Student Engagement Strategies For Active Learning Edutopia

Small but purposeful classroom shifts can nudge kids from passive learning into active participation, giving them a stake in the game. Many students aren’t very engaged in their learning, according to a recent survey of nearly 300,000 high schoolers—and close to half say they’re merely “doing school,” but not finding it particularly enjoyable or valuable. “These kids turn up. They do their homework. They get good-enough grades. They comply, which in academic terms means they’re behaviorally engaged,” write journalist Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, the Brookings Institution’s global education expert, in the 2025 book The Disengaged Teen.

“But they’re not investing in what they’re learning, nor are they that interested in trying to make sense of it.” To break the passivity habit, students need opportunities to “claim ownership of their learning,” writes eighth-grade language arts teacher James Salsich. In classrooms focused on active learning, work is frequently student-driven and collaborative, requiring teachers to “give some portion of the authority that has traditionally been theirs over to students,” Salsich says. “Students, on the other hand, take increased ownership for the direction and progress of their learning.” Shifting classrooms toward a more student-centered model doesn’t require rewriting the entire script, experts argue. In fact, even minor tweaks in everyday teacher language, for example, can have a significant impact on student buy-in, according to psychologist and motivation researcher Johnmarshall Reeve.

“When students are allowed some opportunity to take their own initiative, they are more engaged in class and better able to master new skills, they have better grades and fewer problems with peers—and they... Imagine walking into a classroom where every student’s eyes light up, hands shoot up eagerly, and the buzz of curiosity fills the air. Sounds like a dream, right? But here’s a surprising fact: student engagement drops from 74% in elementary school to just 33% by high school (Gallup). So how do we keep that spark alive and even reignite it when it flickers? That’s exactly what we’re diving into today.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore 19 proven strategies to boost both student engagement and motivation—backed by science, seasoned educators’ insights, and real classroom success stories. From leveraging technology like Kahoot! and Flipgrid to creating inclusive cultures and mastering the art of timely feedback, you’ll get actionable tips to transform your teaching and energize your students. Ready to turn your classroom into a powerhouse of motivation? Let’s get started! Ready to ignite your classroom?

Keep reading for the full playbook! Welcome to the heart of every thriving classroom: student engagement and motivation! Before we dive deep, here are some quick nuggets from the trenches at Teacher Strategies™ to get you fired up: Want more? Keep scrolling—we’re just getting started! For a deep dive into teaching methods that boost engagement, check out our Teaching Methods and Strategies article.

Sale extended! Get 25% off all test prep! Use coupon code OCT25. Offer expires October 31st. Last day to save! Get 25% off all Praxis test prep!

Use code TEACH25. Last day to save! Get 25% off all Praxis test prep! Use code TEACH25. Get 25% off all official Praxis test prep. Don't miss your chance to grab your discount.

Schedule your Praxis test today. Choose a test center or test at home. Discover the strategies that work best to involve students in their own learning. Active learning is an instructional approach that "involves students in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing," (Bonwell & Eison, 1991, p.2). Active learning engages students in activities beyond reading, listening, or watching to deepen their learning and connection with the material. Students engaged in active learning often are:

Active learning improves student success. Active learning acts as formative assessment and can: With roots in constructivist learning theory, the primary benefit of active learning is that it makes students an active, rather than passive, participant in the the process of assimilating new information (Bransford, et.al., 1999)...

People Also Search

• Student Engagement Strategies for Active Learning | Edutopia
• 19 Student Engagement and Motivation Strategies That Actually Work!
• PDF Preview of Ten Steps to Better Student Engagement | Edutopia
• PDF Active Learning Strategies for Student Engagement
• 7 Student Engagement Strategies for Improved Learning
• Strategies for Student Engagement and Classroom Practice
• Student Engagement - Edutopia
• Nine Strategies for Promoting Student Engagement (Opinion)
• Active Learning Toolkit - Western Washington University
• PDF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES - CMU Center for Charter Schools