Creative Research Proposal

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.