ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 provides an overview of learning engagement and learning resistance. It addresses the different ways that engagement is portrayed in the literature and its connection with motivation. Engagement is viewed as distinct from motivation, although it is related. Learning resistance is defined as a failure to engage and is therefore positioned at the opposite pole from engagement. Learning resistance is not a situation in which the learner argues with the instructor, but one in which the learner refuses to engage at all. Different types of learning resistance might manifest themselves in the same classroom behavior, so it is vital for the instructor to understand the perspectives of the learner. This chapter provides extensive detail on the different types of learner resistance, the potential causes of learning resistance, and the many mitigation strategies that are present in the extant literature.
