In ECEC research, engagement is typically defined as behaviors and interactions with the environment while involvement is described as an internal experience¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Across the reviewed studies, definitions of child engagement emphasize observable behaviors and child–environment interactions, whereas definitions of child involvement describe an internal, motivational experience. → Ritoša 2023

Evidence¶

Ritoša 2023¶

Ritoša, A., Åström, F., Björck, E., Borglund, L., Karlsson, E., McHugh, E., & Nylander, E. (2023). Measuring Children's Engagement in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings: A Scoping Literature Review. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09815-4

q3 · i? · review · r2

The review's content analysis of definitions in the 286 studies found that "an emphasis on behaviors is obvious in definitions of engagement, while involvement is typically described as an internal experience." Most involvement definitions used Laevers' definition, e.g., concentration, persistence, and intense experiencing of meaning.

"When comparing conceptualizations of involvement and engagement, an emphasis on behaviors is obvious in definitions of engagement, while involvement is typically described as an internal experience."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Only about one-third of quantitative ECEC engagement studies provide an explicit definition of child engagement or involvement — related
• Explicit theoretical frameworks of engagement were provided in only 14% of the reviewed ECEC studies — related
• General engagement measures focus on behavioral aspects, whereas academic-engagement measures more often include cognitive and emotional aspects — related