Abstract Based on a person-oriented approach (Conner y Pope, 2013; Schmidt, Rosenberg y Beymer, 2017), this study examines momentary profiles of cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement in high school students through three sessions of science classes (e.g. environmental education, biology, chemistry, and physics). A total of 53 Colombian high school students participated in this study (63 % women, 9th to 11th grade). The experience sampling method (ESM; Csikszentmihalyi y Larson, 1987; Zuzanek, 1999) was used to take repeated measures of cognitive engagement (importance), affective engagement (enjoyment and interest) and behavioral engagement (concentration and effort). Through a cellphone alarm, the students were called to answer the Experience Sampling Form (ESF) once in each class throughout the thematic unit studied. In the ESF students reported their thoughts, emotions and efforts at the moment of the signal. A total of 159 students’ responses were collected. A clustering analysis was performed to identify the profiles. The cluster analysis allowed the identification of five momentary engagement profiles that were classified into three types for each session: moderate, universally low, reluctant, rational, and recreational. In the first session, the students were distributed as follows: Moderate (43 %), Recreational (32 %) and Universally Low (25 %); in the second session, Reluctant (44 %), Moderate (38 %), and Rational (18 %); and in the third session, Moderate (47 %), Rational (32 %) and Universally Low (21 %). That profiles showed permanence and variation. The most frequent and permanent engagement profile was the moderate, while the most variable was the universally low. When reviewing the profiles by session, we found that the groups that make up these profiles were not the same students. This not only marks a variability in the profiles between sessions, but also allows the description of the oscillations and intraindividual trajectories of engagement. This implies that the same student does not necessarily present the same pattern of engagement throughout the three classes sessions and, although some students tend to have stable profiles over time, others show greater variability. It is concluded that momentary profiles of academic engagement pose different questions and challenges for educators, in terms of educational practices that may promote engagement profiles linked to deep learning processes and performance in sciences. Results are discussed in terms of the educational implications in teacher-student interactions. Future research should combine three elements in the study of engagement: to include multidimensionality of engagement (e.g., cognitive, affective and behavioral), to describe momentary profiles, and to establish relationship among these profiles with the characteristics of educational environments (e.g., educational practices and relationships between teachers and students).
Resumen A partir de una aproximación orientada a la persona (Conner y Pope, 2013; Schmidt, Rosenberg y Beymer, 2017), este estudio examina perfiles momentáneos de compromiso cognitivo, afectivo y comportamental en estudiantes de secundaria a lo largo de tres sesiones de clases de ciencias. Participaron 53 estudiantes de secundaria colombianos (63 % mujeres, de 9.º a 11.º grado). El método de muestreo de experiencias (Csikszentmihalyi y Larson, 1987; Zuzanek, 1999) se usó para tomar medidas repetidas del compromiso cognitivo (importancia), afectivo (disfrute e interés) y comportamental (concentración y esfuerzo). Se realizó un análisis de agrupamiento o clustering para la identificación de los perfiles. El análisis de agrupamiento permitió identificar cinco perfiles momentáneos de compromiso que se distribuyen en tres tipos por cada sesión: moderado, universalmente bajo, renuente, racional y recreacional. En la primera sesión los estudiantes se distribuyen de la siguiente manera: moderado (43 %), recreacional (32 %) y universalmente bajo (25 %); en la segunda sesión, renuente (44 %), moderado (38 %), y racional (18 %); y, en la tercera sesión, moderado (47 %), racional (32 %) y universalmente bajo (21 %). Los perfiles mostraron permanencia y variación. El perfil más frecuente y permanente fue el compromiso moderado, mientras que el más variable fue el universalmente bajo. Se concluye que los perfiles momentáneos de compromiso plantean preguntas y retos diferenciados para los educadores, quienes deben desarrollar prácticas educativas que promuevan perfiles de compromiso relacionados con mejores procesos de aprendizaje y desempeño en ciencias. Los resultados se discuten en términos de las implicaciones educativas en las interacciones profesor-estudiante.