2022-2023 State of Engagement Report
GoGuardian and USC Rossier School of Education Center EDGE are proud announce the release of our 4th State of Engagement Report — an in-depth look at the factors influencing student engagement in K-12 classrooms.
As educators know, students learn best when they’re engaged and motivated to learn. But what methods are most effective in achieving that? We asked more than 1,400 teachers — and while some responses may confirm what you already know, others may surprise you!
Research Focus
The State of Engagement research is a part of GoGuardian’s ongoing commitment to help integrate the best of learning science into the classroom. Since 2019, our research has examined how teachers define engagement, the complex ways in which student engagement is influenced at four levels, and the meaningful teacher-student relationships that serve as the foundation of effective learning experiences.
In 2022, we partnered with education research leaders at the USC Rossier School of Education and Center EDGE, led by Dr. Erika Patall, a pioneer in Education Psychology research, to expand our findings, including a comprehensive review of student engagement literature.
Our survey of 1,449 current K-12 educators in the United States included 135 questions to learn what teachers are seeing in their classrooms and what instructional strategies they believe will be most impactful in 2023.
What We Learned
How and where engagement differs
STEAM may be a major focus for schools, but math and science teachers reported using engagement-supportive practices less than their humanities counterparts. Learn how reported engagement varies by grade level, subject, and demographics.
How educators adopt research-backed practices
The key to educators increasing the use of strategies that support student engagement? It isn’t professional development alone. Hear from teachers as to why that’s the case.
Driving engagement in the classroom
96.9% of teachers reported that they use teacher caring and relationship-building to drive engagement often or very often. Learn which other instructional practices correlated with higher reports of student engagement in the classroom!
Looking ahead to 2023
Teachers told us that high expectations, teacher enthusiasm, and teacher caring will be the most important engagement practices in 2023. See what else is in store for the year ahead.
Our Research & Insights Philosophy
As the world of digital learning accelerates, GoGuardian believes it is critical we examine and understand the impact this shift has on student outcomes. Our Efficacy Research Team and Educator Research Partnerships Team collaborated on this study to gather insights about engagement practices, and our hope is this information helps educators meaningfully engage every student to unleash their curiosity and maximize their achievement.
Meet our Collaborators
Professor Erika Patall
USC Rossier School of Education
Dr. Patall is a Professor of Education and Psychology at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. Her areas of expertise include the nature, determinants, and development of motivation, education practices that support motivation and achievement, and research synthesis methods.
Amanda Vite
USC Rossier School of Education
Amanda is a third-year doctoral candidate at USC’s Rossier School of Education studying instructional practices that support student motivation, engagement, and identity development among diverse student populations.
Diane Lee
USC Rossier School of Education
Diane is a third-year doctoral candidate at USC's Rossier School of Education interested in examining teacher-student relationships in the classroom to better support diverse student motivation, social-emotional development, and achievement.
Jeanette Zambrano
USC Rossier School of Education
Jeanette is a fifth-year doctoral candidate at USC’s Rossier School of Education focused on student motivation and instructional strategies that support motivation in diverse classroom contexts.
Alan Arkatov
USC Rossier School of Education, Center for Engagement-Driven Global Education
As Founding Director of USC's Center EDGE, and the Katzman/Ernst Chair for Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation at USC's Rossier School of Education, Alan is a leader in interdisciplinary education research, teaching, and practice, with deep experience in navigating the education ecosystem.
Bethany Hamilton Bhat
The University of Texas at Austin
Bethany Hamilton Bhat is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the Quantitative Methods program at the University of Texas at Austin.