Discreet Disengagement in the Classroom: A Mixed Methods Study with Middle Years Students
Students who frequently disengage from classroom learning are more likely to feel excluded in their classroom, achieve lower academic results, and experience social-emotional issues. Since these implications have socio-economic effects distally, classroom disengagement is of high importance to researchers, policymakers, and is particularly concerning for classroom teachers whose responsibility it is to identify and support students who disengage. But what happens when classroom teachers do not notice the more discreet types of student disengagement like daydreaming? Building on previous work on the notion of ‘ghost learners’ (Ross, 2020; Goss & Sonneman, 2017), this study will investigate discreet disengagement in the classroom, problematising the idea that some students’ disengagement flies under the radar of teachers or is not prioritised when compared to more disruptive typologies. To understand this important issue, this PhD study will conduct a scoping literature review and will investigate disengagement experiences with Middle Years students and their teachers. It is hoped that the demystification of this typology will contribute to a more comprehensive conceptualisation of student (dis)engagement in theory and policy, as well as practical insights for educators so that any student who experiences disengagement, no matter its typology, is identified and offered equal opportunity to engage with their education.
Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Jill Willis
Associate Supervisor: Professor Linda Graham