ABSTRACT
Jason's and Sandra's narratives illustrate the divide between participatory and intellectual engagement that emerged from the student narratives. Intellectual engagement refers to engaging with the subject content, while participatory engagement refers to engaging with the learning process. Issues that have been raised in connection to the participatory versus intellectual engagement debate are related to the meaning and significance of student engagement, the levelling down of educational standards by prioritising the learning process over the subject content, the significance of having role models from the student's ethnic background and to the rote/deep learning divide which is frequently discussed in relation to cultural differences. A consequence of student and learning process-oriented engagement endeavours is the nurturing of the idea that there is a dichotomy between 'rote learning' and 'deep learning'. The difference in how engagement is understood that emerged from the narratives reflects the shift from subject-based teaching towards an increasing focus on student-centred and learning process-oriented teaching.
