RUNNING HEAD: LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review for TPE Domain C

Victoria Garcia
National University

LITERATURE REVIEW
Abstract
The following literature review discusses the importance of student engagement in
relation to student success. The more engaged a student is in the material, the higher their chance
of success and vice versa. The article discusses a variety of suggestions that teachers can use to
increase student engagement.

LITERATURE REVIEW
The article Encouraging Positive Student Engagement and Motivation: Tips for
Teachers discusses the correlation between student motivation and engagement with their (the
students) success or failures in school. Simply put, the more a student is motivated and engaged
in school the more successful he or she will be at comprehending the material. In contrast, the
less motivated and engaged a student is, the less material he/she will retain.
It has been shown that a student will be more engaged and motivated to learn, if the
teacher is confident or self-efficient with their teaching methods. The article discusses that
relationship between student success and teachers who both enjoy their profession and truly care
about their students. Teachers that were able to show students that they (the student) was
important to the teacher, saw a rise in student understanding of the material. In other words, if a
teacher had a passion for their work, and treated students as an important individual, the student
in turn was more confident in learning new material. This confidence leads to a higher level of
comprehension, and an eagerness to learn.
There were several different tips that a teacher could incorporate into their teaching
methods at the beginning of the year that would encourage students to engage with their teacher.
Some of these strategies would be to include some sort of physical activity, welcoming all
cultures of the class, allow students to feel as if they have some control over what they learn, ask
students about their likes and dislikes, allow students to build relationships with each other, have
a collaborative learning environment, challenge students, and finally the teacher needs to keep
up-to-date with the newest research in their topics of study.
I was not surprised with the claims that the article was making about motivated students
and engaged teachers. Even as adults, I feel that we all learn about subjects more easily when we
are not only engaged with the teacher but also interested in the topic. It is the teachers job to

LITERATURE REVIEW
build an interest around a subject as well as find ways to keep children captivated by what they
are learning. Not every student learns the same way, thus not every teacher should teach one way.
Some students need to be taught visually, others kinesthetically, and some only need an auditory
method of instruction. It is up to the teacher to figure out the best way to reach a student when
the student falls behind or shows signs of learners fatigue. I think it is a shame when you see a
teacher that is simply going through the motions, and has lost their passion. As educators, it is
our responsibility to create rich educational experiences that challenge students ideas and
stretch them as far as they can go (Stephens, 2015).

LITERATURE REVIEW
References
Stephens, T. (2015, August 21). Encouraging Positive Student Engagement and Motivation: Tips
for Teachers. Retrieved January 25, 2016, from http://www.pearsoned.com/educationblog/encouraging-positive-student-engagement-and-motivation-tips-for-teachers/