ABSTRACT
The literature on learning and learning processes has exploded during the past 50 years and expanded the knowledge base on behaviours, cognitions and emotions associated with student engagement in learning (Bransford et al., 2006). These findings have coloured how learning contexts are viewed. No longer are students construed as passively absorbing the wisdom and knowledge of teachers; they are now viewed as active participants in the teaching–learning process (Rogoff, 1998). Therefore, to optimize learning, prescriptions for effective teaching focus on enhancing student engagement. As a result, no longer is the teacher a purveyor of knowledge, whose job is to engage students with what knowledge is presented to them. The teacher is now responsible for motivating students by how the material is taught.
