Running Head: STUDENT INTERACTION, ENGAGEMENT, AND MOTIVATION

Student Interaction, Engagement, and Motivation:

Impact On Academic Achievement and Success
Saeeda Shah
Michigan Islamic Academy

Abstract
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This research discusses various ways in which students can gain the most knowledge and benefit

within the classroom environment, as indicated by academic performance. Three of these factors

that can make learning in the classroom easier for students are interaction, engagement, and

motivation. Strategies that teachers can use to enhance student-teacher interaction as well as

student interaction with classmates, friends, and family are discussed. The importance of active

engagement and motivation for student success is also presented, along with ways to improve

each. These evidence-based strategies are crucial for teachers to consider and apply to ensure

that all students get the education they need and deserve.

Student Engagement, Interaction, and Motivation: Impact on Academic Achievement and

Success
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In the Qur’an it states “And say: My Lord increase me in knowledge.” (Surah Taha, Ayah

114). And it has been narrated by Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The

Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "Allah makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path

in search of knowledge." [Muslim]. This Quranic verse and saying of the Prophet (Peace Be

Upon Him) extol the importance of knowledge. Knowledge is inherently crucial in

understanding our world, and education is crucial in helping us to gain knowledge. We as human

beings are constantly growing and learning new things each day, and the vast majority of school-

age children spend almost seven to eight hours each day in school learning. Throughout these

years of a student's education, and across all types of learning environments, researchers have

found a number of factors that can enhance the acquisition of knowledge as indicated by

academic performance. Three of these factors that can make learning in the classroom easier for

students are interacting with teachers and peers, being engaged in what is being taught, and being

motivated in the learning process.

Teacher-student interaction is vital for effective learning and student success, setting “the

trajectory for students’ academic careers” (Ashlie Pankonin and Rebekah Myers, 2017).

Teaching is definitely not easy. It requires the ability on the part of the teacher to multitask and

to pay close attention to each and every student to ensure that no one is falling behind on the

material being taught, which can be made even more challenging if, for example, a student is for

any reason not being cooperative or not liking the subject or the teacher. However, there are

strategies and resources that teachers can use to help make it easier for themselves and their

students. Some of these strategies would be to “encourage students to work autonomously, create

learning relationships with classmates, and feel competent in being able to reach their goals”

(Stephens, 2015). This way students will not as likely feel lost or stressed and it will make things
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easier for everyone. This could be done by assigning students’ class time to work on assignments

on their own and also advocating mini group or partner activities, thus helping students to learn

how to interact with others while also being able to realize that they are competent enough to

finish assignments on their own. Practicing problem-solving is another great way to encourage

success. Handing out a worksheet of problems and working with the whole class while showing

them step by step how to solve the problems will be of great help to the students. This way they

can work alongside the rest of the class to solve the problems and obtain the correct answer.

Working as one big class will help everyone participate and stay focused.

Interaction is crucial for other aspects of life, because interaction is the principle

component in socializing and humans rely heavily on this skill to navigate various situations

faced in life. Interacting with others helps students learn to form relationships with classmates,

family, friends, teachers, and more. Classmates may acquire new ideas from each other as well

as learn a great deal about teamwork and cooperation. Classmates may also learn from each

other, acquire new ideas, and learn from their own mistakes.

In this regard, teachers must start helping students interact with their classmates at a

young age. That way, when these children get older they are already accustomed to stepping out

of their comfort zone and able to socialize with their peers. Robert Slavin, a researcher at John

Hopkins University, published a paper titled Research on Cooperative Learning and

Achievement (2011). This research article discusses the advantages of cooperative learning. In

the article, Slavin states, “Piaget (1926) held that social-arbitrary knowledge—language, values,

rules, morality, and symbol systems—can only be learned in interactions with others” (Slavin

p.394). From this it can be inferred that interaction is very crucial element in learning. For this,

teachers can start by encouraging pair work or group work which can help strengthen comfort in
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peer interaction as well as communication and leadership skills.

