Student engagement

One of the things that I have found challenging with my year 10 Business Studies class is student engagement on the tasks and their completion.

Research shows that students do better in doing what they would like to do and what they choose to do.  I decided to try offering students some choices. I gave students a list of the topics that we could do and also gave them options of trying to do an assessment for Level 1. I also gave them the choice of working as a team or working individually.

Students chose what they wanted to do  and whether they wanted to work in a team or as an individual.  Some of the students who opted to work individually changed their minds after two classes and wanted to join a team.

I noticed the following:

Students who opted to work on an individual task:

•  one group had good self management and were good independent workers 
• one  group were not so good at self management but were absent a lot

Students who opted for team work included: -

• students with  good self management and showed leadership in getting the rest of the team to engage, they were also good at supporting and helping those who were not sure what to do.
• students who were not sure what to do, but were keen to engage with the rest of team and be showed what to do.

So far I have seen more engagement and completion of work by MOST students. Those working in the teams are either support others or receiving support which allows them to complete the task they are supposed to do.  Some of those working individually are working well but there are some who are absent a lot and are unable to complete work.

I think the next step I should look at is to have conversations with those who are absent a lot or not coming to class and to see whether we can work out something so that their absences are reduced.