Reason 1: Academic ChallengesThere are many reasons why students find it difficult to remain academically engaged in school. Some of the academic challenges, however, are associated with emotional and behavioral feelings. One of the biggest challenges to academic success that leads to disengagement in the classroom is fear of failure (De Castella et al., 2013). Fear of failure and a student’s perception of negative self-worth can both present as academic apathy or disengagement in the classroom (De Castella et al., 2013).
Another factor that can create academic challenges and decrease student engagement is report card grades. Research on the psychological impacts of report card grades has shown that receiving less than desirable grades resulted in lower emotional and behavioral engagement in the classroom (Poorthuis et al., 2014). Common Signs and ExamplesOften, students who present academic challenges in the classroom are very noticeable. It is important as a teacher to be mindful, however, of student engagement levels even when the class grade point average is high. In one study on engagement researchers reported that at 15 high achieving schools two-third of the students reported feeling not fully engaged with the material. Furthermore, the students in this group also indicated that they were not behaviorally and cognitively engaged with the classwork (Conner & Pope, 2013). Being attentive to this form of apathy and disengagement, is especially important for teachers to be mindful of when working with high achieving populations.
Boredom, Learning Disabilities, and English Language Learners Boredom: There are several specific types of academic challenges that may result in students appearing apathetic. One major academic challenge frequently stated as a reason for withdrawal or disengagement in school is boredom. Key motivational theories, such as Goal Theory, Self-Determination Theory, Self-Efficacy Theory, and Self-Worth Theory, are "underpinned or directed by relatedness, connectedness, and belonging" (Martin & Dowson, 2009). When students feel the academic content is not relevant to their lives, or is not interesting, boredom can result causing them to withdraw from the learning task. Learning Disabilities: Another academic challenge that is important to be mindful of is learning disabilities. Some learning disabilities impact the brain in a way that makes the student appear apathetic, such as a learning disability that affects areas of Executive Functioning . These issues affect a student’s ability to plan, organize, and manage time, along with affecting their memory and their attention. English Language Learners: English language learners (ELL’s) in the classroom can appear apathetic but might actually be struggling for other reasons. These students are not only trying to learn the academic content and simultaneously learn English, but they may also not be getting effective English language instruction. Sometimes, the teacher may be assuming they have prerequisite knowledge that they never learned. As a result, a student might appear apathetic in the learning environment. Addressing this immediately, and engaging the student, will help to prevent the student from falling further behind. Potential Interventions
Interventions Specific to Boredom:
Interventions Specific to Learning Disabilities:
Interventions Specific to ELL Students:
Additional Resources Relating to Academic ChallengesPositive Student Engagement - Education.com
An article that describes various ways to increase positive student engagement as a means to increase student achievement. Increasing Student Engagement - Reading Horizons.com A helpful blog post that provides seven ways to increase student engagement. Student Engagement - Interactive Achievement A blog post by a director of educational professional development that lists ten ways to increase student engagement. Specific Resources on Academic Boredom: Apathetic Boredom Article that discusses a new type of boredom, apathetic boredom, which they found in a study of German university and high school students. Boredom and Stress Discusses research indicating that boredom is a "flavor of stress" interfering with students' ability to learn. The article goes on to discuss how lack of focus may be caused by stress and how to counteract it by reevaluating dull tasks. Specific Resources on Learning Disabilities: Executive Functioning Article provides a brief discussion of executive functioning and provides information on issues that different grade levels will face from preschool through high school. Specific Resources for ELL Instruction: Great Schools.org An article discussing various reasons that ELL students may appear withdrawn providing a list of important practices to incorporate. Colorin Colorado A website providing resources for effective ELL instruction for educators and families. |