lower than student-centred approaches. Structural equation modelling using SmartPLS results revealed that constructivist teaching approaches positively and significantly predicted student engagement, while behaviourist teaching approaches negatively significantly predicted student engagement. This study concluded that the constructivist teaching approach promotes student engagement, and behaviourist teaching approaches do not enhance student engagement. It was therefore recommended that teachers should emphasise using constructivist teaching approaches, and teachers have to reduce the use of behaviourist teaching approaches. This article will be of value to both researchers and policymakers in the education sector in Uganda as it identifies appropriate teaching approaches that enhance the effective engagement of students. Therefore, it might inform policy-making on curriculum development and further research
Downloads
References
Abubakar, A. M., Abubakar, Y., & Itse, J. D. (2017). Students’ engagement in relationship to academic performance. Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 8(1), 5-9.
Akpan, B. (2020). Classical and operant conditioning—Ivan Pavlov; Burrhus Skinner. In: Akpan, B., Kennedy, T.J. (eds) Science Education in Theory and Practice. Springer Texts in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43620-9_6.
Aljohani, M. (2017). Principles of constructivism in foreign language teaching. Journal of Literature and Art Studies, 7, 97-107. https://doi.org/10.17265/2159-5836/2017.01.013
Alt, D. (2015). Assessing the contribution of a constructivist learning environment to academic self-efficacy in higher education. Learning Environments Research, 18, 47-67. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s10984-015-9174-5
Arjomandi, A., Seufert, J., O’Brien, M. & Anwar, S. (2018). Active teaching strategies and student engagement: A comparison of traditional and non-traditional business students. e-Journal of Business Education and Scholarship of Teaching, 12(2), 120-140
Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development, 40(5), 518- 529.
Backer, J. M., Miller, J. L., & Timmer, S. M. (2018). The effects of collaborative grouping on student engagement in middle school students. Retrieved from: https://sophia.stkate. edu/maed/280
Bond, M., Bedenlier, S., Buntins, K., Kerres, M. &Zawacki-Richter, O. (2020). Facilitating student engagement in higher education through educational technology: A Narrative Systematic review in the field of education. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 20(2), 315-368.
Cooper, J. T., Whitney, T., & Lingo, A. S. (2018). Using immediate feedback to increase opportunities to respond in a general education classroom. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 37(1), 52-60. https://doi.org/10.1177/8756870517747121
Dagar, V., & Yadav, A. (2016). Constructivism: A paradigm for teaching and learning. Arts and Social Sciences Journal, 7(4), 1-4. doi: 10.4172/2151-6200.1000200
Darnell, D. K., & Krieg, P. A. (2019). Student engagement, assessed using heart rate, shows no reset following active learning sessions in lectures. PloS One, 14(12), e0225709. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225709
Delfino, A. P. (2019). Student engagement and academic performance of students of Partido State University. Asian Journal of University Education, 15(1), 1-16.
Demirci, C. (2017). The effect of active learning approach on attitudes of 7th-grade students. International Journal of Instruction, 10 (4), 129-144. doi: 10.12973/iji.2017.1048a
Esposto, A. S., & Weaver, D. (2011). Continuous team assessment to improve student engagement and active learning. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 8(1), 97-109. https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/ vol8/iss1/8.
Franke, G., & Sarstedt, M. (2019). Heuristics versus statistics in discriminant validity testing: A comparison of four procedures. Internet Research, 29(3), 430–447. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/ IntR-12-2017-0515
Gage, N. A., MacSuga-Gage, A. S., & Crews, E. (2017). Increasing teachers’ use of behavior-specific praise using a multitiered system for professional development. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 19(4), 239-251. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300717693 568
Gillies, R. M. (2016). Cooperative learning: Review of research and practice. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41, 39-54. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n3.3
Goodman, A. (2016). The manifestation of student engagement in classrooms: A phenomenological case study of how teachers experience student engagement and how it influences pedagogical decision making (PhD Dissertation, University of Nevada, Las Vegas). http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/9302933
Hair Jr, J.F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N.P., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R: A workbook. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7
Hapsari, A. M., & Anni, C. T. (2017, September). Increasing elementary students’ behavior engagement through applying token economy technique. In 9th International Conference for Science Educators and Teachers (ICSET 2017) (pp. 513-519). Atlantis Press. doi 10.2991/icset-17.2017.85
Havik, T., & Westergård, E. (2020). Do teachers matter? Students’ perceptions of classroom interactions and student engagement. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 64(4), 488-507. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2019.1577754
Holmes, N. (2018). Engaging with assessment: Increasing student engagement through continuous assessment. Active Learning in Higher Education, 19(1), 23-34. doi: 10.1177/1469787417723230.
