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Title: Creative Research Proposal


1
Creative Research Proposal
  • Melanie Sargent
  • Jennifer Yates

2
Research Problem/Topic
  • A controversy facing many school systems in West
    Tennessee revolves around the impact of block
    scheduling versus traditional scheduling on
    student achievement on the American College Test
    (ACT).
  • There are varying opinions as to whether this
    impact has been positive or negative.
  • The goal of this study is to bring a valid
    conclusion to this controversy.

3
Rationale for Study
  • Many schools in West Tennessee are debating the
    effectiveness of block scheduling
  • Teachers throughout the state of Tennessee have
    varied opinions about block scheduling
  • As educators, we are concerned about the long
    term effects of block scheduling for students.
  • Schools throughout West Tennessee are beginning
    to modify the original 4X4 block schedule.

4
Reasons for moving to block scheduling
  • According to Lewis, (1999) schools shifted to
    block scheduling due to a desire to raise
    national test scores and decrease student drop
    out rates.
  • In 1995 Canady and Rettig found the perfect
    school schedule in the block format.
  • Irmsher (1996) built on the research of Canady
    and Rettig and cited that many of the problems
    inherent to the traditional schedule, hurried
    instruction, increased discipline problems
    because of scheduled transitions, and limited
    learning opportunities were minimized in block
    scheduling.

5
Advantages of Block Scheduling
  • In 1995, Canady and Rettig stated that Assistant
    Principals nationwide noted that most discipline
    problems occurred during scheduled transitions.
    With block scheduling there were fewer scheduled
    transitions which decreased the likelihood of
    disruption.
  • Shorrt found in 1999 by looking at schools in the
    state of Virginia that with there was a
    correlation between decreased discipline problems
    and increased student achievement.

6
Advantages of Block Scheduling
  • Canady and Reina (1993) found that parallel block
    scheduling created smaller class sizes, which
    allowed for greater interaction among teachers
    and students. This was especially beneficial to
    lab type classes.
  • Teachers also had extended instructional time.
    According to Doughtery (1998), the increase in
    class time allowed teachers to include and extend
    more explorative projects.

7
Advantages of Block Scheduling
  • In 1999 Deuel studied twenty-three urban high
    schools and found that students working under a
    block schedule had fewer Ds and Fs and more As
    than when the same students were on a traditional
    schedule.
  • Teachers and guidance counselors surveyed
    believed this was because students could better
    manage the course load of a block schedule than
    that of a traditional schedule.

8
Advantages of Block Scheduling
  • According to a survey conducted by Liu and Dye in
    1998 teachers and students alike approved of the
    extended time.
  • 83 of teachers surveyed felt the increased
    planning time allowed them to incorporate more
    opportunities for interdisciplinary learning.
  • 54 of students surveyed felt they received more
    individualized help and 53 claimed to be more
    actively involved in the learning process.

9
Advantages of Block Scheduling
  • In 2000, Lawrence and McPherson found a
    correlation between block scheduling and higher
    final classroom grades.
  • In a 2002 study of a small school in the western
    United States, Lare, Jablonski, and Salvaterra
    found similar results.
  • ACT scores did not change, but the number of
    students that were included in the school honor
    roll dramatically increased.

10
Disadvantages of Block Scheduling
  • Though there are numerous benefits to block
    scheduling, some disadvantages do exist.
  • Teaching techniques, student retention of
    material covered, difficulty in making up work
    missed due to absences, and problems dealing with
    students transferring from schools on traditional
    schedules were all cited as disadvantages of
    block scheduling.
  • There is also some debate about the data
    concerning the effect of block scheduling on
    student achievement.

11
Disadvantages of Block Scheduling
  • One of the primary issues that must be examined
    is the teaching techniques used by teachers on a
    block schedule.
  • Traverso (1991) stated that adequate staff
    development when converting to a block schedule
    is key to the success of the program.
  • Watson (1998) points out that teachers must
    change teaching practices if they expect students
    to find success.
  • Irmsher (1996) suggests that any system
    contemplating the move from a traditional to a
    block schedule should first visit other schools
    on a block schedule prior to implementation.

