Learning sciences research has been focused primarily on studies of design innovations for schools and on knowledge that develops during brief periods of time (e.g., as a result of the implementation of a science or mathematics unit). This chapter advances the argument that research on learning should also focus on how learners initiate and sustain engagement in activities that advance their learning in particular domains. The author argues that learning sciences research needs to expand its focus to include an examination of engagement as an outcome and to consider how engagement develops across different settings, timescales, and networks of support. This argument represents a human sciences perspective on learning research in its attention to how participants in learning situations both interpret and create learning opportunities.