oa Moving from Deficits to Strengths: Using an Appreciative Inquiry Approach to Enhance Student Engagement and Learning

Background: Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a strengths-based approach that focuses on exploring participants’ core values and peak experiences. In AI, interviews are used to extract positive elements that can be applied to the current situation. The literature indicates that using AI approaches in the classroom leads to enhanced student engagement, participation and achievement. This study is an ongoing exploration of the efficacy of the AI approach in enhancing student learning with high intermediate language learners at the College of the North Atlantic-Qatar

Objectives:

1. Move students from the common deficit-based, teacher-dependent, mind-set to a more self-reliant approach focused on using their strengths to learn more effectively.

2. Use a positive discourse to foster improved student attitudes, increased interaction between students and increased student engagement with their learning.

Methods:

A case study where participants use the following AI process:

1. Discovery- a structured interview with a partner to explore their best learning experiences.

2. Dream- share their partner's stories (and their own vision of an ideal class or college) with the group and extracted meaningful patterns or themes.

3.Design— Use the data from part 2, to develop an individual plan to maximize their learning and promulgate a series of agreements governing group behavior.

4. Destiny- Changes from step 3 are implemented.

II. Participants give feedback on the AI approach.

Results: All students showed renewed commitment and enthusiasm for the class. In general, the AI approach resulted in increased quality and quantity of participation, increased attendance and overall a more positive attitude from students. Participants reported that the process made them feel more positive, confident and interested in learning. These results are consistent with the facilitator's observations and the results reported in the literature.

Conclusions: Given the small, non-random sample of participants this study cannot be said to be generalizable to EFL students in Qatar. However, given the positive results experienced by the investigator and the students involved. It would be useful to do a large-scale study comparing the attitudes and results of students taught using a traditional approach with those of a group taught using an AI approach.