Sometimes they slump in their chairs in the back row or meld into the throng of classmates in the middle, camouflaged by everyone else busily getting on with their day. These students are not necessarily disruptive or rude; they’ve turned up to class and they’re doing enough. They’re just switched off. Meet Australia’s hidden classroom epidemic: disengagement.
Those flying under the radar include intermittent workers — they get on with things when the teacher’s gaze is on them, dropping off when attention switches elsewhere. Then there are the easy riders who work more slowly than others. Their skill is in finding ways to drag out even simple or routine tasks without causing ripples. Ghost students, who go completely unnoticed by teachers, are less common.
A new report by the Grattan Institute, Engaging Students: Creating Classrooms that Improve Learning, details how disengagement is a bigger drain on classroom productivity than headline-grabbing violence or anti-social behaviour.
Disengaged students are classed as quiet and inattentive, or engaging in disruptive behaviours such as being noisy, restless or interrupting others.
Worryingly, one in four students in Australia is estimated to be unproductive, hurting themselves and their classmates.
They perform just as badly academically as aggressive students and can lag up to two years behind their peers. The problem is worse in lower socioeconomic areas.
This is an extract from an article by Stefanie Balogh headed 'Disengaged students challenge teachers without being disruptive' from the Australian Feb 6th 2017
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