timi_akin11
Sep 7, 2025
Research Papers / Student Decline in the Classroom [3]
Lost in the Classroom
Student disengagement is a major force hindering academic success at all education levels. Stress, mental health challenges, outdated education models, technology, and inequality are contributing to disengagement at school. Engaged students perform better, stay in school, and experience greater opportunity. The purpose of this research paper is to study the history of the problem, its current impact, and potential short-term and long-term solutions.
Student disengagement has long been an issue for educators, though in an earlier context. Schools during the early 1900s mainly focused their curriculum on training students to become clerical and industrial workers. The educational model prioritized training students to obey instructions and remember information over nurturing their innate curiosity and creative abilities. Columbia Teachers College reports that "schools aren't broken, they're outdated" (Columbia). The comment is true: schools are prepared for the needs of an economy and a society that has shifted dramatically in the intervening decades.
Mental health among students has been problematic for many years. Mental health professionals began to report rising stress and anxiety levels among adolescents starting in the 1980s. By the 2000s, the situation had intensified. Pascoe et al. demonstrate that "stress impairs cognitive functioning, lowers motivation, and leads to disengagement in class" (PMC9651103). In other words, students have not developed greater resilience to match the growing demands of academics and school life.
The introduction of technology brought about a new dynamic. The rapid introduction of smartphones and social media platforms in the early 2000s changed students' use of time both inside and outside the classroom. Twenge observed that "teenage depression and suicide are way up, and so is smartphone use" (Twenge). She established a direct connection between the rise of digital devices, mental health challenges, and distraction, all of which have a direct impact on engagement.
A combination of outdated educational systems, along with escalating student stress levels and increased use of technology, forms the foundation of today's engagement crisis. Students today face challenges that prevent them from remaining fully engaged in their education, which negatively impacts their future. Research shows that student engagement during high school classes remains below 30%. Pascoe et al. have found that stress not only affects motivation but also creates a negative loop: students who are stressed are more likely to skip assignments, withdraw from classroom discussions, and emotionally detach from school (PMC9651103).
The COVID-19 pandemic has only made the problem worse. Sundarasen et al. identified a rise in stress and anxiety levels among university students during the lockdown period of the pandemic, which directly impacted their motivation and performance (PMC10325878). Students often find it challenging to pay attention during online classes and feel distant from their classmates and professors, which creates a sense of isolation and lack of support, affecting their engagement.
Technology's influence is two-sided and, in many ways, negative. While it has the potential to increase student learning, it more often does the opposite when used excessively or unsupervised. One study in ScienceDirect revealed that "traditional teaching methods lose effectiveness when competing with technology-rich environments" (ScienceDirect). Social media sites, such as Instagram and TikTok, encourage students to constantly multitask, which can weaken focus and increase stress. This double impact of technology, both on students' attention and their mental health, makes it one of the most powerful forces of disengagement.
Socioeconomic inequality makes the problem worse. Students from lower-income households have access to fewer resources such as high-speed internet, quiet places to study, and family assistance. A 2021 study concluded that "resource allocation strongly predicts student performance and engagement" (PMC8445757). With lower resources, these students fall behind and become more likely to disengage from school than their more advantaged peers.
The effects of falling engagement can be seen in many areas. Students who stop participating and become disengaged experience reduced academic performance and diminished self-confidence along with blocked pathways to higher education and professional careers. Stress and anxiety create physical problems such as sleep problems and headaches which prevent students from making academic and personal progress (Pascoe et al. ).
Systemically, disengagement weakens the entire education system. High dropout rates and low graduation numbers undermine the public perception of schools as institutions for preparation. Columbia Teachers College again points out that outdated schools leave students unprepared for "the demands of the 21st-century economy" (Columbia). The lack of soft skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking is a constant refrain from employers frustrated by hiring challenges and disengaged graduates.
Mental health impact is one of the most concerning areas. Walker, a NEA report, characterized students' anxiety as reaching "epidemic" levels, affecting not just academic progress but also long-term health (Walker). Twenge discovered a direct association between smartphone usage and depressive symptoms, which indicates prolonged emotional harm through technology-driven disconnection. These patterns show that student disengagement is not a transient problem but an issue with serious and long-lasting impacts.
Short-term solutions can at least partially help. The most effective way is to provide students with easy access to counselors and mental health support. Pascoe et al. showed that addressing stress through support "improves both performance and classroom engagement" (PMC9651103). Peer-to-peer support groups, combined with stress management workshops, offer a powerful solution to this issue. One-on-one counseling helps students manage their stressors directly before they become overwhelming.
Teachers can also enact short-term changes to how classes are run. Implementing group activities, project-based learning, and interactive teaching strategies enhances student engagement and personal responsibility. Educators can create stronger student connections by starting classes with check-ins or implementing structured discussions. While these changes are small, they can make a difference.
