The Impact of a Cooperative Method Embedded in a Writing Strategy Instructional Program on Student Engagement in School // O impacto de um método cooperativo associado a um programa de ensino de estratégias de escrita no envolvimento dos alunos na escola

Abstract

Cooperative methods are a powerful tool for improving both student engagement in school and writing competence. This study examined the effects of a cooperative method embedded in a writing strategy instructional program on student engagement in school, namely on their cognitive, affective, behavioral, and personal agency dimensions. Using the Students’ Engagement in School: Four‐dimensional Scale (SES‐4DS), 213 ninth grade students (from 14 to 17 years old) were evaluated before and after the intervention. Two conditions were created: an experimental group where a cooperative method associated with a writing strategy instructional program was implemented and a control group where students were instructed with a writing strategy instructional program. Over a six‐month period, the experimental students participated in a cooperative experience embedded in a writing strategy instructional program, whereas the control students were instructed with writing strategy method. Results indicated that, when compared with the control, the experimental students increased their levels of behavioral and affective engagement but not their levels of cognitive engagement, personal agency, and total engagement. Implications of these results, limitations and directions for future research are analyzed, and discussed.