Interacting with friends can also help students better their learning experience and

flourish in their academics (Slavin, p.394).When students interact with their friends, in the

context of the classroom, knowledge of what is being taught can be supplemented in various

ways. For example, oftentimes if students do not understand what the assignment is asking them

to do, they will turn to their friends and ask them to help explain it. Verbal communication, the

baseline of acquiring knowledge, can also be improved by interacting with friends (Slavin,

p.394). As children learn new words and their vocabulary expands by interacting, they begin to

comprehend and communicate more and more. This sort of verbal development helps prepare

them for the real world.

Teacher interactions that challenge students are definitely a great way to help them get

started in deeper thinking. However sometimes this could lead to shy or quiet students feeling

uneasy or stressed in class. Remembering to encourage participation in a positive ways is a good

strategy to help students feel comfortable and involved in class. Stephens (2015) states that

teachers should make sure the classroom environment is welcoming to students of all cultures

(Stephens 2015), such that no student will feel alienated. Teachers should constantly remind

students that it is okay to ask questions if they feel lost, and that they should not hesitate because

they will not be judged for asking a question. Furthermore, when students do come forth to ask

or even answer a question, the teacher should provide positive reinforcement for their

participation. (Ashlie Pankonin and Rebekah Myers, 2017). This can be done by the teacher

saying something along the lines of, “Thank you for asking, that was a good question.”, or, when

a student makes an observation or answers a question, responding with “good job” or “thank you

for pointing that out.” This will motivate the students to participate in class more often. Ashlie
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Pankonin and Rebekah Myers reported on research of positive and negative teacher feedback,

stating that, “praise impacts students’ self-regard and self-competence, or their beliefs about their

ability to be successful at tasks, because students believe themselves to be more capable of

success when they receive more praise” (Ashlie Pankonin and Rebekah Myers, 2017). This study

was conducted by Parsons and colleagues and it stresses the importance of positive feedback on

student progress. Not only will positive feedback make students feel more confident in

themselves, but it will also help them develop a positive relationship with teachers. Positive

feedback will have long-term effects on students, encouraging not only better student-teacher

interaction, but also improved learning and academic performance.

Moving on to other types of interactions, relationships between families and schools are

very important. Children’s families need to know what is happening at their children’s school.

They need to be aware of their child’s progress. The more parental involvement there is, the

better they can monitor and help the children learn and acquire knowledge at a faster, more

efficient rate (Topor and Keane, 2010). Parental help may be needed, for example, when a

student has homework. Being involved in helping the child through his/her homework is a great

way for parents to ensure their child’s progress. (Topor and Keane, 2010). Furthermore, it will

also help in determining what areas the child needs additional help in. Having parents become

more involved in the school work can also help take away any stress or anxiety tied to learning in

school. Parents can comfort and encourage their children to learn and grow. Along with this,

parents could turn a fun trip to the museum or a park into an educational experience. Parents can

even contribute to their child’s learning just by playing and conversing with them. All of this

contributes in crucial ways to the child’s understanding of basic concepts that will continually

help them grow even more.

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Although interactions with classmates, friends, and family are very important for students

to learn effectively, interaction of the student with the teacher is possibly the most significant in

the school setting. This is due to teachers being the ones who are constantly working with the

students in the learning environment. They have the knowledge of the material being taught and

they can help clear up any questions and guide the students through their work and assignments.

Teachers are there as a resource for gaining knowledge and to answer questions and provide

assistance when needed. It is their job to make sure each and every student is learning and

benefiting from classroom activities and the curriculum being taught, guiding students through

the concepts they are to learn by the end of their school year. English, Mathematics, Science, and

History, are just a few of the subjects that teachers need to have a basic understanding of in order

to guide the students effectively. Furthermore, Lev Vygotsky (2014), a Russian psychologist,

suggests that student interaction with a teacher having a higher level of knowledge has a great

influence on learning. When people who are more knowledgeable guide students through the

learning process, it is easier for students to acquire a better understanding of those concepts and

information.