Technology is also a short-term fix area. Teachers should clarify digital rules while integrating technology skills into their educational programs. Educational awareness grows when students learn to identify when technology aids their learning and when it does not. Though these short-term remedies fall short of completely solving student disengagement, they can lessen its effects while laying the groundwork for long-term systemic improvements.
To solve the problem completely, we must implement long-lasting changes. The most significant of these is reforming the curriculum and instruction models. Columbia Teachers College states that educational institutions must leave behind "outdated industrial-era structures" to develop environments that better meet students' needs. Educational models should prioritize collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, rather than solely emphasizing memorization.
Reducing class sizes is another key step. The study in ScienceDirect has shown that individualized instruction has the potential to reduce disengagement by meeting students' needs (ScienceDirect). Tailoring individual programs that adapt to students' different levels and interests can also have a positive impact.
Teacher preparation is at the heart of meaningful reform. Teachers must receive both initial and ongoing training, not just in subject knowledge, but also in mental health first aid, inclusion, and technology integration. Without these tools, NEA's Walker says schools cannot support struggling students (Walker).
Resource distribution must also be made more equitable. Schools in more challenging circumstances must be provided with additional funding to ensure access to technology, tutoring, and mental health resources. A 2021 study concluded that "allocation of resources to schools directly affects student engagement" (PMC8445757). Without targeted redistribution, the engagement gap will only continue to grow.
Ultimately, a cultural shift is necessary. Sundarasen et al. make a compelling argument for the importance of students feeling comfortable seeking help (PMC10325878). The most effective way to support struggling students is through meaningful connections. When engagement is seen as a collective effort, the necessary reforms are more likely to take root.
Student disengagement is one of the most pressing issues in modern education. It is the product of an outdated school system, stress and anxiety, technology misuse, and inequality. This has a cascade of negative consequences for students, schools, and society. They are individual, academic, and emotional for students and weaken the education system's integrity as a whole. While short-term responses like counseling availability and classroom format alterations, and technology control can ease immediate problems, they still fail to address the comprehensive issue. The path to long-lasting solutions requires fundamental reforms in both curriculum design and instruction methods, as well as school size management, teacher training programs, resource distribution, and improvements to school culture. Modernizing schools for today's educational needs generates learning spaces that spark motivation and connectivity while fully equipping students for their future.
Works Cited
Lost in the Classroom
Student disengagement is a major force hindering academic success at all education levels. Stress, mental health challenges, outdated education models, technology, and inequality are contributing to disengagement at school. Engaged students perform better, stay in school, and experience greater opportunity. The purpose of this research paper is to study the history of the problem, its current impact, and potential short-term and long-term solutions.
Student disengagement has long been an issue for educators, though in an earlier context. Schools during the early 1900s mainly focused their curriculum on training students to become clerical and industrial workers. The educational model prioritized training students to obey instructions and remember information over nurturing their innate curiosity and creative abilities. Columbia Teachers College reports that "schools aren't broken, they're outdated" (Columbia). The comment is true: schools are prepared for the needs of an economy and a society that has shifted dramatically in the intervening decades.
Mental health among students has been problematic for many years. Mental health professionals began to report rising stress and anxiety levels among adolescents starting in the 1980s. By the 2000s, the situation had intensified. Pascoe et al. demonstrate that "stress impairs cognitive functioning, lowers motivation, and leads to disengagement in class" (PMC9651103). In other words, students have not developed greater resilience to match the growing demands of academics and school life.
The introduction of technology brought about a new dynamic. The rapid introduction of smartphones and social media platforms in the early 2000s changed students' use of time both inside and outside the classroom. Twenge observed that "teenage depression and suicide are way up, and so is smartphone use" (Twenge). She established a direct connection between the rise of digital devices, mental health challenges, and distraction, all of which have a direct impact on engagement.
A combination of outdated educational systems, along with escalating student stress levels and increased use of technology, forms the foundation of today's engagement crisis. Students today face challenges that prevent them from remaining fully engaged in their education, which negatively impacts their future. Research shows that student engagement during high school classes remains below 30%. Pascoe et al. have found that stress not only affects motivation but also creates a negative loop: students who are stressed are more likely to skip assignments, withdraw from classroom discussions, and emotionally detach from school (PMC9651103).
The COVID-19 pandemic has only made the problem worse. Sundarasen et al. identified a rise in stress and anxiety levels among university students during the lockdown period of the pandemic, which directly impacted their motivation and performance (PMC10325878). Students often find it challenging to pay attention during online classes and feel distant from their classmates and professors, which creates a sense of isolation and lack of support, affecting their engagement.
