TURKISH PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ INVOLVEMENT IN CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Abstract

Measuring students’ interest and involvement in classroom activities at all stages of education, from pre-school to upper secondary school, provides a better understanding of learning processes that enable the acquisition of abilities specific to a certain field. The purpose of this cross-age study was to investigate primary school students’ involvement level in classroom activities. The sample consisted of 560 students studying in the first, second, third, and fourth grades at primary schools affiliated with a city in Turkey’s inner Aegean area. The data were collected through “The Demographic Information Form” and “Leuven Involvement Scale”. The research revealed that students in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades in primary school had a moderate involvement level. It was found that there was a significant difference between the involvement levels of primary school students and the gender, course type, and professional experience of the teacher, but there was no significant difference between the grade levels of the students. It was recommended to use current methods and strategies to increase the level of involvement of students in classroom activities and to make arrangements to improve involvement in the learning environment. Keywords: behavioral engagement, cross-age study, level of involvement, primary school, primary student