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The Engagement Partnership
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The Engagement Partnership

  • Amy Berry - University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia


February 2026 | 264 pages | Corwin

Build strong partnerships that fuel student motivation and drive their learning

Humans are social creatures, yet schools don’t always embrace the way social interactions and connections can facilitate learning. Likewise, student engagement has become a buzzword, but what does it really mean? Despite decades of research and initiatives, student engagement continues to decline as learners progress through the school years.

In her new book, Amy Berry argues that the key lies in partnership. She challenges the traditional view of engagement as a top-down process and reframes it as a collaborative effort between students, teachers, and peers. Filled with student and teacher voices, this guidebook provides a new, more empathetic way to think about and tackle the persistent challenge of student disengagement.

This book provides:

  • The all-new Continuum of Learner Engagement, a practical tool for developing a shared language around engagement and disengagement
  • Evidence-based strategies for building effective engagement partnerships
  • Actionable tips for cultivating a classroom environment where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to drive their own learning
  • A strengths-based approach to understanding and addressing the root causes of disengagement

Learn how to empower children and young people with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively drive their learning and growth not only in schools, but also throughout their lives.

 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 
INTRODUCTION
 
CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS ENGAGEMENT, AND WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT IT?
WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT ENGAGEMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS?

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: The Challenge of Student Engagement

 
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ENGAGEMENT?

 
MOTIVATION IN ACTION

 
HOW DO RESEARCHERS DESCRIBE ENGAGEMENT?

 
HOW DO TEACHERS DESCRIBE ENGAGEMENT?

 
A CONTINUUM OF ENGAGEMENT

 
ENGAGEMENT IN CLASSROOM LEARNING EXPERIENCES

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: Understanding Influences on Situational Engagement in Science

 
STUDENT AGENCY, VOICE, AND ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING

 
STUDENT VOICE AS A PYRAMID OF INCREASING AGENCY

 
STUDENT VOICE ABOUT LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT

 
 
CHAPTER 2: BUILDING BLOCK #1: THE LANGUAGE OF LEARNER ENGAGEMENT
DEVELOPING A SHARED LANGUAGE OF ENGAGEMENT

 
LEARNER ENGAGEMENT OR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

 
FOCUS ON LEARNING

 
THE CONTINUUM OF LEARNER ENGAGEMENT

 
STUDENT EXPERIENCES OF ENGAGING IN LEARNING AT SCHOOL

 
WHAT DID WE FIND OUT?

 
NEW INSIGHTS

 
BUILDING A LANGUAGE FOR LEARNER ENGAGEMENT

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: What Makes a Good Learner?

 
DEVELOPING A SHARED LANGUAGE FOR TEACHERS

 
DEVELOPING A SHARED LANGUAGE WITH STUDENTS

 
 
CHAPTER 3: BUILDING BLOCK #2: THE PARTNERSHIP
ENGAGEMENT AS “SECRET TEACHER BUSINESS”

 
ENGAGEMENT AS A “PROBLEM TO FIX”

 
ENGAGEMENT AS A BATTLE

 
ENGAGEMENT AS A PARTNERSHIP

 
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY PARTNERSHIP?

 
THE BENEFITS OF PARTNERSHIP

 
SHARED KNOWLEDGE AND DECISION-MAKING

 
THE RECIPROCAL EFFECTS OF ENGAGEMENT

 
HOW DOES PARTNERSHIP SUPPORT MOTIVATION?

