Making student-centered instruction more of a reality in more teaching learning settings: Lessons learned from USA case studies.

• In Event: Inequality, Assessment and Critical Approaches to Learning

Proposal

Making student-centered instruction more of a reality in more teaching learning settings: Lessons learned from USA case studies.

Presentation Abstract

This session emphasizes the significance of the use of a quantitative discrepancy survey instrument used in various case studies designed to determine the desired state of applying constructivist concepts, especially those associated with customizing instruction, among contemporary educators as compared to their current instructional realities will be presented. The survey instrument consists of 25 statements that are historically congruent with research about constructivist educational practices as conducted by various researchers (Danielson, 1996; Dufour, 2004; Ernest, Heckaman, Thompson, Hull, & Carter, 2011; Hodges & Mc Tigue, 2014; Marlowe & Page, 2005; Marzano, 2003; Newmann, 2013; Tomlinson, 2014).

Research findings of studies conducted using the instrument or in progress in 14 states in diverse contexts including: Arkansas (2016, 2018, 2019, 2020); Georgia (2007 & 2010); Idaho (2017); Indiana (2016); Kansas (2018, 2019, 2022); Mississippi (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021); Maryland (2020); Missouri (2019, 2022); New York (2009, 2010, 2016, 2019, 2022); Ohio (2017 & 2019); South Carolina (2020); South Dakota (2019); Texas (2011); and Virginia (2010, 2016, 2019, 2022) will be presented and analyzed.

The initial pilot survey for this national study consisted of a purposive convenient sampling of 940 teachers who were identified as employing some student-centered customization practices to varying degrees in their instructional programs. A total of 582 useable surveys were returned for analysis. This number represented a return rate of 61.9%. The Cronbach Alpha reliability test (Coladarci, Cobb, Minium, & Clarke, 2008) was applied to the data and the results were as follows: Questions 1-25 (Desired) R=.942; Questions 1-25 (Actual) R=.922. These results indicated a high reliability of both the desired and the actual frequency of use of the various activities and techniques associated with constructivist student-centered practices as reflected in the survey.

The quantitative survey results and qualitative case study summaries were compared to established benchmarks from the initial pilot studies to facilitate comprehension and contextualization analysis of the current use frequency and desired use frequency of various constructivist strategies and techniques associated with customizing instruction to meet student needs and interests. In addition, the needs of teachers who desire to customize more will be identified so that they may be addressed in order to advance student-centered learning in diverse settings. A procedural guideline based on the researched-based quartiles including specific strategies are recommended for individual educators and professional learning communities (PLC) in various contexts at all levels of the instructional spectrum Pre-K to Doctoral Studies to promote the greater implementation of constructivist student-centered techniques and to further expand student-centered practices.

Thus, the research studies presented in this session provide benchmarks from diverse contextual settings to illustrate that, at all levels of the instructional spectrum, teachers currently employ some key constructivist approaches but desire to employ more. However, they need additional focused and guided reflection regarding their current instructional practices as well as some acute contextual examples in order to consider employing more. The results of the various studies associated with this national study provide the practical research background and key procedure guidelines to do so.

Selected case studies from the 2016 to 2022 research from various school contexts (rural, suburban, and urban) and diverse grade levels in the elementary, secondary education, and higher education in fourteen different states and diverse contextual settings are compared to the existing general quartiles in this conference session for conceptual reference and to identify the frequency of use of specific student-centered activities and techniques as well as the desired use of more of those customization activities and techniques. This information forms the key conceptual framework of this presentation and serves as a guide for others to advocate the continuous move to a more student-centered or customized approaches to teaching and learning.

In addition, the recently completed research studies are reconfirming the significance of using the original survey instrument to promote teacher reflections about their desired and current state of constructivist practices, as well as the respective professional needs to further customize instruction. Also, the studies identified that facilitating customization via site-based professional learning communities (PLC) is an effective approach to address those teacher needs and promote more student-centered learning in diverse contexts. This is a key advocacy of teachers but how to do it has always been an issue, however, this survey instrument and professional reflection approach has been identified as most appropriate to move school professional learning communities to a more student-centered approach to learning and less of a teacher-centered approach.

The researchers associated with this session contend that the use of the Desired and Current Use of Constructivist Activities and Techniques survey instrument empowers educators toward excellence through research and practice by identifying the desired frequency as well as the current frequency of use of the 25 statements associated with customizing instruction in diverse teaching-learning settings. Using the survey instrument data from site-based professional learning communities and analyzing the results in light of the existing national benchmarks associated with this research provides acute insight into both the actual instructional practices, desired instructional practices, and the needs of teachers to further advance their constructivist teaching approaches in diverse settings.

The various study results will be analyzed using the established benchmarks to illustrate the diversity of constructivist contemporary practices and the desired state for those practices. Recommendations for site-based professional learning communities (PLC) approaches will be provided to further extend the contemporary applications of constructivist instructional strategies and customization practices. Participants will be given copies of the discrepancy survey instrument and a step-by-step guide to facilitate a greater movement toward constructivism using this teacher reflective approach.

Authors

• Walter Polka, Niagara University

• Roselle Aranha, Niagara University

• John McKenna, Niagara University