Report Explores Link Between Student Engagement and Learning

Over 90% of teachers, principals, and superintendents agree that student engagement is a critical metric for understanding overall achievement, according to a new survey report from Discovery Education. Yet engagement is hard to define, the researchers found, and educators disagree on its top indicators.

For its “Education Insights 2025-2026: Fueling Learning Though Engagement” report, Discovery Education polled 1,398 superintendents, teachers, parents, and students from across the United States about what engagement looks like, how best to measure it, and how to sustain it. Survey data was collected in May 2025 by Hanover Research.

Across educator responses, there was broad agreement on the top two indicators of an engaged student: asking thoughtful questions and contributing to classroom discussion. Beyond those measures, however, responses by educator persona tended to differ. For example, while 54% of superintendents identified performing well on assessments as a top engagement indicator, only 29% of teachers said the same. And while just over half of superintendents and principals considered spending extra time on studies a top indicator of engagement, only 22% of teachers agreed.

School leaders and teachers also disagreed on whether their schools have systems in place for measuring student engagement. While the vast majority of superintendents (99%) and principals (88%) said their district has an intentional approach for measuring student engagement, only 60% of teachers said the same. And about one in three teachers said the absence of a clear, shared definition of student engagement is a key obstacle to effective measurement.

“One of the most important findings of this report is that engagement is seen as essential to learning, but is inconsistently defined, observed, and supported in K-12 classrooms,” commented Brian Shaw, CEO of Discovery Education, in a statement. “I believe this highlights the need for a more standardized approach to measuring student engagement and connecting it to academic achievement. Discovery Education has embarked on an effort to address those challenges, and we look forward to sharing more as our work progresses.”

The survey also asked about respondents’ perception of AI in teaching and learning. Key findings there include:

• 66% of students believe AI could help them learn faster.
• 57% of teachers said they use AI to complete tasks at school.
• 98% of superintendents and 87% of principals agree with the statement “I frequently learn about positive ways students are using AI,” compared to 57% of teachers.
• 94% of superintendents and 83% of principals said they are excited about the potential for AI to support teaching and learning, compared to 53% of teachers.
• 100% of superintendents agree that AI must be implemented carefully to avoid negative consequences.

The full report is available on the Discovery Education site here (registration required). In addition, the company is hosting a webinar on Oct. 8 at 2:00 PM ET, in which a panel of education leaders will break down the report findings and share their own insights. Find additional details and event registration here.