Zugl.: Kassel, Universität, Diss., 2007. / Download lizenzpflichtig.

Tübingen, Univ., Diss., 2006.

Graz, Univ., Dipl.-Arb., 2009.

Bachelor-Arbeit Univ. St. Gallen, 2009.

Bachelor-Arbeit Univ. St. Gallen, 2009.

Master-Arbeit Univ. St. Gallen, 2008.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 172-180).

This mixed methods research uses econometric analysis and thematic analysis to identify the practices of teachers, in a selected sample of disadvantaged schools in Mexico with high value-added scores and engaging lessons. In the first chapter, a review of the literature is conducted to explore the definition of student engagement, determine the factors that facilitate it, and examine its relevance for achievement. As a result of the review, student engagement was defined in the research as a metaconstruct with cognitive, behavioural and emotional components. The review revealed that student engagement is influenced by home and personal factors, school factors, and classroom factors. Among the latter, the literature provides evidence that teachers’ practices play a major role in promoting student engagement, and teachers act as mediators between student engagement and achievement. The second chapter examines the design and methodology of the research. The final four chapters investigate whether the schools in the sample fit the theoretical proposition of the research, that there are marginal primary schools in Mexico, where students outperform their peers on the national standardized test, due to the teachers’ ability to engage students; and investigate what those practices in the selected schools are. Results from a random effects model, which used data from 315 6th-grade students in 18 schools, revealed a positive and significant correlation between student engagement and teacher practices, clarity, academic press, academic personalism, trust, and rigour; and the variables parental support and teacher qualification. Results from a multiple case study conducted in two of the 18 schools, and where students reported relative high levels of student engagement, corroborated the importance of the practices, academic personalism, trust, academic press, and parental involvement. In addition, school leadership, discipline, and the students’ exposure to fun and creative lessons delivered by an enthusiastic teacher, were also found to be promoters of student engagement. The difficult socioeconomic background of the students and lack of incentives for the teachers, were found to be challenges to student engagement.

This study seeks to explore, in one particular UK Higher Educational Institution (HEI), the relationships between engagement, motivation, resilience and the quality of the relationship between managers and those being managed. A literature review provides salient themes relating to the four concepts of: employee engagement, motivation, emotional resilience, and leadership. The changing landscape of the University sector in the UK is also considered for contextual purposes. A mixed methods approach was used to explore relationships between these four concepts. Methods included: observation, focus groups, questionnaires and interviews. Findings from this study indicate that motivation, resilience, engagement and leadership all interrelate; but that leadership interrelated with the other concepts to a lesser extent. Prerequisites of engagement were found to be motivation and resilience, both of which were inter-reliant and as such were difficult to separate. Prerequisites of motivation and resilience were found to be individuals’ personality characteristics, mind-set and thinking style. Higher quality relationships with managers were consistently associated with higher effort, whereas lower quality relationships ranged from making no difference to the exertion of effort, to being a minor irritation in the background, to adversely affecting effort and resilience. Specific leadership attributes and behaviours were found to be more influential in terms of creating affinity between the line manager and follower which were more likely to positively influence engagement, motivation and resilience. Conclusions indicate that the majority of effort is influenced by an individual’s personality characteristics, mind-set and thinking style. The minority of effort therefore was influenced by external factors such as job enjoyment, as a loci of engagement, and autonomy, as a determinant of engagement. The role of a leader is therefore critical in terms of creating and maintaining an engaging work environment. Certain leadership attributes such as gaining trust, being genuinely caring and compassionate and having a positive outlook were positively associated with the followers having a stronger emotional attachment to the organisation manifesting in increased engagement, motivation and resilience. Practical recommendations for senior leaders in organisations, people managers and HR practitioners include: creating operational clarity and clarity of vision; creating and maintaining a culture of care and support; developing leadership attributes and competencies which are key to achieving an engaged workforce; and implementing practices to facilitate job satisfaction, personal and professional growth and a climate of team collegiality which were found to be the three most important work related factors which positively influenced engagement. This research contributes by bringing a new dimension to employee engagement, motivation, resilience and leadership, adding to the existing literature relating to these four concepts. Three different perspectives are presented and one conceptual approach, relating to these four concepts. Each perspective and approach contains elements which can be applied by HR professionals and organisational leaders to create a culture of employee engagement. This study provides a questionnaire that may be used by other organisations to determine engagement strategies and policies.

abstract: Over the past several years, engagement and embeddedness have become popular research topics for academics and practitioners alike. Research has demonstrated associations between these constructs and a variety of predictors and outcomes. Prior research has not, however, placed enough emphasis on the roles of employee type, industry type, and work setting in determining predictors and outcomes. Additionally, the relative roles of engagement and embeddedness in predicting outcomes have not been thoroughly investigated. This study investigated the predictors and outcomes of engagement and embeddedness among unskilled, production line employees working in food processing in the agricultural industry by conducting a survey of employees and their supervisors. Employees answered questions about personality, motivation, satisfaction, engagement, and embeddedness while supervisors answered questions about each employee's performance. Results suggest that both engagement and embeddedness predict employee satisfaction and that engagement does so more strongly, both of which support prior research. However, results contradict prior research by suggesting that embeddedness is strongly predicted by traits internal to the employee while engagement is not, and neither engagement nor embeddedness significantly predicts employee performance. Further, the findings suggest that employees working in different settings and industries may experience work differently, and the measurements used to understand their experiences should reflect these differences. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Psychology 2012