Abstract

The overarching question my study aims to address is: What kind of engagement do schools foster in Lebanon and for what ends? My research will firstly, explore how engagement is perceived by students, teachers and principals, and secondly, investigate how school climate and classroom practices in Lebanese schools support or hinder the engagement of young people in their school learning. Former research has rarely taken into account the perceptions, practices and experiences of student engagement from multiple perspectives. It has been argued in the literature that engagement is a two way street and not merely what is done to students. Thus generating insights from different perspectives would serve to inform educators of the complex and nuanced social processes at work and the challenges of making schools engaging places where students want to be and can learn. My presentation will briefly describe my approach to student engagement as a multidimensional construct. I will then share my attempt to develop a qualitatively driven mixed methods research design and the challenges I am facing in operationalising some of the constructs such as engagement, school climate and classroom practices.