Publication details
Navigating Inequalities and Promoting Resilience: Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes in Disadvantaged School Contexts
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| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | As international research has consistently demonstrated, socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnic or racial minority background are among the strongest predictors of educational achievement (Agasisti et al., 2021). The uneven distribution of students from diverse social backgrounds across schools exacerbates this achievement gap (Owens, 2018). Moreover, disadvantaged students face a heightened risk of poorer educational outcomes following COVID-19–related school closures, which resulted in academic losses—particularly among low-SES students—and contributed to the widening of educational inequalities (Betthäuser et al., 2023). These disparities reflect broader concerns of social justice in education, as unequal access to resources and opportunities continues to disadvantage certain student groups. Educational research stresses that there is a significant positive relationship between learning achievement and student engagement (Martins et al., 2022). Moreover, there is evidence of a positive association between student SES and engagement; disengagement and underachievement are particularly typical for students living in low-income and minority families (Wylie & Hodgen, 2012). Student engagement is usually conceptualised as a multidimensional construct comprising behavioural, emotional, and cognitive dimensions (Fredricks et al., 2004). Behavioural engagement reflects students’ motivation to participate in classroom and extracurricular activities, on-task behaviour, regular attendance, and the absence of disciplinary problems (Martins et al., 2022). Emotional engagement encompasses students’ positive and negative classroom-related emotions, such as interest or anxiety, as well as their sense of belonging and connectedness to school, which are closely linked to relationships with teachers and peers (Fredricks et al., 2004). Cognitive engagement refers to students’ investment in learning through the use of metacognitive and self-regulation strategies, including planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning processes (Fredricks et al., 2004). Although there is agreement that SES and race/ethnic differences among students lead to educational inequalities that persist throughout their lives, there is less agreement on effective solutions. Growing evidence suggests that additional resources for schools can be beneficial (Kyriakides et al., 2019). Comprehensive and whole school programmes have proven particularly promising in improving student learning outcomes, attendance and grade advancement (Kyriakides et al., 2019). However, there is considerable variation among the intervention effects expounded by the programmes. Research on school improvement in disadvantaged contexts highlights the central role of high-quality teaching, and high academic expectations (Muijs et al., 2004). Effective instructional practices, systematic monitoring of student progress, feedback, are consistently identified as key mechanisms of support (Dietrichson et al., 2017). Additionally, personalised support—such as tutoring, mentoring, and individualised academic plans—alongside strong collaboration among school staff, parents, and the wider community, has been shown to contribute significantly to improvement in disadvantaged schools (Cabral-Gouveia et al., 2023). In this multiple case study, we investigate the implementation of a state-funded project aimed at increasing student engagement and achievement within a post-COVID-19 support framework focused on schools with a higher proportion of socially disadvantaged students in the Czech Republic. |
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