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Examining Student Engagement in the Academic Environment University of New England DUNE: DigitalUNE All Theses And Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 4-2017 Examining Student Engagement In The Academic Environment Michael Scott Milliken University of New England Follow this and additional works at: https://dune.une.edu/theses Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, and the Secondary Education Commons © 2017 Michael Milliken Preferred Citation Milliken, Michael Scott, "Examining Student Engagement In The Academic Environment" (2017). All Theses And Dissertations. 111. https://dune.une.edu/theses/111 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at DUNE: DigitalUNE. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses And Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DUNE: DigitalUNE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EXAMINING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT By Michael Scott Milliken BS (Springfield College) 1994 MS (The College of Saint Rose) 2005 A DISSERTATION Presented to the Affiliated Faculty of The College of Graduate and Professional Studies at the University of New England In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Education Portland & Biddeford, Maine April, 2017 Copyright by Michael Scott Milliken 2017 ii Michael Scott Milliken April 2017 Educational Leadership EXAMINING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT ABSTRACT This mixed-methods study examined the traits and engagement of five students. The students were high school boys at an independent (non-public) school. The participants’ Big Five personality traits and trait emotional intelligence were examined in depth. In addition, observation and interviews were employed to gain a deep understanding of the students’ behavioral and affective academic engagement. Many themes and subtopics were explored. The themes (and subtopics) were traits (conscientiousness, impulse control, extraversion, stress management, happiness, optimism, and self-esteem), engagement (participation, attention, effort, and perseverance), course content (general academics, English, math, history, and science), and academic tasks (in-class: passive vs. active, out-of-class: homework, reading, academic writing, and creative writing). For many of the participants, the traits of conscientiousness and impulse control were related to low engagement. Participants with these traits preferred active and group tasks to solitary, passive tasks. Some evidence also surfaced relating competence and autonomy to engagement. Participants were more likely to exhibit behavioral engagement when the academic work was free of significant challenge. Similarly, the participants showed higher levels of engagement when choice was offered. Further study is needed to explore self-efficacy, student–teacher relationships, and motivation in relation to academic engagement. iii University of New England Doctor of Education Educational Leadership This dissertation was presented by Michael Scott Milliken It was presented on April 6, 2017 and approved by: Michelle Collay, Ph.D. Lead Advisor University of New England Kim Roberts-Morandi, Ed.D. Secondary Advisor University of New England Frank Doberman, Ph.D. Affiliated Committee Member Karner Psychological Associates iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This journey was transformative in many ways. From acquisition of knowledge to making meaning of life, the last three years have solidified purpose and direction for the years to come. Many thanks to the UNE faculty for their support and challenge. Each step along the way was invaluable. Kudos to the program designers and developers. The program was clearly well designed and implemented nearly flawlessly. Thanks to the cohort members I met along the way. As students, we were never left alone. No matter what we were going through, we always had each other for support. Special thanks to the RT: Lisa, Cheri, Beth, and Roger. You guys rock! Four heads are better than one. Frank, Kim, and Michelle—thanks for guidance, challenge, and support! Your help was priceless. Thank you! To all my family, the encouragement along the way made more a of difference than you know. Especially Mom, Cyndy, Frank, Linda, Frank, Lynn, Chris, Big bro—Todd, Little sis— Meg, I love you guys. To my children: Courtney, Cam, Matty, Mia, Colton, and Carl. Thanks for being the best children any parent could ever hope for—I love you. Now I am back to spend more time with you all. Most of all, love and appreciation to my wonderful wife, Dani, for tirelessly providing for the needs of the family over the last three years while I was off playing with research and data. There is no way this could have been accomplished without you! You are number one! v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................2 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................3 Research Questions ..............................................................................................................5 Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................................6 Trait Emotional Intelligence ....................................................................................6 Personality: Big Five Personality Traits ..................................................................7 Engagement..............................................................................................................7 Teacher Leadership Behavior ..................................................................................8 Assumptions, Limitations, and Scope ..................................................................................8 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................12 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .......................................................................14 Purpose ...............................................................................................................................15 Process for Reviewing the Literature .................................................................................15 Emotions and Education ....................................................................................................17 Emotional Intelligence ...........................................................................................18 Personality..............................................................................................................21 Motivation ..............................................................................................................22 Engagement............................................................................................................24 Implications of Literature Themes for this Study ..............................................................24 Emotions, Emotional Intelligence, and Academic Achievement ..........................25 Emotional Intelligence, Personality, and Academic Achievement ........................32 Motivation and Academic Achievement ...............................................................35 Emotions, Emotional Intelligence, and Teachers ..................................................35 vi Engagement-Related Topics ..................................................................................37 Conceptual Framework ......................................................................................................38 Trait Emotional Intelligence ..................................................................................39 Personality: Big Five Personality Traits ................................................................39 Teacher Leadership Behavior ................................................................................40 Student Engagement ..............................................................................................41 Summary ................................................................................................................41 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................42 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................44 Setting ................................................................................................................................44 Participants .........................................................................................................................45 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................45 Big Five Personality Questionnaire .......................................................................46 Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire ...........................................................46 Observations ..........................................................................................................47 Interviews ...............................................................................................................47
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