Contrary to the claims of pessimists and soothsayers who would have us believe that the area of research on teaching is essentially barren and unproductive with few consistent findings that are usable in classrooms, this paper seeks to dispel some of this gloom by focusing on an area that not only has a well established research tradition, but which is generating considerable interest at the moment. Recent research has substantiated what classroom practitioners have long believed about the relationship between pupil engagement and achievement. Furthermore, consistent teaching behaviours and classroom variables are beginning to emerge that are associated with pupil engagement on learning tasks. Systematic and detailed analysis of the related variables incorporated under “academic learning time” represent one of the most hopeful leading edges at the moment in research on teaching.
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