The block schedule : personal perceptions and feelings of success

Abstract

Research on the block schedule versus the traditional schedule in high school classrooms suggests that there are benefits and negatives to both schedules, without a majority of conclusive evidence to readily support one schedule over the other. Most research focuses on qualitative data to demonstrate the success of the schedule, with less focus on qualitative data in the form of perceptions, opinions, and feedback from students and teachers learning in these schedules. This project examines the personal views, and resulting perceptions of educational success, of the block schedule through survey responses from students and teaching staff at two Wisconsin schools located near Madison, WI. The project was completed between summer of 2010 and spring of 2011. It measured perceptions of the block schedule, feelings of student success, and correlations between these two factors through the use of a survey. Results showed that a majority of participants felt positively about the block schedule, as well as their levels of academic success. Suggestions for further research and use of the study data are discussed as well.