Student Engagement in Junior High World Languages Classes
This study is a qualitative case study that sought to explore the perspectives of World Languages students and teachers on student engagement in relation to the teachers’ instructional choices. Five kinds of engagement and three components of Self Determination Theory were studied in relation to student behavior. The study involved eighth and ninth grade students who are currently taking a course in a World Language in a junior high school. The researcher used interviews, classroom observations, and focus groups to collect data. The data was analyzed using a combination of computer software and analysis by hand. The findings showed that teachers use a variety of ways to motivate and engage their students, but there is some room for improvement in terms of understanding engagement and developing activities that support engagement. It also showed that students generally have a favorable view of their World Languages classes and teachers and are genuinely engaged.
student engagement, second language acquisition, student perceptions, self determination theory, motivation, comprehensible input, autonomy, competence, relatedness, agency, Secondary Education
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