Introduction
The middle years of schooling are widely recognised as a period when students are at increased risk of disengaging from learning. Drawing on national and state data, surveys and research published between 2016 and 2025, the review examines how disengagement is experienced by Victorian students across cognitive, social and emotional and behavioural dimensions.
The report synthesises evidence on key factors influencing engagement, including teaching practices, student–teacher relationships, wellbeing, sense of belonging, classroom climate, attendance and school transitions. It highlights how disengagement often emerges gradually and reflects the interaction of multiple system, school and student-level factors.
Together, these findings provide a strong evidence base for understanding why disengagement develops in the middle years and highlight the need for sustained, system-level attention.
Disengagement is experienced by Victorian students across cognitive, social and emotional and behavioural dimensions.
Conceptual framework and theory
The review draws on established frameworks to examine student engagement within the broader performance of the education system. The Productivity Commission’s performance indicator framework for school education is used to situate student engagement within considerations of equity, effectiveness and efficiency across the system.
Student engagement is conceptualised as a multifaceted construct encompassing cognitive, behavioural and affective dimensions, consistent with the work of Fredricks et al. (2004). This approach recognises that engagement is not limited to attendance or compliance but includes students’ emotional connection to school and their willingness to persist, invest effort and see learning as meaningful.
The review also draws on evidence from Quin et al. (2017), which examines students’ perceptions of teacher support through the lens of self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
By combining system-level indicators with student-level experiences, the framework enables the review to examine disengagement as both an educational and relational challenge.
Key findings
The evidence reviewed indicates significant challenges for engagement in the middle years of schooling in Victoria.
Approximately one in three Victorian students in Years 7 to 9 are disengaged from school. This disengagement is evident across cognitive, behavioural and emotional domains and is not confined to a small or marginal group of students.
While many students report positive experiences, the review finds that around 30–40 per cent of students in Years 7 to 9 report insufficient teacher support or weak student–teacher relationships, which are associated with lower engagement and wellbeing.
30–40% of students in Years 7 to 9 report insufficient teacher support or weak student–teacher relationships
The review also highlights emerging challenges related to learning environments and digital resources. As students progress through secondary school, digital distraction increasingly interferes with engagement, particularly in the middle years.
Low perseverance is identified as a nationwide concern. Fewer than 30 per cent of Victorian students in Years 8 and 9 report finishing tasks when they become difficult.
Attendance data further underscores the scale of the issue. Student attendance in Years 7 to 9 in Victoria declined substantially between 2015 and 2024, with the most pronounced drops occurring after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. The review notes that disengagement and absenteeism often reinforce one another over time.
Implications
The evidence reviewed points to an urgent need for coordinated action across key stakeholders.
At least one in three students experience disengagement. Addressing this requires attention to the underlying conditions that shape students’ experiences of learning, relationships and belonging at school.
“Improving engagement in the middle years is central to improving learning, wellbeing and long-term outcomes for young people.”
The review highlights the importance of early identification and targeted intervention, noting that indicators of disengagement are often visible during primary schooling. Responding early can reduce the likelihood that disengagement becomes entrenched during the middle years.
Strategies to prevent and reverse disengagement are critical and must prioritise attendance, relational support and meaningful learning experiences, particularly for students at greatest risk. Re-engagement pathways, improved school climate and sustained teacher support are critical components of effective responses.
The report also identifies a need for further research that examines student engagement holistically across cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural dimensions to inform policy and best practice.