Flow Theory and Student Engagement

Abstract

Most teachers across America would agree that the student who is engaged in school is more likely to be academically successful and successful as an adult later in life. In fact, research regarding student engagement has shown that increases in student engagement are correlated to increases in positive student learning outcomes (Appelton, Christenson, Kim, & Reschly, 2006; Nystrand & Gamoran, 1989) such as higher GPA, more credits earned in high school, higher attendance rates, and higher classroom participation (Appelton et al., 2006). While the relationship between student engagement and positive learning outcomes is not new to educators, understanding how to keep students engaged in the classroom is still an on-going concern. Regardless of the debate, educators generally agree that they must create learning environments that are challenging for all students, and in which students want to learn and feel good about learning. Flow Theory, though largely undiscovered by educators, was developed by Csikszentmihalyi (1990) as a theoretical perspective of student learning that integrated cognition, motivation, and emotion. While not a theory of student engagement, application of flow theory in classrooms will help teachers create learning environments in which there is an increase in student engagement.

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