Group of students talking

Assessing the factors that impede student engagement within the Criminology discipline: a pedagogically oriented action research to improve

This article was written by Tarela Juliet Ike (Lecturer in Criminology and Policing, Teesside University)
This article was published on

Tarela Juliet Ike discusses the method and findings from her BISA-funded teaching project on student engagement. The project was funded by a Learning and Teaching Small Research Grant and culminated in a video, report, journal article and blog.

Project synopsis

Student engagement is a significant issue given the crucial role it plays in students’ retention and the ability to actively participate in the learning process. While extensive research has been carried out on student engagement, most of these studies specifically place emphasis on aspect such as ‘individual student learning’ and ‘student as partners in learning (SPL)’. However, there seems to be paucity of research concerning student engagement from the perspective of pedagogically oriented action research undertaken by teachers, aimed at enhancing teaching and learning practices especially within the context of Explaining Punishment and Social Research Methods (SRM), both aspects of International Studies.

This project explored the use of an Interactive Action-Oriented Learning (IAOL) and Teaching intervention in both modules. It was found that its inclusion helped improved engagement. Hence, suggesting a model that provides practical outcomes that inform best practices in teaching and learning.

Brief report

The project undertaken involved first conducting a systematic review on the topic. The review identified the gap in the literature relating to the paucity of research concerning student engagement from the perspective of pedagogically oriented action research undertaken by teachers, aimed at enhancing teaching and learning practices. This is especially within the context of Explaining Punishment and Social Research Methods (SRM) both aspect of criminology and a broader aspect of the International Studies discipline. The review also highlights paucity of research in the use of Action research within the context of the identified subject areas (including criminology).

The systematic review informed the adoption of the Interactive Action Oriented Learning (IAOL) and Teaching intervention in conjunction with the Jean McNiff Action research model in exploring their effectiveness in improving student engagement. More details of the process are contained in the published peer-reviewed journal article, report (which you can download below), two-minute animated video and blog article.

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash