May’s Teaching & Learning Tip
By Scott Seagle
One of the favorite aspects of my job is conducting Teaching Analysis Polls at the midpoint of the semester. A couple of weeks ago, in response to “What are you doing to help your learning in this course?” a student reported simply “bringing myself to class.” I guess it’s easy to read this as passive, just showing up. But research suggests something far more intentional may be at work.
Student engagement scholars describe learning as encompassing three interlocking dimensions: behavioral, cognitive, and emotional. Engaged students are not just absorbing content; they try to make meaning of what they are studying by putting in intellectual effort and working through challenging ideas. Engaged learners care about the subject, feel motivated or excited to learn, and take ownership of their own learning (Barkley & Major, 2020, p. 6). When a student consciously decides to bring themselves to class, their full attention, curiosity, and personal stake, they are doing exactly this. They are making a deliberate psychological investment rather than merely occupying a seat. Student engagement occurs when students make a psychological investment in learning: they try hard to learn what school offers, taking pride not simply in earning the formal indicators of success like grades, but in understanding the material and incorporating it into their lives. That kind of intentional presence, chosen rather than required, may be one of the most powerful things a student can bring to a classroom.
While “bringing oneself to class” is a good first step students can take, we as instructors can help create a learning environment that fosters engaged learning. A positive classroom climate characterized in part by strong, trust-based relationships helps facilitate a sense of belonging among students, which improves learning, development, and wellness, especially for those who are at higher risk for poorer outcomes. Research on student identity in the classroom reinforces this: when students have opportunities to integrate their multiple identity dimensions and feel whole as a result of bringing their full selves to their learning and growing experiences, this inclusion and validation is foundational to cultivating belonging, agency, and purpose. In practical terms, this means that a student’s ability to “bring themselves” is not solely a matter of individual motivation; it’s also a response to whether they feel seen, valued, and safe enough to show up fully. Instructors who build in moments for connection, invite students’ prior knowledge and lived experience into discussions, and signal that the whole person is welcome (not just the note-taking, test-taking self), actively create the conditions in which that kind of engaged presence can take root.
Barkley, E. F., & Major, C. H. (2020). Student engagement techniques: A handbook for college faculty (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Ferlazzo, L. (2025, February 13). Student identity is complex. Here’s how to honor it (opinion). Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-student-identity-is-complex-heres-how-to-honor-it/2024/08