Student engagement in schools serving marginalised communities

ABSTRACT

This paper shares findings from a project that examined how schools serving marginalised communities facilitated students’ substantive engagement. Through interviews with students, parents, teachers and school leaders, we determined that substantive engagement was supported by formal and informal strategies that enabled access to rich learning opportunities, the provision of welcoming school and classroom climates, and the enactment of pedagogies of care and school-wide programmes focused on substantive engagement. There were four key areas of substantive engagement: engaging curriculum and pedagogy, engaging school climate, engaging with learners, and engaging with communities. Strategies to support engagement included the removal of barriers to learning, such as assistance with breakfast or public transport, nurturing a positive school climate, providing support for ethnic groups and the delivery of alternative or flexible programmes. Drawing on the findings from five case studies, we propose four principles for substantive student engagement in complex contexts, which will be useful for school leaders and teachers who work in schools that serve marginalised communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Substantive engagement
• nurture
• pedagogies of care
• learning outcomes
• social justice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Queensland Department of Education.

Notes on contributors

Stewart Riddle

Stewart Riddle is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland. His research examines the democratisation of schooling systems, increasing access and equity in education and how schooling can respond to critical social issues in complex contemporary times.

Angelique Howell

Angelique Howell is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Education and Leadership at QUT. Her work focuses on conducting research with marginalised young people to explore issues around engagement in meaningful learning to achieve social justice.

Glenda McGregor

Glenda McGregor is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University, Brisbane. Her research interests include sociology of youth, alternative/democratic/flexible schools, pedagogy and curriculum and, social justice and education. Glenda is currently the lead chief investigator on a $154,060, Australian Research Council Linkage Grant Supporting teachers and teaching in flexible and non-traditional schools.

Martin Mills

Martin Mills is a Research Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at QUT. His work has principally focused on social justice issues in education. These areas include: teachers' work and lives, pedagogical practice, alternative education, and gender and education.