12
Disadvantages of Block Scheduling
  • Doughtery (1998) found students on block
    schedules had difficulty retaining the material
    covered during a 90-minute class period.
  • This problem with retention could offer some
    explanation as to why some students have had
    decreased scores on national standardized tests
    such as the ACT.

13
Disadvantages of Block Scheduling
  • In a 2000 study conducted by Wilson and Stokes,
    researchers found that students on block
    schedules had difficulty making up work when
    returning from absences.
  • Even though students only had four classes to
    catch up in, the amount of material covered
    during their absence made the experience more
    stressful and time consuming.

14
Disadvantages of Block Scheduling
  • In 1991, Traverso found that students
    transferring to and from schools operating on
    block schedules and traditional schedules had
    difficulty adjusting to the new schedule.
  • Students going from a traditional to a block
    schedule are often placed in classes that are
    much further along than the classes they left.
  • This forces the student to accelerate his or her
    learning to keep up with the new class.
  • Likewise, students moving from a block schedule
    to a traditional often have to wait for the rest
    of the class to catch up to them before covering
    new material.

15
Disadvantages of Block Scheduling
  • Wronkovich (1998) tackled the conflicting
    findings of a number of studies that look at the
    impact of block scheduling on student
    achievement.
  • Though teachers and students felt better about
    the block format, and attendance has improved,
    empirical data shows that students who had been
    educated on the block format scored lower on
    Advanced Placement tests than those students who
    had been educated on a more traditional schedule.

16
Analysis of Research
  • Whether or not block scheduling is just another
    trend in education or a valuable instrument for
    improving public education in America is yet to
    be seen.
  • Though there is much research available on the
    positive attitudes of students, teachers, and
    administrators who use a block schedule, there is
    conflicting evidence as to the blocks positive
    impact on student achievement on a national
    level.
  • This study will examine in particular the effect
    of block scheduling on students national ACT
    scores as opposed to the effect of traditional
    scheduling on these scores.

17
Research Subjects
  • The research subjects for this study will include
    high school students enrolled in two rural
    schools in West Tennessee (Schools A and B).
  • The socioeconomic backgrounds of students in both
    schools will be primarily low to middle income
    levels.
  • The gender distribution in both schools will be
    approximately 50 male and 50 female.

18
Research Subjects
  • Research subjects will be students in grades
    9-12, and the focus will be on core classes.
  • Research subjects will include members of the
    following classes from Schools A and B
    1993-1994, 1994-1995, 1995-1996, 1998-1999,
    1999-2000, and 2000-2001.
  • The race distribution will be approximately 90
    Caucasian and 10 African-American in School A
    and 55 African-American and 45 Caucasian in
    School B.

19
Procedures
  • During the first semester of the 2001-2002 school
    year, researchers will collect data that will
    allow for comparisons of student preparedness for
    college from the ACT.
  • The focus will be on traditional seven period
    scheduling versus the 4X4 block schedule model.
  • The ACT scores from the years 1993-1994,
    1994-1995, 1995-1996, 1998-1999, 1999-2000, and
    2000-2001 will be used to determine levels of
    student achievement.
  • Surveys from faculty members, students, and
    principals of Schools A and B will provide
    qualitative information for the researchers to
    analyze and determine perceptions from these
    groups concerning test data.

20
Traditional Scheduling
  • In the traditional scheduling method, research
    subjects attend six or seven classes each day
    that last for 40-50 minutes.
  • Research subjects remain in the same classes
    throughout the school year.
  • Seven credits are available in a school year to
    research subjects attending schools with the
    traditional school schedule.