All of the above points emphasize the importance of strong positive student-teacher

interaction. As Sukaina Hussain points out in her article about importance of student-teacher

values in Islam, this is a two-way street in the sense that ideally, the student will react and relate

positively to positive interaction on the part of the teacher. “Imam Ja’fer as-Sadiq (peace be upon

him) reminds us, ‘Your teacher has the right over you that you should honor him and pay him

respect in different assemblies. You should be very attentive to his words. You should not raise

your voice above his. You should not converse with others in his presence, and you should allow

people to benefit from his knowledge.’” (Hussain, 2009).

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In addition to teacher-student interaction, student engagement or the extent to which he

student is focused or interested in class/subject, is vital for effective learning and student success.

One crucial aspect to engagement is emotional commitment. If there is any sort of emotional

discord, the students will not be able to focus on what is being taught. (Stephens, 2015) This

applies to teachers as well. Stephens states that enhancing mental and physical stability will help

the teacher stay calm, and suggests that “some sort of meditation method be practiced in order to

help teachers alleviate stress” and maintain more positive student-teacher interaction. (Stephens,

2015). It is also encouraged that teachers find out the students’ preferences. This way, teachers

can relate what is being taught to the students' interests. This will enhance their engagement in

class, as they make more connections of what they are learning to their favorite hobbies, books,

movies and more.

Another very important aspect of engagement is being able to connect cognitively to the

material being taught. In regards to this aspect, Stephens (2015) states in her article, “Create

educational experiences for students that are challenging and enriching and that extend their

academic abilities” (Stephens, 2015). Here, she is emphasizing the importance of providing

challenging problems and questions for students to solve because these stimulating assignments

will get their brains thinking enabling them to better grasp, retain and apply the information. In

this regard, critical thinking and analyzing are two aspects of learning that teachers should

always try to emphasize (Stephens, 2015). This is because these skills help students go beyond

the surface level and allow them to see the bigger picture and understand the deeper meaning of

what they are learning.

Up until now, the emphasis has been placed on the importance of interaction and

engagement in the learning environment. However, performing well academically has to do with
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other factors as well. One of these factors is motivation. Enhancement of motivation is a concept

that teachers constantly work on in the classroom. (Stephens, 2015). Teachers strive to

implement curriculum and activities that will interest and motivate students in pre-school,

Kindergarten, and all the way up until the end of high school and beyond. One of their biggest

goals is to ensure that children are motivated to learn. (Stephens, 2015). Teachers want to make

sure that this learning experience is not only educational, but also entertaining and allows

students to have a good time. (Stephens, 2015). Students should not feel stressed or trapped by

going to school. Going to school should be a motivational journey, one which they enjoy and

remember as a positive experience.

Research has shown that “those students who are motivated by and engaged in learning

tend to perform considerably higher academically and are better behaved than unmotivated and

unengaged peers” (Fredricks, Bulumenfeld, & Paris 2004). These students have acquired skills

that enable them to solve problems efficiently. They are constantly learning by focusing their

undivided attention on assignments and activities. Moreover, they enjoy this learning experience

and display positive behavior.

There are many ways to motivate students and help ensure that learning is not a negative

experience for any of them. Teachers need to make the learning environment entertaining to the

students so that they are able to focus easily and voluntarily. This way they will become eager to

learn and look upon learning as a positive experience rather than a negative one. One way to

make the classroom environment more entertaining is to use something called active learning

strategies in which students actively participate in class. (Cox, 2009). An example of active

learning would be cooperative learning strategies like science experiments that will help make

learning entertaining (Cox, 2009). According to a Janelle Cox, an elementary education expert,
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one of the ways to get students’ attention and ensure that learning is an enjoyable experience is

to use active learning through technology (Cox, 2009). Using technology to play educational

games, develop PowerPoints, conduct research for book reports and do other projects are all

ways to ensure that active learning is involved while at the same time making sure students are

enjoying the time they spend learning on the technological devices (Cox, 2009). Hence, there are

many ways to encourage students to become more motivated, active learners.

Stephens (2015) mentions that although most of the students’ motivation is intrinsic,

some of it does have to do with the teacher’s impact on their learning. She states that teachers

who truly enjoy and care about the subject they teach tend to have students who also display

higher motivation. She further discusses some of the research that has been done on this issue,

stating “According to Flink, Boggiano, and Barrett (1990) those teachers who support a student’s

autonomy tend to facilitate greater motivation, curiosity, and desire to be challenged.” (Stephens,

2015). From this, it can be inferred that teachers definitely have some sort of impact on student

motivation. They can help encourage students to try their best in class. At the end of the day, it is

the teacher's job to try to make sure all students feel encouraged and engaged in what is being

taught.

