This review article argues that teachers are the single most significant factor in student engagement, and that a persistent gap between what teachers know about engagement and what they actually do in the classroom is undermining student outcomes across Australia. Drawing on international and Australian research, the authors work through the three-dimensional framework of student engagement established by Fredricks et al. (2004) — behavioural, emotional, and cognitive — and map out the specific, evidence-based strategies teachers can use to support each dimension.
On behavioural engagement, the paper points to the importance of high expectations, consistent classroom routines, and a shift away from punitive responses toward proactive strategies that prevent disengagement before it takes hold. Nearly one in four Australian students is described as passively disengaged — compliant but checked out — a pattern that is easy to miss and harder to address without deliberate teacher practice.
On emotional engagement, the paper foregrounds teacher-student relationships as foundational. Students who feel known, cared for, and safe are more willing to take academic risks and sustain effort. The authors flag a well-documented dip in sense of belonging at Year 9, noting that Australian 15-year-olds report lower school belonging than peers in most other OECD countries. This dip, they argue, is not inevitable — it can be addressed when teachers prioritise relational warmth alongside instruction.
On cognitive engagement, the paper highlights the role of teacher enthusiasm, instructional design, and the degree to which learning tasks connect to students’ interests and real-world relevance. Activities that give students some ownership and choice, incorporate authentic challenges, and provide specific feedback are consistently linked to deeper cognitive investment.
The paper includes a proposed model laying out teacher actions across all three dimensions, and concludes with a call for further research to establish whether Australian teachers’ current conceptualisations of engagement actually align with the evidence — and whether their stated beliefs translate into what happens in classrooms.