21
Block Scheduling
  • With the 4X4 block scheduling, research subjects
    attend four classes per day that each last for a
    period of 90 minutes.
  • At the school years midpoint, research subjects
    begin to attend four new classes for the
    remainder of the school year.
  • A possible eight credits are available to
    research subjects following the 4X4 block
    schedule.

22
School Schedules
  • School A will be operating under a traditional
    4X4 block schedule.
  • School B will be operating under a modified block
    schedule that will include two 90-minute blocks
    and four 45-minute blocks each semester.
  • Research subjects in School B will begin two new
    90-minutes courses at the midpoint of the year
    and remain in the 45-minute classes throughout
    the year. School B will offer the opportunity to
    earn eight credits in a school year.

23
ACT Scores
  • All research subjects in both School A and B are
    required to take either the ACT or the Work Keys
    Test prior to graduation.
  • Researchers, with permission from the school
    administrators, will collect the ACT scores from
    six school years.
  • Work Keys scores will not be studied as there is
    no uniform method of scoring the Work Keys as
    there is with the ACT, and 85 of students are
    taking the ACT.
  • This method of research will be done in
    collaboration with the guidance counselors from
    both Schools A and B.

24
ACT Scores
  • The classes will be chosen by determining the
    year that Schools A and B changed from
    traditional to block scheduling.
  • The three years prior to block scheduling
    (1993-1996) will be used to determine student
    achievement using the traditional scheduling
    method.
  • The data collected from the three years prior to
    this study (1998-2001) will be used to determine
    student achievement under the block-scheduling
    format.

25
Surveys
  • Surveys will be given to students, faculty, and
    principals to provide a qualitative means for
    evaluating the data obtained from the ACT.
  • All surveys will be confidential and anonymous.
  • All research subjects in the researchers classes
    will be surveyed concerning their thoughts on the
    level of learning that they are experiencing
    under block scheduling.
  • School A will have approximately seventy-five
    research subjects, while School B will have
    approximately ninety.

26
Surveys
  • Faculty members of Schools A and B with at least
    ten years experience will be surveyed about
    changes in student learning and teaching
    strategies since the implementation of block
    scheduling.
  • The principal from each school will be surveyed
    as to his/her thoughts and opinions about
    learning under block scheduling versus the
    traditional schedule, as well as student behavior
    and the teaching styles of the faculty members

27
Instruments Used
  • A number of different instruments will be used
    during the course of the study in an attempt to
    answer the aforementioned research questions.
  • Normal Curve Equivalency scores for the ACT for
    the school years 1993-1994, 1994-1995,
    1995-1996,1998-1999,1999-2000, and 2000-2001 will
    be obtained from the guidance counselor of each
    school.
  • Principals in both Schools A and B will take an
    Administrator Survey in regard to changes in
    student achievement and behavior and changes in
    faculty instructional strategies since moving to
    the block schedule.

28
Instruments Used
  • Faculty members in both Schools A and B that have
    at least 10 years teaching experience will be
    asked to take a Faculty Survey as to their
    opinions about the changes in students
    achievement and instructional strategies since
    changing to the block schedule format.
  • Students taking courses from the researchers will
    participate in a Student Survey. There will be
    two separate student surveys since School B will
    be operating under a modified block schedule.
  • Students will be asked to determine whether they
    are learning more or less under the block
    schedule format and how teaching strategies are
    different than when on a traditional schedule.

29
Instruments Used
  • Researcher journaling will be used to record or
    log comments made by students throughout the
    study regarding feelings toward block scheduling.
  • Student writing in preparation for the TCAP
    Writing Assessment will also be used to gauge
    student opinions on block scheduling.

30
Treatment of Data
  • Data from the various instruments will be
    analyzed to determine the results of the study.
  • Independent T-tests will be used to determine
    whether there is a statistical difference in the
    mean scores between the three years prior to
    block scheduling and the three most current years
    utilizing block scheduling.

