Increasing Fourth Grade Students’ Engagement through Multimodal Resources in a Public EFL Classroom

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This action research study presents the incorporation of multimodal resources into the flow of an EFL classroom as a means to increase students’ engagement. Research teacher’s journal and students’ self-reports on behavioral, emotional, agentic, and cognitive components of engagement construct were analyzed. Results show that multimodal resources, especially those related to sounds and rhythm, contributed to increased engagement. Also, emotional disengagement was associated with low levels of behavioral and cognitive disengagement. Finally, a learning environment was characterized as enabling students’ understanding and learning; where a teacher knows how to teach, explain, and listen; and which have fun activities, good class relationships and group work.