Juavinett, A. L., Erlich, J. C., & Churchland, A. K. (2018). Decision-making behaviours: Weighing ethology, complexity, and sensorimotor compatibility. Current opinion in neurobiology, 49, 42-50. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.11.001
Kang, S. H. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732215624708
Knudson, D. (2020). A tale of two instructional experiences: Student engagement in active learning and emergency remote learning of biomechanics. Sports Biomechanics, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2020.1810306
Koprivitsa, C. D. (2020). The concept of engagement. Philosophy and Society, 31(2), 139-276. https://doi.org/10.2298/FID2002177K
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and psychological measurement, 30(3), 607-610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
Lam, S. F., Wong, B. P., Yang, H., & Liu, Y. (2012). Understanding student engagement with a contextual model. In Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 403- 419). Springer, Boston, MA. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_19.
Le, H., Janssen, J., & Wubbels, T. (2018). Collaborative learning practices: Teacher and student perceived obstacles to effective student collaboration. Cambridge Journal of Education, 48 (1), 103-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2016.1259389
Lei, H., Cui, Y., & Zhou, W. (2018). Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A Meta-analysis. Social Behaviour and Personality: An International Journal, 46 (3), 517-528. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.7054
Lester, D. (2013). A review of the student engagement literature. Focus on colleges, universities & schools, 7(1), 1-8.
Lotulung, C. F., Ibrahim, N., & Tumurang, H. (2018). Effectiveness of learning method contextual teaching learning (CTL) for increasing learning outcomes of entrepreneurship education. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET, 17(3), 37-46.
Ludigo, H., Mugimu, C. B., & Mugagga, A. M. (2019). Pedagogical strategies and academic achievement of students in public universities in Uganda. Journal of Education and Practice, 3(1), 81-96. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3497108
Mameli, C., & Passini, S. (2018). Development and validation of an enlarged version of the Student Agentic Engagement Scale. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/073428291875784
Markelz, A. M., & Taylor, J. C. (2016). Effects of Teacher Praise on Attending Behaviors and Academic Achievement of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities. Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship, 5(1), 1-15.
Mentari, W. N., & Syarifuddin, H. (2020, May). Improving student engagement by mathematics learning based on contextual teaching and learning. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1554, No. 1, p. 012003). IOP Publishing. doi 10.1088/1742-6596/1554 /1/012003
Metheny, J., McWhirter, E. H., & O’Neil, M. E. (2008). Measuring perceived teacher support and its influence on adolescent career development. Journal of Career Assessment, 16(2), 218-237. doi: 10.1177/1069072707313198
Muganga, L., & Ssenkusu, P. (2019). Teacher-centered vs. student-centered: An examination of student teachers’ perceptions about pedagogical practices at Uganda’s Makerere University. Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry, 11(2), 16-40. doi: https://doi.org/10.187 33/cpi29481
Mugizi, W. (2021a). University infrastructure quality and students engagement in a South Western private university, Uganda. Interdisciplinary Journal of Education
Research, 3(2), 98-107. https://doi.org/10.51986/ijer-2021.vol3.02.10
Mugizi, W., Katuramu, A. O., Dafiewhare, A. O., & Kanyesigye, J. (2021b). Student-centered pedagogical approach and student engagement at a private university in Western Uganda. Education Journal, 10(5), 193-203. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20211005.14
Mugizi, W., Rwothumio, J., & Kanyesigye, J. (2020). Teacher-centred pedagogical approach and student engagement at a private university in Western Uganda. Journal of Educational Research and Reviews, 8(8), 128-137. doi: https://doi.org/10.33495/jerr_v8i8.20.154
Newmann, F. M. (1992). Student engagement and achievement in American secondary schools. New York: Teachers College Press.