31
Treatment of Data
  • Faculty and Administrator Surveys will be
    administered at the beginning of the 2001-2002
    school year.
  • Student Surveys will be administered after the
    first nine- week grading period has been
    completed.
  • Data from the surveys will be analyzed for
    patterns or trends of similar thinking.
  • Researcher journaling and student writing from
    the TCAP Writing Assessment Prompts will provide
    a qualitative means for evaluating quantitative
    data provided by the ACT.

32
Delimitations of the Study
  • Research subjects at School A who took the ACT
    during the 1998-1999, 1999-2000, 2000-2001 school
    years had the opportunity to take ACT Prep, an
    elective course taken in preparation for the ACT,
    prior to the ACT.
  • Students in School B, during the 2000-2001 school
    year, had the opportunity to take remediation
    and/or enrichment courses.
  • A small percentage of students chose one of these
    options, and researchers opted to allow those
    scores to remain part of the raw data due to the
    fact that students in the 1993-1994, 1994-1995,
    and 1995-1996 school years could have taken an
    independent course to prepare for the ACT.

33
Delimitations of the Study
  • In 2001, the state of Tennessee made it mandatory
    that all students graduating from high school
    pass an exit exam.
  • The ACT is one of the two possible exit exams
    that seniors may take. This could cause ACT
    scores to drop since a higher percentage of
    students who may or may not be college bound will
    be taking the test.
  • However, since the last year studied is the first
    year of implementation we opted to include the
    data in our study.

34
Use of Results
  • The results of the study will be used to assist
    administrators in both Schools A and B to plan
    future school schedules.
  • Researchers will provide a written overview to
    both the Director of Schools and the Principals
    of Schools A and B.
  • Researchers will use planning time to make verbal
    follow-ups with the Director of Schools and
    Principal from his or her respective school.
  • Researchers will present findings at a faculty
    meeting at the request of the Principal.

35
Results - - Student Surveys
  • After surveys from both schools were compared,
    the following attitudes about block scheduling
    were evident.
  • Seventy-four percent of students at School A
    favored block scheduling over the traditional
    seven period day.
  • All of those students expressed a belief that
    their teachers used different teaching styles
    under the block, which helped make learning more
    complete to them.
  • One student pointed out that he felt better able
    to get a picture of the world as a whole, rather
    than as a piece, when studying subjects on a
    block schedule.

36
Results - - Student Surveys
  • Twenty-one percent of those students surveyed at
    School A did not favor the block schedule over a
    traditional seven period day.
  • Reasons for this varied. Some students opposed
    the block because they felt left behind by the
    new teaching techniques used in the block
    classes.
  • Others felt overwhelmed by the volume of material
    covered in class each day.
  • Several students also pointed out that some
    teachers merely drug out the original material to
    fill up the extended class time.
  • Five percent of School A students showed no
    preference in the two schedules. These students
    felt there was little or no difference in the
    instruction they received in either the block or
    a traditional schedule.

37
Results - - Student Surveys
  • School B showed a Seventy-nine percent student
    approval of block scheduling.
  • Many students surveyed expressed a positive view
    of the increased class time, claiming it helped
    them complete labs and allowed their teachers to
    provide more depth and clarity to their lessons
    in the students academic courses.
  • School B students also stated that their teachers
    in the block classes (first and third) used
    different teaching strategies than teachers in
    their split-block classes.

38
Results - - Student Surveys
  • Surveys at School B also showed that twenty-one
    percent of the student population did not favor
    the block. These students preferred their split
    block, or forty-five minute, classes.
  • Many of these students believed that they
    retained more information in their yearlong
    courses than they did in their block classes.
  • Some found they tuned out their teachers after
    the first thirty minutes of class, so ninety
    minutes was too long for them to pay attention.
  • A few students also believed the shorter class
    periods helped keep their teachers focused on the
    most important aspects of the lesson, which
    helped the students achieve better grades.

