Can I Help You? Student Perceptions of “How Helpful” Versus “How Often” They Find Instructional Practices

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research: Poster 2

Abstract

Student perceptions of their classroom context are an important source of information. While student perceptions of their classrooms matter, most studies only look at the frequency with which students perceive practices occurring without necessarily looking at the motivational components of the same instructional practices. The current study asked students to think about “how helpful” they found instructional practices. This question was particularly important to ask because students engage in classroom environments where their needs are being met. In a survey of 228 students from two urban schools, the study found that students generally found instructional practices more helpful than they occurred in their classrooms. This has important implications for the types of learning experiences students receive.

Author

• Nicholas Paul Yoder, American Institutes for Research