Teachers' Perspectives and Development of Academic Rigor: An Action Research Study

• In Event: 54.080 - Roundtable Session 22
  In Roundtable Session: 54.080-19 - Teacher as Researcher Reimagined: Building New Ways of Thinking and Acting for Educational Equity

Abstract

Phase I of this multiphase action research study on academic rigor determined selected public middle school teachers’ perspectives on how rigor related to their planning and praxis. Phase II was a teacher-oriented intervention that developed 14 teachers’ capacity to design and implement classroom tasks using the Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrix (Hess, 2013) within a three-step planning process. Phase III focused on developing five teachers’ capacity to design rigorous concept-based unit plans that emphasized learning for understanding. Teachers reported that both interventions positively impacted their capacity to design and implement rigorous tasks and units, which was verified by multiple measures. The findings suggest the value of utilizing teacher perspectives, the intervention tools, and the frameworks when seeking to increase academic rigor.

Authors

• Thomas W. Christ, University of Bridgeport

• Ian M Banner, University of Bridgeport