39
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40
Results - - Faculty Surveys
  • The general consensus among faculty members at
    both schools is that the benefits of block
    scheduling outweigh any drawbacks.
  • Though one faculty member stated that teachers
    are required to be more selective in the material
    they cover due to the time constraints of
    teaching in a semester, and that important
    material may have to be left out completely, most
    teachers feel that the extended class time allows
    for more detailed and in-depth teaching in the
    content area.
  • Faculty members who teach labs or hands-on
    activities actually prefer the block schedule
    because it is more conducive to their subject
    area.

41
Results - - Faculty Surveys
  • Most faculty surveyed agreed that students are
    required to be more responsible for their own
    learning, and that can be a problem.
  • Several teachers believed the amount of work
    covered in a single class could make being absent
    detrimental to student progress.
  • A computer science faculty member at School A
    said that students in her classes were often
    required to work on four to eight different
    documents in a single class period, making it
    very easy for a student to get left behind.

42
Results - - Faculty Surveys
  • The flip side is that many faculty members feel
    the block allows them to offer students more
    individualized help when they are having trouble
    with their course work.
  • According to the surveys, most teachers have
    adapted their teaching styles to more readily fit
    the block format, but learners have not been as
    quick to make the change.
  • Most of those teachers surveyed cited student
    apathy as a major problem that needed to be
    addressed.

43
Results - - Faculty Surveys
  • Only one teacher at either school was adamantly
    opposed to teaching under the block schedule.
  • The vocal teacher at School B explained that the
    ninety-minute class period had been almost deadly
    to his vocal program.
  • He stated that singers cannot perform
    continuously for ninety minutes, and that there
    are little if no additional materials for vocal
    teachers to use in class.
  • Also, students planning to pursue vocal careers
    are at a loss when forced to take choir for only
    one semester. Auditions for college choirs are
    held in the spring, while honors choirs are held
    in the fall. Students who take chorus or vocal
    music during one semester have to be absent from
    other classes during the other or risk losing out
    on music scholarship opportunities.

44
Results - - Faculty Surveys
  • Still, as a whole, most of the faculty members at
    both schools showed a significant preference for
    the block format.
  • They felt the change in scheduling had helped
    them use different teaching strategies in their
    classes.
  • Their students had more time to complete labs,
    projects, and presentations, which allowed the
    students a more enriched learning experience.

45
Results - - Administrator Surveys
  • Three administrators were surveyed at schools A
    and B.
  • According to the administrators, decreased
    discipline problems were the greatest benefit of
    block scheduling.
  • Students change classes half as often on a block
    schedule, which minimizes the likelihood of a
    fight occurring during school hours.
  • Another benefit they observed was increased
    opportunities for teachers to collaborate.
  • This allows for more interdisciplinary projects
    to be implemented through the school year.

46
Results - -Administrator Surveys
  • Administrators also felt the block offers
    students a better chance to become active
    learners engaged in the learning process, as labs
    and hands-on classes have more uninterrupted
    class time to complete course work.
  • Each administrator agreed that the aforementioned
    benefits could only be reaped if school systems
    are willing to invest the time and money to train
    their teachers to adapt to a block schedule.
  • Faculty members must be introduced to and
    encouraged to use new teaching strategies and
    techniques to help them adjust to the new format.
  • All administrators also agreed that one downside
    to block scheduling was that though most teachers
    surveyed felt they had changed their teaching
    styles, most of the teachers they had evaluated
    were still using traditional teaching methods in
    their classrooms.

47
Results - - Researcher Journaling
  • Over the course of the study, the researchers
    kept journals to record student and teacher
    perceptions of block scheduling throughout the
    year.
  • The majority of students at School A and B
    expressed positive feelings about the block.
    They felt better able to finish homework because
    they only had four classes at a time.
  • They felt the school year moved faster on a block
    schedule, and were excited about the prospect of
    changing classes at Christmas so they could have
    new courses and teachers.
  • They also believed block scheduling allowed them
    more time for extracurricular activities.

