This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0013164408323233v1 69/3/493    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Skinner, E. A. Articles by Furrer, C. J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

A Motivational Perspective on Engagement and Disaffection

Conceptualization and Assessment of Children's Behavioral and Emotional Participation in Academic Activities in the Classroom

Portland State University, Oregon, skinnere{at}pdx.edu

Thomas A. Kindermann

Portland State University, Oregon

Carrie J. Furrer

NPC Research

This article presents a motivational conceptualization of engagement and disaffection: First, it emphasizes children's constructive, focused, enthusiastic participation in the activities of classroom learning; second, it distinguishes engagement from disaffection, as well as behavioral features from emotional features. Psychometric properties of scores from teacher and student reports of behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, behavioral disaffection, and emotional disaffection were examined using data from 1,018 third through sixth graders. Structural analyses of the four indicators confirm that a multidimensional structure fits the data better than do bipolar or unidimensional models. Validity of scores is supported by findings that teacher reports are correlated with student reports, with in vivo observations in the classroom, and with markers of self-system and social contextual processes. As such, these measures capture important features of engagement and disaffection in the classroom, and any comprehensive assessment should include markers of each. Additional dimensions are identified, pointing the way to future research.

Key Words: academic engagement • disaffection • achievement motivation • classroom participation • emotional engagement • on-task behavior

This version was published on June 1, 2009

Educational and Psychological Measurement, Vol. 69, No. 3, 493-525 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0013164408323233


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?