 
BUILDING THE CAPACITY TO DRIVE

 
“GO-TO” PEOPLE

 
ROADBLOCKS TO PARTNERSHIP

 
LOW TEACHER EXPECTATIONS FOR SOME

 
LOW CLASS-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

 
COMPLIANCE MODE

 
CONTROLLING BEHAVIORS

 
COMMITTING TO PARTNERSHIP

 
 
CHAPTER 4: THE LEARNER
EVERYONE IS A LEARNER IN OUR ENGAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP

 
BEING AN EFFECTIVE DRIVER OF LEARNING

 
BEING AT THE DRIVING LEVEL VS. BEING AN EFFECTIVE DRIVER

 
DRIVERS NEED AGENCY AND AUTONOMY

 
DRIVERS CREATE OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR THEMSELVES

 
ACT WITH AGENCY

 
LOOK FOR WAYS TO CHALLENGE THEMSELVES

 
USE EXISTING STRUCTURES TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES

 
CULTIVATE A NETWORK OF ENGAGEMENT PARTNERS

 
DRIVERS ARE SKILLED LEARNERS

 
WHAT SKILLS ARE NEEDED FOR ENGAGEMENT?

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS KNOW HOW AND WHEN TO PARTICIPATE

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS KNOW HOW AND WHEN TO INVEST

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS KNOW HOW AND WHEN TO DRIVE

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS KNOW HOW AND WHEN TO REENGAGE

 
THE DISPOSITIONS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNERS

 
THE DISPOSITIONS OF EFFECTIVE DRIVERS

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS ARE CONFIDENT IN THEIR CAPACITY TO LEARN

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS ARE CURIOUS AND OPEN-MINDED

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS ARE STRATEGIC AND SELF-AWARE

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS ARE COLLABORATIVE AND CONNECTED

 
SUMMARY

 
 
CHAPTER 5: THE TEACHER
HAVING A SHARED VISION FOR SUCCESS

 
SPACE INVADER #1: FOCUSING ON TEACHING AT THE EXPENSE OF LEARNING

 
SPACE INVADER #2: PERFORMANCE

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: Classrooms Reward Performance

 
SPACE INVADER #3: WORK

 
SPACE INVADER #4: COMPLIANCE

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: Robo-Students

 
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS HAVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ENGAGEMENT

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: What Do Teachers Need to Know About Learning?

 
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS FOCUS ON EMPOWERING EFFECTIVE DRIVERS OF LEARNING

 
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS SUPPORT LEARNER AUTONOMY AND EMPOWER AGENCY

 
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS TEACH THEIR LEARNERS HOW TO ENGAGE IN LEARNING

 
TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT LEARNING

 
TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO HELP THEMSELVES LEARN

 
TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO BECOME EXPERTS ON THEMSELVES

 
THE KEY DISPOSITIONS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHERS

 
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL LEARNERS

 
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS ARE PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING

 
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS ARE CURIOUS AND OPEN-MINDED

 
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING

 
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS ARE CONNECTED AND COLLABORATIVE

 
SUMMARY

 
 
CHAPTER 6: PEERS AS ENGAGEMENT PARTNERS
PEERS AS PARTNERS FOR ENGAGEMENT

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: Engagement Contagion

 
ENGAGING WITH PEERS IS MORE THAN WORKING IN GROUPS

 
USING THE CONTINUUM TO THINK ABOUT PEERS AND ENGAGEMENT

 
PARTICIPATING WITH PEERS

 
INVESTING WITH PEERS

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: Thinking With Others

 
DRIVING WITH PEERS

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: Peer Teaching

 
REGULATING LEARNING WITH THE HELP OF PEERS

 
DESIGNING WITH SHARED REGULATION IN MIND

 
EFFECTIVE DRIVERS CAN ENGAGE INDEPENDENTLY AND WITH OTHERS

 
DISENGAGING FROM AND WITH PEERS

 
DISRUPTING AND PEERS

 
AVOIDING AND PEERS

 
WITHDRAWING AND PEERS

 
THE POWER OF PEER LEARNING

 
 
CHAPTER 7: CULTIVATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR PARTNERSHIP
CULTIVATING A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: Teacher Credibility

