"Not Just a Face in a Sea of People": Students' Experience of Care in Deeper Learning Schools (Poster 9)

• In Event: Excellence in Education Research: Early Career Scholars and Their Work

Abstract

Is care central to deeper learning? The purpose of this study is to explore students’ perceptions of belonging, the meaning of care, and care practices at deeper learning schools. This is a qualitative, comparative case study of three deeper learning schools. Schools were selected based on student population (predominately White, predominately African-American and Latino, and predominantly Latino/ELLs) to allow for comparisons of care philosophies and practices across school demographic and cultural contexts. Textual data comes from 6 student focus groups, reflecting the experiences of approximately 48 students. Thematic analysis includes both a deductive approach, based on the study’s conceptual framework, and an inductive process that allows for the development of new codes. Preliminary results suggest that students in deeper learning schools experience care through three primary avenues: teacher relationships, organizational and curricular structures, and a collective identity shared with peers. Further, students perceive that care practices shape not only their experience of school but their identity formation and sense of self. Although school staff in each of the three deeper learning schools describe efforts to create a caring school culture, there is variation in students’ perceptions of care across the case schools. This presentation will consider this variation and the implications for deeper learning.

Author

• Karyn Miller, Texas A&M University - Commerce
  Presenting Author