Motivation and Engagement of Boys: Evidence-based Teaching Practices: A Report Submitted to the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (Main Report)

Abstract

This report is the outcome of a research project carried out between December 2004 and June 2005 by the University of Western Sydney. The project was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) as a quality teacher initiative under the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme (AGQTP). The aim of the report was to examine the motivation and engagement of boys, in particular those from Indigenous, low socioeconomic, rural and isolated backgrounds. These boys have historically been over-represented among those students who are under-achieving academically and/or experiencing social difficulties. The objective of this project is to inform teachers’ professional learning, knowledge and practice, and school curriculum development in relation to the education of boys in the early and middle years of schooling. In particular, the project sets out to identify and describe evidence-based teaching practices that have proved effective in improving the motivation, engagement and academic and social outcomes of boys, particularly those boys at risk of disengaging from school-based learning activities