Teachers' understanding of engagement in hybrid, distance, and distance learning

Abstract

Engagement and motivation are distinct phenomena, but the terms are often used overlappingly. Although teachers' perceptions of students' engagement influence both how teachers interact with students and students 'grades, little is known of how teachers understand and view students' engagement, especially when learning takes place online. Through Mixed Method Grounded Theory this study examines teachers' understanding of students' engagement and disengagement in digital learning environments. 12 teachers who regularly offer hybrid, remote or distance education in primary, secondary and adult education were interviewed twice. The results show that teachers initially favoured using the term motivation, but as they focused talked about engagement, their use of the term engagement gradually increased and their use of the term motivation decreased. Results indicate that teachers seem to seek to influence students' engagement indirectly, through motivation. The results also indicate that a focus on increasing students' motivation does not seem to support teachers to see how they design for engagement in learning. A professional language is a prerequisite for collegial dialogue, which is needed to reach an increased understanding of students' actual engagement in, or disengagement from, learning, and how insights can inform the development of their own practice and lesson design.