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Updated: Oct 15, 2025
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Assessing the Multiple Dimensions of Engagement to Characterize Learning: A Neurophysiological Perspective
Published on: July 1, 2015
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Understanding afterschool engagement: Investigating developmental outcomes for adolescents
Ashlee L Sjogren1, Sharon Zumbrunn2, Michael Broda2
1University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
American Journal of Community Psychology
|October 27, 2021
Summary
Student engagement in afterschool programs, measured using a bifactor model, positively impacts math achievement and youth development. However, no significant link was found with English achievement.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Adolescent Development
- Program Evaluation
Background:
- Student engagement is crucial for academic and developmental outcomes in afterschool settings.
- Existing measures of student engagement lack consistency, leading to mixed findings.
- The impact of engagement on outcomes in out-of-school programs requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the factor structure of the school engagement scale in an urban afterschool program.
- To examine the relationship between student engagement, academic achievement, and positive youth development (PYD).
Main Methods:
- Utilized a sample of 197 middle school students attending an urban afterschool program.
- Applied confirmatory factor analysis to test the bifactor model of engagement.
- Employed structural equation modeling to analyze the associations between engagement and outcomes.
Main Results:
- A bifactor model, comprising global and specific factors (affective, behavioral, cognitive, social), best represented student engagement.
- Student engagement demonstrated positive associations with mathematics achievement.
- Significant positive associations were observed between student engagement and positive youth development (PYD).
- No significant association was found between engagement and English achievement.
Conclusions:
- The study validates a theoretically aligned measurement of student engagement in afterschool contexts.
- Engagement is a significant predictor of positive youth development and mathematics achievement in out-of-school settings.
- Future research should explore engagement's role in other academic areas and program types.
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