What the Research Says About Block Scheduling and Foreign Language Instruction

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What the Research Says About Block Scheduling and
Foreign Language Instruction

• Linda M. Wallinger, Ph.D.
• Foreign Language ESL Specialist
• Virginia Department of Education

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Benefits of Block Scheduling to the Total School
Program

• Improved attendance rate
• Improved student grades
• Lower drop out rate
• Higher graduation rate
• Fewer discipline referrals
• Reduced stress
• Increased number of course offerings
• More time

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Benefits of the Block to Foreign Language Classes

• More time
• More opportunities to offer and take advanced
  courses because of more class periods
• More opportunity to vary instructional strategies
• More opportunity to integrate instructional
  technology

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• More time to teach in depth
• More time to work individually with students
• More time to use a variety of assessment
  techniques
• More time to address various learning styles of
  students
• More time to plan for instruction

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Challenges of the Block to Foreign Language
Classes

• Less total time during the year
• Maintaining students attention
• Maintaining continuity in instruction
• Helping students catch up on school work after an
  absence
• Less time for homework practice

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• Less time for assimilation of information
• Preparation for national exams and AP exams
• Scheduling of sequential courses

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Discussion Points

• The only significant difference occurred in the
  total time available for instruction. No other
  significant differences were found.
• There was a wide range for every dependent
  variable in the study.

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Total Instructional Hours
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Time Available for Classroom Instruction

• Findings of this study were consistent with
  findings of other studies.
• Time is not the only variable in learning
• Student aptitude
• Quality of instruction
• Ability to understand
• Perseverance
• Engagement rate
• Success rate

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Total Hours of Expected Out-of-Class Homework
SD 10.367 Min 22.50 Max 67.50
SD 19.35 Min 0.00 Max 78.75
SD 20.15 Min 0.00 Max 90.00
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Total Hours of In-Class Homework
SD 12.90 Min 0.00 Max 37.50
SD 13.23 Min 0.00 Max 45.00
SD 9.31 Min 0.00 Max 22.50
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Expected Homework

• No significant difference among the 3 schedules
  for either out-of-class or in-class homework.
• Wide range of responses.
• Variety of teacher views on efficacy of homework
  and on student willingness to do it.

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Variations in Homework Assignments

• Total amount of expected homework
• Completion of homework
• Kind of homework
• How homework is used in class

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Importance of Homework to Student Achievement

• Two divergent views
• Homework does not contribute significantly to a
  students achievement test scores, competency
  test scores, or teacher assigned grades.
• Increased time spent on homework has a positive
  effect on student grades.
• Agreement that homework studies are hard to
  conduct with a high degree of reliability.

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Listening Test Results - Raw Data
SD 3.42 Min 7.00 Max 19.50
SD 2.72 Min 6.30 Max 14.80
SD 2.16 Min 6.00 Max 15.00
Maximum Possible Score 22.00
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Reading Test Results - Raw Data
SD 3.08 Min 4.00 Max 15.00
SD 1.96 Min 3.30 Max 12.00
SD 2.27 Min .70 Max 11.40
Maximum Possible Score 15.00
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Speaking Test Results - Raw Data
SD 4.34 Min 3.00 Max 17.00
SD 3.40 Min 4.00 Max 18.00
SD 4.53 Min 4.00 Max 22.00
Maximum Possible Score 24.00
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Writing Test Results - Raw Data
SD 6.39 Min 2.00 Max 20.00
SD 3.91 Min 2.00 Max 17.00
SD 4.51 Min 1.00 Max 21.00
Maximum Possible Score 25.00
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Foreign Language Learning

• No significant difference in performance in any
  skill by students from any of the scheduling
  groups.
• Partially reflects results from one other
  comparable study by Lapkin, Harley, and Hart
  (1997).

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• Two statistical studies related to foreign
  languages and the block schedule
• Lapkin (1997) - Equal time in all schedules
• 40 minutes of instruction/day for 10 months
• half day instruction/day for 10 weeks
• 80 minutes of instruction/day for 5 months
• Wallinger (1998) - Time not equal in all
  schedules
• 6-/7-period day
• alternating day
• 4x4 semester block

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Results of the Research
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Considerations in Interpreting the Results

• The end-of-course test
• Created and field-tested by researcher
• Is a proficiency-based test appropriate?
• Does it measure enough discrete elements?
• Are proficiency-based tests being used in the
  field?
• Where should the scores fall?

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• The teachers
• Are teachers teaching for proficiency (teaching
  to the VA SOL)?
• Have French I teachers mastered the art of
  teaching on the block?
• The students
• Did students take the test seriously?
• Was the sample of 9th graders significant?

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• The Content
• Is French I too early for this type of study?
• Are other important aspects of foreign language
  teaching and learning being ignored?

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Pearsons Chi Square

• Used to examine the score distributions by
  quartile
• The chi square test was significant for the
  sub-tests of listening and reading, but not for
  speaking and writing.
• Two possible reasons
• Larger sample in listening and reading may have
  produced a more valid result.
• Speaking and writing were scored using a rubric
  while listening and reading were multiple choice.

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Listening Test - Percentile Distribution - Raw
Data
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Reading Test - Percentile Distribution - Raw Data
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Speaking Test - Percentile Distribution - Raw Data
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Writing Test - Percentile Distribution - Raw Data
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Recommendations for Future Research

• Further exploration of learning variables other
  than time as they relate to block scheduling.
• A study using a content-based test rather than a
  proficiency test.
• Additional research on the kinds of homework that
  are assigned in foreign language classes and how
  the assignments are used.

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• The study of learning loss as it relates to the
  various schedules.
• A longitudinal study that covered more time
  and/or more levels of language study as well as
  other languages.
• A similar study using a sample that consisted of
  students other than 9th graders.

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Block Busters

• Tips for Success with Block Scheduling

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• Be patient.
• Collaborate with colleagues.
• Teach thematically.
• Plan and pace.
• Bore them at the beginning.
• Maintain momentum.
• Reduce, review, relate, and recycle.
• Lecture less.
• Mix up the middle.
• Supply study strategies.

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• Assign homework regularly.
• Consider closure.
• Tailor your tests.
• Reallocate responsibility.
• Conduct a seminar for extra help.
• Cherice Montgomery
• Wichita Southeast High School
• Wichita, KS
• montgomery_at_feist.com

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If you always do what youve always done, youll
always get what you always got!