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Fort Lewis College Writing Program

2007 Essay Contest Winner

Lack of Work Ethic and Disengagement: Change in Schools

Comp 150 Ayla Moore

Kristi Newbold 4/19/

Fort Lewis College Writing Program

2007 Essay Contest Winner

Picture this; a kid playing video games, surfing the internet, and avoiding his chores and homework at all costs. In most people’s eyes this would be considered lazy. In actuality, it could just be that he is not being encouraged and pushed enough to become a hard working involved individual. The common belief for the cause of a lack of work ethic is placed on the youth themselves. Their character and how they chose to live life largely considered to be the source of their disengagement and lack of work ethic. This blame isn’t necessarily the only cause. We will examine another cause that hasn’t been looked at very frequently. A child’s character shouldn’t be the only thing that is examined to determine the cause for a lack of work ethic and disengagement; the institutions in which they are involved should be examined as well. These institutions are where children spend the most time during their important developmental stages. These institutions have been overlooked as the source or contribution for the youths’ so called laziness and unwillingness to become involved. We will examine two texts who have done extensive research on the topic of educational and extracurricular institution’s affects on the youths work habits and involvement. Factors of Influencing Educational Motivation: a study of attitudes, expectations and behavior of children in Sunderland Kentucky and St. Petersburg by Julian Elliot, Neil Hufton, Anthony Hildreth, and Leonid Illushin examines the academic achievement of the youth trying to determine what pedagogy would encourage the youth to become more active in their communities and to become harder working individuals. The other article we will be examining, Student Engagement in Instructional Activity: Patterns in Elementary, Middle and High School Years by Helen M. Marks, examines the relationship between classroom instruction and student engagement. We will examine the findings of the authors and the new ideas that

Fort Lewis College Writing Program

2007 Essay Contest Winner

their lives” (Newbold 7). Engagement in the classroom should be an expected thing. Hopefully if a child becomes engaged in their education they will become engaged in life. The expectations of students are too high, but what do we expect? The school standards are low but we expect so much to come of today’s youth. That is why we must reexamine expectations for youth in schools. It is necessary that something be changed to push the students to a higher level. Schools must encourage students more and set an appropriate standard that demonstrates success, encourages a good work ethic, and that causes students become involved in their community. Although there have not been many studies focusing on pedagogy as the source of student disengagement and lack of work ethic, Marks’ essay focuses on how teaching styles can influence the way students become involved. Marks’ states that even though teaching styles influence the students, their attitudes do as well, and they can be swayed by teaching styles, “Focusing on student engagement in relation to classroom instruction this study conceptualizes engagement as a physiological process, specifically, the attention, interest, investment, and the effort the students expend in the work of learning” (154). This statement is saying that not only do the child’s efforts effect their engagement, but that the teachers and their styles of teaching have an impact on student’s willingness to be a part of something. This is a step up from solely blaming the students. Marks is saying that pedagogy can change a student’s engagement, especially in secondary schools. If a teacher loves what they are teaching, it will rub off onto the students and cause them to wish to become more active in their education. By having a more supportive school environment that encourages participation, students are more likely to become involved, “Some schools, as a part of their reform efforts, have begun to

Fort Lewis College Writing Program

2007 Essay Contest Winner

provide students with more socially supportive school environments, including multiyear advisory groups and schools-within-schools” (158). Schools are becoming more supportive of students and not just a place to learn. By having the place of learning be more supportive, it is encouraging students to be a part of their education. The faculty is putting in more effort to make the students feel a part of something, so in turn, the students are more active in their schooling and out of school environments. Encouragement to love what they are doing is the first step in helping students love what they do later in life and becoming involved in other organizations. Having a more supportive school environment allows students to be exposed to a positive attitude towards work and becoming engaged. In other countries there has been success in the ability to get students to be involved and hard working individuals. According to Elliot, Hufton, Hildreth, and Illushin, changing teaching styles can greatly improve students’ achievement and engagement levels. The authors state that, “Reynolds and Farrell (1996) have argued that pedagogic factors, in particular, interactive whole-class teaching, may be the key to raising educational performance in the UK” (76). A change in pedagogy will benefit the students’ ability to have a good work ethic. Having an interactive environment that encourages everyone work together, it can inspire a better work ethic and sense of engagement. The focus on the changing of teaching styles is important due to the fact that the blame of the lack of engagement and work ethic is blamed on someone other than the students. The authors also state that schools aren’t challenging students enough, especially in poorer areas, “It has been widely argued that many children, particularly those from economically disadvantaged communities, are insufficiently challenged in

Fort Lewis College Writing Program

2007 Essay Contest Winner

Works Cited Elliot, Julian, Neil Hufton, Anthony Hildreth, and Leonid Illushin. "Factors of Influencing Educational Motivation: a study of attitudes, expectations and behavior of children in Sunderland Kentucky and St. Petersburg." British Educational Research Journal. 25(1999): 75-94. Marks, Helen M.. "Student Engagement in Instructional Activity: Patterns in Elementary, Middle and High School Years." American Educational Research Journal 37(2000): 153-184. Newbold, Kristi. “Lack of Work Ethic and Disengagement: Who’s To Blame?” 2007. 1-