| by Richard Trotta |

One of the most critical factors in the teaching and learning process is the degree of student engagement. Student engagement refers to the level of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students experience during the learning process, which in turn influences the motivation they need to learn and progress in their education.

According to the National Association of Independent Schools, student engagement involves three dimensions:

• Behavioral engagement: focusing on participation in academic, social, and co-curricular activities
• Emotional engagement: focusing on the extent and nature of positive and negative reactions to teachers, classmates, academics, and school
• Cognitive engagement: focusing on students’ level of investment in learning.

Designing learning activities that effectively engage students can have a profound impact on achieving the desired learning outcomes. Utilizing the following methodologies can dramatically improve learning, particularly when used together:

Project-Based Learning:

Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching method that allows students to apply their skills and knowledge to address real-world problems. It combines authentic learning with a student- centered approach to increase student engagement and interest. PBL involves students actively working and learning throughout the project completion process. It not only allows for a more

profound knowledge of content but also improves cognitive functioning and social skills (Stepien, Gallagher, & Workman, 1993), including critical thinking, problem-solving,

collaboration, and communication (Permanasari, Firman, Riandi, & Hamidah, 2017). PBL helps students develop a deeper understanding of social issues by engaging actively with them and connecting to their personal experiences.

Creating and implementing a project that addresses a social problem can provide students with a sense of purpose and meaning that they believe will have a positive impact on society.

• Empowerment: Creating and implementing a project to address a social issue enhances the student’s confidence and their ability to make a difference.
• Increased self-esteem: Successfully addressing a social problem enhances self-esteem and self-worth.
• Increased motivation: Creating a solution can also improve motivation as students work on a project that they are passionate about.
• Decrease in stress: When students work on a project, they experience a sense of agency and control, which in turn decreases their anxiety.
• Social connections: Collaborating with others to solve a social problem can foster social relationships and lead to new opportunities for collaboration and support.

PBL involves students actively working and learning throughout the project’s completion. It not only facilitates a more profound understanding of content but also enhances cognitive

functioning and social skills (Stepien, Gallagher, & Workman, 1993), including critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication (Permanasari, Firman, Riandi, & Hamidah, 2017).

Authentic Learning:

Authentic learning is an instructional approach that enables students to explore, discuss, and construct concepts and relationships in meaningful ways within contexts that involve real-world problems and projects relevant to them.

Group Learning:

Group learning, or cooperative learning, is a teaching method where students work together in groups to create and implement a project. It can occur in various settings, including classrooms, outside of classrooms, virtually, and in the workplace. Group projects can also increase student motivation and engagement in the learning process. Research shows active, social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned educational experiences lead to deeper learning.

Mirror Neuron:

Mirror neurons are specialized brain cells that activate when a person acts and when they observe someone else acting – they mirror the behavior and feelings of others. When someone observes an action, the mirror neurons in their brain activate as if they were performing it

themselves, which helps people develop empathy and compassion by allowing them to understand how others are feeling instinctively. In addition, they enhance:

Imitation Learning – by watching and mimicking others

Understanding Actions – They Help Us Understand the Intentions Behind Others’ Behaviors.

Social Interaction – they facilitate communication and bonding by allowing us to relate to and predict the actions of others.

The effect of engagement and project-based learning on learning indicates that, compared to the traditional teaching model, engagement and project-based teaching have a positive impact on students’ academic achievement, thinking skills, and affective attitudes, consistent with the results of previous studies (Wenlan and Jiao, 2019). Project-based learning is closer to a “complete learning process” than traditional learning (Changming, 2020).

Summary

The combination of employing Engagement, Project-Based Learning, Authentic Learning, Group Learning, Mirror Neurons have a powerful impact on the education of our young people: improving academic performance as well as critical thinking, collaboration, leadership, compassion, empathy, communication, self-management, problem-solving, decision-making, planning; perhaps most importantly, self-esteem and self-confidence and preparing students for success in the modern world.