Extracurricular Supports: Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices for Academically Advanced Students in Elective High School Classrooms

• In Event: Access and Opportunity Pathways

Abstract

Academically-advanced students in secondary elective courses are usually placed in mixed-ability classrooms. Secondary elective teachers, who may not have gifted education training, are left to navigate how to best instruct their class while meeting the instructional needs of all their students. A phenomenological analysis was conducted to investigate teachers’ perceptions as to how they believe they are meeting the needs of their academically-advanced students in mixed-ability classrooms. Emerging super-ordinate themes fall into two categories: instructional practices and the flexibility of elective courses. Three themes dealt with instructional practices within the classroom: Pedagogical Strategies, Freedom of Exploration, and Group Work Relationships. Two themes emerged detailing flexibility of electives: Teacher Desire to Grow Self and Others and Elective Courses as a Respite.

Author

• Travis D. Hill, University of North Texas