It is stated in research that students who use inductive learning, in which they are

presented with challenges that help them think outside the box, more often have higher

motivation (Stephens, 2015). These challenges encourage students to use their critical thinking

skills and apply what they have learned to solve more difficult problems. They take interest in

what they are learning and go beyond surface level to really understand the concepts in-depth.

One way teachers can implement this sort of inductive learning is through field trips (Cox,

2009). According to Cox, “field trips allow students to connect what they are learning in class
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with the outside world,” to better understand what they have learned and also more likely to

remember it. Cox gives examples of the types of educational field trips that teachers can take

their students on. She mentions, “If you are doing a unit on the local government, then take a

field trip to your local city hall. If you are teaching students about farm animals, then take them

on a field trip to your local farm.” (Cox, 2009). These are some great ways to get students

outside the classroom environment and promote hands-on, real life learning.

William Ayers (2010), a college professor, highlighted the same principle in his book

titled To Teach, emphasizing “the notion that learning is a process of active discovery, and that

learning depends on concrete experiences and contact with primary sources if it is to be lasting,

meaningful, and most important, if it is to lead to further growth and learning” (p. 3). Relating

what is taught to real-life situations will lead to active and inductive learning. Students will enjoy

these experiences and become even more motivated to learn.

Motivation is also greatly affected by self-esteem, or how people feel about and look at

themselves. (Zomer, 2014). High self-esteem helps people to view themselves positively and

provides them with the confidence they need to be able to truly believe they can accomplish their

goals. Nicole Zomer States that “students with high self-esteem believe they can achieve good

grades and...Expect to succeed and tend to persevere through hardships.” (Zomer, 2014).

Teachers and parents need to try to ensure that students’ self-esteem is at a healthy level, helping

them to have the positive self-image and confidence they need to achieve. Having high self-

esteem will in turn help to keep these students motivated and eager to learn more. (Zomer, 2014)

Finally, looking back at the three aspects affecting student performance that were

discussed in this paper, we can see that they are interconnected. Student interaction, engagement,

and motivation are all very important ways to ensure students’ academic success, and many
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strategies teachers would use to improve one will concurrently improve another. For example,

assigning group work is one of the strategies used to help students’ academic performance

through interacting with peers, while group science experiments and educational field trips are

also strategies recommended for improving student performance through enhanced motivation.

Similarly, ensuring that student confidence and self-regard are bettered through strategies such as

positive-reinforcement and praise improve academic performance through both motivation and

interaction.

In conclusion, the topics of interaction, engagement and motivation, as well as some

strategies to improve them, have been presented in this paper. These are all very important and

need to be taken into account by teachers to help students succeed. As Prophet Muhammad

(Peace Be Upon Him) is reported to have said, "Allah would ask every trustee about his trust, did

he keep it or lose it?” (Narrated by Al-Albani). As educators strive to fulfill the trust given to

them, their responsibility to help students benefit from their classes and do well in school as well

as later on in life, they need to try to ensure that students are interactive, engaged, and motivated.

There are ample resources and tools teachers can utilize to do so. At the end of the day, the main

goal for educators is to ensure that all students get the education they need and deserve. Just as

acquisition of knowledge is crucial, so are these evidence-based strategies crucial for teachers to

consider and apply.

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http://www.teachhub.com/5-ways-make-learning-fun-again

Hussain, S. (2017, February 9). Student-Teacher Values in Islam. Retrieved from

http://www.islamicinsights.com/religion/student-teacher-values-in-islam.html

Mawqie Wadhakar Al’iislami. Al-Albani. (11/20/12). Retrieved from

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Slavin, R. E. (2011). Research on Cooperative Learning and Achievement. Retrieved from

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Stephens, Ph.D., T. L. (2015, June 06). Encouraging Positive Student Engagement and
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