Ohamobi, I. N., & Ezeaku, S. N. (2015). Students Engagement Variables as Correlates of Academic Achievement in Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in Anambra State, Nigeria. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 5(5), 473- 478. https://doi.org/10.21275/v5i5.6051602
Omer, A., & Abdularhim, M. (2017). The criteria of constructive feedback: The feedback that counts. Journal of Health Specialties, 5(1), 45-45.
Piaget, J. (1936). Origins of intelligence in the child. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Qudsyi, H., Wijaya, H. E., Widiasmara, N., & Nurtjahjo, F. E. (2018). Contextual teaching-learning method to improve student engagement among college students in cognitive psychology course. In International Conferences on Educational, Social Sciences and Technology (pp. 634-643). https://doi.org/10.29210/2018194
Rogti, M. (2021). Behaviourism as external stimuli: improving student extrinsic motivation through behavioural responses in Algerian College Education. Global Journal of Human-Social Science, 21(1), 29-41.
Roza, A. S., Rafli, Z., & Rahmat, A. (2019). The Implementation of contextual teaching learning (CTL) to improve the students’ speaking ability in Islamic studies course. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 8(4), 45-50. https://doi.org/ 10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.8n.4p.45
Sancho-Vinuesa, T., Escudero-Viladoms, N., & Masià, R. (2013). Continuous activity with immediate feedback: A good strategy to guarantee student engagement with the course. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 28(1), 51-66. doi:10.1080/02680513.2013.776479.
Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Hair, J. F. (2021). Partial least squares structural equation modelling. In Handbook of market research (pp. 587-632). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57413-4_15
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behaviour. New York: The Free Press.
Stapleton, L., & Stefaniak, J. (2019). Cognitive constructivism: Revisiting Jerome Bruner’s influence on instructional design practices. TechTrends, 63, 4-5. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11528-018-0356-8
Tian, L., & Zhou, Y. (2020). Learner engagement with automated feedback, peer feedback and teacher feedback in an online EFL writing context. System, 91, 102247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102247
Tian, M., Lu, G., Li, L., & Yin, H. (2021). International undergraduate students in Chinese higher education: An engagement typology and associated factors. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 680392. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.680392
Venton, B. J., & Pompano, R. R. (2021). Strategies for enhancing remote student engagement through active learning. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 413, 1507–1512. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03159-0
Wang, R., & BrckaLorenz, A. (2018). International student engagement: An exploration of student and faculty perceptions. Journal of International Students, 8(2), 1002-1033. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v8i2.124
Wara, E., Aloka, P. J., & Odongo, B. C. (2018). Relationship between emotional engagement and academic achievement among Kenyan secondary school students. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 7(1), 107-118.
Watson, J. B. (1913). Psychology as the behaviorist views it. Psychological Review, 20, 158–177.
Wong, G. K. W., & Yang, M. (2017). Using ICT to facilitate instant and asynchronous feedback for students’ learning engagement and improvements. Emerging practices in scholarship of learning and teaching in a digital era, 289-309. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3344-5_18
Xerri, M. J., Radford, K., & Shacklock, K. (2018). Student engagement in academic activities: A social support perspective. Higher education, 75, 589-605. https://doi.org/10.1007/s1073 4-017-0162-9
Yu, R., & Singh, K. (2018). Teacher support, instructional practices, student motivation, and mathematics achievement in high school. The Journal of Educational Research, 111(1), 81-94. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2016.1204260
Zhang, Z. V., & Hyland, K. (2018). Student engagement with teacher and automated feedback on L2 writing. Assessing Writing, 36, 90- 102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2018.02.004
Zhou, M., & Brown, D. [Eds.]. (2015). Educational learning theories. https://oer.galileo. usg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=education-textbooks
Copyright (c) 2023 Siraji Hamimu Onzi, Wilson Mugizi, Joseph Rwothumio, Disan Kutesa Mugenyi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