48
Results - - Researcher Journaling
  • Some students, however, did express negative
    opinions.
  • These students preferred traditional scheduling
    because they believed block courses moved too
    fast for them at times.
  • Many athletes found it difficult to make up work
    they missed when they left early for games.
  • Freshmen students in particular had trouble
    passing classes on the block because of their
    poor attendance.

49
Results - - Researcher Journaling
  • Students and teachers at School B expressed
    concern over the split-block schedule.
  • With the addition of another split-block this
    year, students were required to take six classes.
  • Students found the schedule confusing, especially
    when taking midterms and finals.
  • Several students also disliked the split-block
    classes because they lasted all year.
  • Teachers, too, offered negative opinions on the
    split-block schedule, especially when concerning
    planning.
  • Because planning periods were only forty-five
    minutes long, and one fourth of all teachers were
    on planning at the same time, it was difficult to
    finish anything on planning period, and many
    teachers found themselves taking more papers home
    to grade.

50
Results - - Student Writing
  • While preparing for the TCAP Writing Assessment,
    juniors at School B wrote journal entries on
    their views about block scheduling.
  • Students from various classes were given several
    different writing prompts, with each aimed at
    focusing on a different aspect of block
    scheduling from the students perspective.
  • While the majority of those students
    participating liked block scheduling (88), there
    were several students who expressed negative
    opinions about the block (12).

51
Results - - Independent T-Test
  • An independent T-test was performed on the ACT
    test scores for the years prior to block
    scheduling (1993-1994, 1994-1995, and 1995-1996)
    in comparison to those ACT test scores in the
    most recent school years (1998-1999, 1999-2000,
    and 2000-2001) operating on the block schedule.
  • An obtained value of -.472 was found with a
    critical value of 2.228 on a .05 scale.
  • The obtained value is less than the critical
    value therefore, there is no significant
    difference between the scores before and after
    block scheduling.

52
Conclusion
  • The primary goal of this research study was to
    better determine the effects of scheduling on
    student ACT scores.
  • There is considerable debate among educators as
    to whether block or traditional scheduling is the
    better method to address students learning
    needs.
  • The empirical data collected during this survey
    show no significant difference between the scores
    of students on block schedules and those on a
    traditional schedule.

53
Conclusion
  • However, the results of other studies discussed
    in the literature review, as well as the
    qualitative research conducted for this study,
    support claims that scheduling does affect
    student ACT scores, and that block scheduling can
    have a positive impact on those scores.
  • A secondary goal of this study was to ascertain
    the effect of block scheduling on other forms of
    student achievement, including student attitudes
    and discipline. Again, the qualitative data show
    that most administrators, teachers, and students
    believe that block scheduling has a positive
    impact on both student attitude and discipline.

54
Discussion
  • It is important to note that, though the schools
    studied showed no significant difference in ACT
    scores, the majority of students and faculty at
    both schools believed block scheduling had a
    positive impact on the educational experiences of
    the students.
  • Like many of the studies cited in the literature
    review, this study found that the greatest
    influence of block scheduling was in student
    attitude and discipline.
  • Students at both schools felt better about their
    classes while on the block.

55
Discussion
  • By its very nature, block scheduling helped
    student discipline improve, as students had fewer
    class changes and, therefore, fewer opportunities
    to become involved in a conflict or disruption
    during the school day.
  • Based on the results of this study, it is
    recommended that School A continue to utilize the
    block format, and that School B return to the 4X4
    block format it began in 1995.
  • Both schools should continue to monitor student
    achievement through ACT scores, course grades,
    and student discipline.

56
Discussion
  • In the future, the schools should be willing to
    make scheduling changes when necessary to meet
    student needs and should work toward offering
    more opportunities for teachers to learn new
    teaching methods better suited to block
    scheduling.
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