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Schooling But Not Learning: Exploring the Social and Psychological Factors Affecting Children’s Engagement in Learning
Abstract
The phenomenon of "schooling but not learning" highlights the gap between attendance and learning outcomes, necessitating a deeper understanding of social and psychological factors to enhance basic education quality. This study examines social and psychological determinants of the “schooling but not learning” phenomenon among elementary students in Ngada Regency, Indonesia, using a mixed-methods design. Participants comprised 200 students, 21 teachers, and 195 parents. The qualitative data (observations and semi-structured interviews) were thematically analysed, and the teacher–parent questionnaires were analysed quantitatively using means and standard deviations. Quantitatively, teachers reported greater difficulty with student attention than parents (M=3.19 vs. 2.91). At the same time, both groups rated family influence on engagement as high (4.57 vs. 4.08) and perceived teacher support as adequate (3.86 vs. 4.00). The anxiety was rated comparatively low overall (2.62 vs. 2.43), and school climate was viewed as inclusive (4.00 vs. 4.02). The importance of parental involvement received the highest endorsement (4.86 vs. 4.62), yet the current learning model was judged least responsive to socio-psychological needs (1.76 vs. 2.49). These patterns indicate that engagement barriers are concentrated in attention and motivation within generally supportive family–school contexts, and that instructional models require redesign to address students’ socio-psychological needs better. Practical implications for adaptive classroom management, family–school collaboration, and targeted counseling resources to strengthen engagement and learning outcomes are outlined.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ebj.v7i2.88741
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