Technology's influence is two-sided and, in many ways, negative. While it has the potential to increase student learning, it more often does the opposite when used excessively or unsupervised. One study in ScienceDirect revealed that "traditional teaching methods lose effectiveness when competing with technology-rich environments" (ScienceDirect). Social media sites, such as Instagram and TikTok, encourage students to constantly multitask, which can weaken focus and increase stress. This double impact of technology, both on students' attention and their mental health, makes it one of the most powerful forces of disengagement.
Socioeconomic inequality makes the problem worse. Students from lower-income households have access to fewer resources such as high-speed internet, quiet places to study, and family assistance. A 2021 study concluded that "resource allocation strongly predicts student performance and engagement" (PMC8445757). With lower resources, these students fall behind and become more likely to disengage from school than their more advantaged peers.
The effects of falling engagement can be seen in many areas. Students who stop participating and become disengaged experience reduced academic performance and diminished self-confidence along with blocked pathways to higher education and professional careers. Stress and anxiety create physical problems such as sleep problems and headaches which prevent students from making academic and personal progress (Pascoe et al. ).
Systemically, disengagement weakens the entire education system. High dropout rates and low graduation numbers undermine the public perception of schools as institutions for preparation. Columbia Teachers College again points out that outdated schools leave students unprepared for "the demands of the 21st-century economy" (Columbia). The lack of soft skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking is a constant refrain from employers frustrated by hiring challenges and disengaged graduates.
Mental health impact is one of the most concerning areas. Walker, a NEA report, characterized students' anxiety as reaching "epidemic" levels, affecting not just academic progress but also long-term health (Walker). Twenge discovered a direct association between smartphone usage and depressive symptoms, which indicates prolonged emotional harm through technology-driven disconnection. These patterns show that student disengagement is not a transient problem but an issue with serious and long-lasting impacts.
Short-term solutions can at least partially help. The most effective way is to provide students with easy access to counselors and mental health support. Pascoe et al. showed that addressing stress through support "improves both performance and classroom engagement" (PMC9651103). Peer-to-peer support groups, combined with stress management workshops, offer a powerful solution to this issue. One-on-one counseling helps students manage their stressors directly before they become overwhelming.
Teachers can also enact short-term changes to how classes are run. Implementing group activities, project-based learning, and interactive teaching strategies enhances student engagement and personal responsibility. Educators can create stronger student connections by starting classes with check-ins or implementing structured discussions. While these changes are small, they can make a difference.
Technology is also a short-term fix area. Teachers should clarify digital rules while integrating technology skills into their educational programs. Educational awareness grows when students learn to identify when technology aids their learning and when it does not. Though these short-term remedies fall short of completely solving student disengagement, they can lessen its effects while laying the groundwork for long-term systemic improvements.
To solve the problem completely, we must implement long-lasting changes. The most significant of these is reforming the curriculum and instruction models. Columbia Teachers College states that educational institutions must leave behind "outdated industrial-era structures" to develop environments that better meet students' needs. Educational models should prioritize collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, rather than solely emphasizing memorization.
Reducing class sizes is another key step. The study in ScienceDirect has shown that individualized instruction has the potential to reduce disengagement by meeting students' needs (ScienceDirect). Tailoring individual programs that adapt to students' different levels and interests can also have a positive impact.
Teacher preparation is at the heart of meaningful reform. Teachers must receive both initial and ongoing training, not just in subject knowledge, but also in mental health first aid, inclusion, and technology integration. Without these tools, NEA's Walker says schools cannot support struggling students (Walker).
Resource distribution must also be made more equitable. Schools in more challenging circumstances must be provided with additional funding to ensure access to technology, tutoring, and mental health resources. A 2021 study concluded that "allocation of resources to schools directly affects student engagement" (PMC8445757). Without targeted redistribution, the engagement gap will only continue to grow.
Ultimately, a cultural shift is necessary. Sundarasen et al. make a compelling argument for the importance of students feeling comfortable seeking help (PMC10325878). The most effective way to support struggling students is through meaningful connections. When engagement is seen as a collective effort, the necessary reforms are more likely to take root.
Student disengagement is one of the most pressing issues in modern education. It is the product of an outdated school system, stress and anxiety, technology misuse, and inequality. This has a cascade of negative consequences for students, schools, and society. They are individual, academic, and emotional for students and weaken the education system's integrity as a whole. While short-term responses like counseling availability and classroom format alterations, and technology control can ease immediate problems, they still fail to address the comprehensive issue. The path to long-lasting solutions requires fundamental reforms in both curriculum design and instruction methods, as well as school size management, teacher training programs, resource distribution, and improvements to school culture. Modernizing schools for today's educational needs generates learning spaces that spark motivation and connectivity while fully equipping students for their future.
Works Cited
