Increasing student engagement [audiovisual] (2021)

Abstract

In this first seminar of a series of two, Professor Hargreaves, one of the most worldwide renowned experts in education, talks about how we can increase student engagement in the challenging context of the post-pandemic world, with the collaboration of a panel of Catalan educators from different backgrounds and expertises, all of them members of the Aprendre a l’Escola que Aprèn workgroup. Hargreaves analyzes the causes of the high numbers of disengaged learners and discusses what constitutes inspiring teaching, linking it to his own experiences as a working-class teenager and examining the impact of the pandemic on the engagement of students around the world. Professor Hargreaves identifies what he calls “The big 5”, the 5 big issues that educators will need to address if they want to engage students and give purpose to their learning, and discusses courses of action and strategies with the panel, also answering the questions sent by the public via chat. He emphasizes the importance of connecting the curricula with the interests of students from all kinds of backgrounds, and of making them feel welcome and a part of the community, building a sense of belonging in them.