PUPIL ENGAGEMENT IN EDUCATION: A MEANS FOR INCREASED ACADEMIC ABILITY, WELL-BEING AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT
8.1.2 The supplementary training course increases pupil engagement With this in mind, we can now begin to complete the tests of the three hypotheses, which are attached to Thesis 5, which relate to the idea that a supplementary training course can increase pupil engagement. The analysis of hypothesis 5a clearly shows that the supplementary training course has increased the amount of pupil engagement in the education. This is emphasized by all of the pupils, with the exception of one individual pupil, expressing that pupil engagement has been significantly increased in the education, following the participation of the first supplementary training course. That is not to say that the one pupil has not experienced increased pupil engagement. Although the pupil does not directly experience increased pupil engagement, it is made clear by the examples of pupil engagement in the class, which the pupil mentions. Pupils, who experienced increased pupil engagement, say the following:
“The teachers aren’t trying to be mean, just because they don’t engage us. I just don’t think they are thinking about it. So, I kind of feel that this course is really good, because it, like, gets them to think that “hey, if we engage them, maybe they’ll be more excited”, you know.”
(translated by ed.)
“Er…, well, there basically wasn’t any engagement. We also talked about that here, “that now when we’re thinking about it”, said the teachers, they aren’t really engaging us. But after the course, they’re engaging us much more.”
(translated by ed.)
One of the statements from the interviews with the principals, which strongly illustrates the effect of the supplementary training course, relates to the way in which pupil engagement, on one of the participating schools, not solely strengthened with the teachers, who have been a part of the course. Pupil engagement has also been strengthened with the other teachers, because the pupils have taken the initiative to implement the new tools and methods in other subjects as well. One of the principals, thusly, explains that “We have seen a small piece of evidence for it (that it works ed.) out here in some way. That it has been Danish, math and history, which have been running it, and who have practiced these things, which we have learned on the course, and that the pupils have actually suggested their German teacher, if they could use some of the elements in the German lessons as well, and that has given some completely different German lessons.” (translated by ed.).
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