Investigating student engagement in computer-supported inquiry: A process-oriented analysis

The aim of this article is to describe and analyze how computer supported inquiry learning effects two secondary school students' engagement in a literacy learning project. With comparative analysis of various sources of data we aim to understand what engagement is, how and why it changes over time and how changes in engagement are reflected in what learners do in an actual learning context. A set of methods was implemented that aimed at process-oriented analyses in a natural context of learning, that is, observations, interviews, content analysis of computer notes and an experience sampling questionnaire. The results show that even though the students had very different motivational tendencies in a traditional classroom, both of them showed progressive task engagement in this learning project. The data also illustrate how a technology supported environment can influence the way the students construct their goals and structure their activity. We conclude that multidimensional concepts, like engagement, have the potential to link the antecedents and consequences of how students behave, how they feel, and how they think, especially in the context of new pedagogical and technology-based learning environments. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.