The focus of this book extends the discourse on student engagement beyond prescriptive

definitions and includes substantive ethical and political issues relating to this concept.

As such, this collection includes voices of educational theorists, practitioners, and

students. It provides a counter discourse to the current dialogue on student engagement

in educational theory and practice which equate it primarily with behavioral and

attitudinal characteristics including student compliance and qualities of teaching or

teachers.

In this collection, engagement is not viewed simply as a matter of techniques, strategies or behaviours. Rather, the

understandings of student engagement presented, while distinct from each other, are imbued with a common vision of

education for democratic transformation or reconstruction as operational for and in democratic communities. Contributors

to this volume examine issues of the purpose of student engagement, and the question of the criteria, standards, and norms

which are used to determine the quality and degree of engagement, and ultimately whether or not all forms of student

engagement are equally worthwhile. This collection is intended for use in teacher

and administrator preparation programs as well as school and district professional

development initiatives.