Sam Zurbrugg
Thesis Title: Exploring the Relationship Between Teacher Engagement and Student Engagement in an English as a Foreign Language Context
Engagement in second language acquisition is a developing field of research in Applied Linguistics that has gained popularity recently (e.g., Hiver et al. 2020; Mercer and Dörnyei 2020). However, the available research largely focuses on student engagement rather than teacher engagement. While working as an English as a foreign language teacher, I observed that some teachers appeared fully engaged with their work. In contrast, some teachers appeared to show minimal engagement. However higher levels of engagement did not always appear to correlate with more effective teaching. In my PhD project, I intend to explore how teacher engagement (or lack thereof) can impact student engagement within the classroom.
Utilising data collection methods sensitive to the features of engagement is of paramount importance in my research. Engagement is dynamic, malleable, context-dependent, and situated (Hiver et al. 2021). Observational data that captures the dynamic nature of engagement and aids in establishing links between teacher and student engagement will be used. In addition, the project will use a longitudinal design to allow for the trajectory of engagement to be tracked and help map ‘critical moments’ of engagement.
The results of my research project will expand on the theoretical understanding of teacher engagement, and the link between teacher and student engagement using research methods not previously adopted in engagement research. The findings have the potential to act as the basis for continual professional development for teacher trainers and teachers to help them understand and address levels of engagement in both teachers and students.
Biography
Sam is an ESRC funded 1+3 student in Applied Linguistics at the University of Nottingham. He holds a BA(Hons) in Sociology and an MA in Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching both from the University of Nottingham. Sam has a wide range of experience teaching English as a foreign language in Bahrain and Vietnam.
Applied Linguistics
University of Nottingham
2023 Cohort, 1+3
Supervisory Team
Dr Christine Muir
Professor Svenja Adolphs