Foreign Study

Research indicates that 25 to 60 percent of U.S. students are disengaged from school
(Klem & Connell, 2004; Willms, 2003). This phenomenon is not unique to the U.S. In a study using data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Willms found that on average, 25% of students in the 43 countries studied reported a low sense of belonging and an average of 20% of students reported low participation. Although there is some discrepancy in numbers due to differences in sampling and measurement, these studies show that overall, more than one in five students is disengaged from school.
Student engagement is a multifaceted concept that includes behavioral, emotional, and cognitive components (Fredricks et al., 2004). Behavioral engagement refers to students’ participation in academic and non-academic activities at school. Emotional engagement refers to students’ sense of belonging at school and identification with school. Cognitive engagement includes mental involvement with learning through the exercise of thinking.
Research has shown that each component of engagement is significantly related to student outcomes; however, previous studies have for the most part examined only one or two components of student engagement (e.g., Alexander, Entwisle, & Horsey, 1997; Woolley &
Bowen, 2007). Therefore, studies that examine all three components of student engagement are needed.
Student engagement is more malleable than other status indicators or student traits that have been shown to be related to student outcomes (Finn, 1993; Fredricks et al., 2004) because it is responsive to change in the social environment. Although individual intelligence and family background are significant predictors of student achievement and other student