Are We Scheduling Success?
Purpose Statement:
In the hopes of improving learner outcomes and having students achieve more in a “changed way” (Zepeda & Meyers, 2006), schools across the country have employed a “block schedule” as a means of school reform. Little information regarding the effects of scheduling on teaching practices and learner outcomes prior to making a move to block scheduling was found in the reviewed literature.
Research Questions:
A major critique of current research on block scheduling: “Simply changing how time is used by modifying schedules in which students learn is only a superficial change until people dig deep to answer questions such as...What are the intended and unintended consequences of change?” (Zepeda & Meyers, 2006, p.141). This study was undertaken to examine the impact of the 2007-2008 school schedule on three areas of teacher methodology: a) Teaching strategies in the classroom, b) Coverage of curriculum content, and c) Assessment strategies in the classroom.