(De)constructing Student Engagement for Pre-Service Teacher Learning

Abstract

Current education reform policies, such as Common Core Standards and Teacher Effectiveness, prioritize the importance of developing students’ intellectual capacities through cognitively engaging tasks. Danielson’s (2007) Framework for Teaching offers specific guidance to teachers on clearly delineated elements that comprise cognitive engagement which can be useful in preparing new teachers to address this issue. This article describes how one teacher education program emphasizes student engagement throughout the coursework young professionals take and then shares their pre-service teachers’ perspective about what student engagement means through class assignments and classroom observations. Specific suggestions are offered to other teacher preparation programs as well as proposed research to further document how pre-service teachers learn to engage their students.