 
BUILDING CREDIBILITY WITH YOUR STUDENTS

 
CLEAR RULES AND REGULAR ROUTINES

 
BUILDING A SHARED VISION OF SUCCESS

 
FOCUS ON LEARNING

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: Teacher Clarity

 
MAKING ENGAGEMENT VISIBLE

 
MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

 
ENVIRONMENTS THAT SUPPORT AND EMPOWER ENGAGEMENT

 
TEACHER ACTIONS THAT SUPPORT ENGAGEMENT DURING LESSONS

 
SPOTLIGHT ON THE RESEARCH: High-Expectation Teachers

 
RESOURCES THAT CAN BE USED BY LEARNERS

 
USING RUBRICS TO SUPPORT GOAL SETTING

 
RESOURCES THAT CAN BE USED BY PEER PARTNERS

 
MAKING THE CONNECTIONS

 
CHECKING IN ON YOUR ENVIRONMENT

 
DO A “GHOST WALK”

 
LEARNING WALKS

 
COLLABORATING WITH STUDENTS TO GATHER EVIDENCE

 
 
CHAPTER 8: TACKLING DISENGAGEMENT TOGETHER
CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT DISENGAGEMENT

 
BATTLING OVER DISENGAGEMENT

 
PROBLEM STUDENTS

 
RETHINKING DISENGAGEMENT

 
THINKING FAST AND THINKING SLOW

 
THE ROOTS OF DISENGAGEMENT

 
COMMON CAUSES OF DISENGAGEMENT

 
WHAT DO STUDENTS SAY?

 
CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR TACKLING DISENGAGEMENT TOGETHER

 
NORMALIZING DISENGAGEMENT

 
SETTING THE RULES FOR DISENGAGEMENT

 
MANAGING DISENGAGEMENT VS. MASKING DISENGAGEMENT

 
EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO MANAGE ENGAGEMENT CHALLENGES

 
EXTENDING OUR SHARED LANGUAGE FOR ENGAGEMENT

 
CHECKING IN ON ENGAGEMENT REGULARLY

 
CLASS STRATEGIES FOR TACKLING DISENGAGEMENT

 
SUPPORTING PEER PARTNERSHIPS

 
FINAL WORDS

 
 
CHAPTER 9: GROWING THE SEEDS OF ENGAGEMENT TOGETHER
MOVING BEYOND “THE HOOK”

 
INITIAL INTEREST VS. SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT

 
KEEPING THE FOCUS ON LEARNING

 
STAYING CONNECTED THROUGHOUT THE LEARNING PROCESS

 
EMPOWERING DRIVERS FROM THE START

 
GETTING THE RIGHT IDEA ABOUT DRIVING

 
STAYING CONNECTED DURING LEARNING

 
INTENTIONS FOR ENGAGEMENT AND READINESS TO ENGAGE

 
CHECKING IN ON ENGAGEMENT DURING LEARNING

 
BUILDING ENGAGEMENT DURING LEARNING

 
TRACKING ENGAGEMENT DURING LEARNING

 
CELEBRATING PROGRESS

 
NOTICE, NARRATE, NUDGE

 
FEEDBACK

 
BUMPING UP ENGAGEMENT

 
GROWING ENGAGEMENT THROUGH PEER PARTNERSHIPS

 
BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND CAPACITY AS PARTNERS FOR ENGAGEMENT

 
BUILDING CONNECTIONS AND EXPANDING PEER PARTNERSHIP NETWORKS

 
 
CHAPTER 10: DRIVING YOUR LEARNING WITH THE HELP OF YOUR PARTNERS
LOOKING TO YOUR PARTNERS FOR SUPPORT

 
PARTNERING WITH COLLEAGUES

 
PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES

 
PARTNERING WITH STUDENTS

 
TOP TIPS FOR TEACHERS

 
BE ENGAGED AND BE ENGAGING

 
ENGAGE WITH US AND GET TO KNOW US

 
CHALLENGE US AND HELP US GET BETTER

 
GIVE US A SAY

 
HELP US GET ENGAGED

 
GIVE US TIME TO ENGAGE

 
BRAIN BREAKS

 
ASK US WHAT WE NEED

 
 
APPENDIX: QUICK GUIDE TO THE CONTINUUM OF LEARNER ENGAGEMENT
 
REFERENCES
 
INDEX

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ISBN: 9781071893982
£27.99

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