Promoting Student Engagement

For the purpose of promoting quality student engagement in math, different models for student interaction and discussion in the classroom can be defined by at least five features. For most instructional purposes, the ideal situation is to make possible student-regulated discussions that meet learning objectives.

The differences in these models are based upon the following five features:

1. Interaction between the teacher and students. Who is initiating and controlling all the questions and responses?
2. Interaction among the students. How independently are they generating questions and extending discussion?
3. Prompting and motivation of interactions.
   • Have students initiated the discussion or parts of it?
   • Do they connect their discussion to their learning goals?
   • Is the discussion relevant to their experiences?
4. Regulation of interactions
   • Are time frames adequate for the discussion prompt?
   • Is the quality of the discussion evaluated and connected to team and class goals?
5. Student independence and interdependence
   • Have students acquired the necessary skills for meaningful discussion?
   • Do they know how to use these skills?
   • Are they able to prompt one another to use their skills and/or extend the discussion?
   • Do they accept accountability for their own discussions?