Research Impact Summary: School engagement is a prominent concept in the education and youth development literatures. While multiple factors contribute to student engagement at school, research on the role of curricular factors is scarce. Based on a secondary analysis of data from Cycle 3 of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, this study examined the associations of Canadian students’ enjoyment of arts education, language arts, mathematics, physical education, and science with their engagement at school during early and middle adolescence, accounting for relevant demographic, family, peer, school, and community factors. The study’s findings emphasize the importance of physical education and the arts— subjects typically considered less essential academically—in the school curriculum.
Bengoechea, E. G., Lorenzino, L., & Gray, S. (2019). Not academic enough? Enjoyment of physical education and arts education and school engagement in early and middle adolescence. Retos, 35, 301-309. https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/retos/article/view/63700/41411
