Student Attitudes, Motivation, and Attention Span in Year Round Schoolingby Stephanie Fuller, Erica Gyimesi, Jillian Miller, and Lauren Sibiski
When it comes to evaluating student's attitudes, motivation, and attention span during year round schooling, many research studies have found that, students view the subject matter in a positive light because it offers them more frequent breaks from school.
One study discovered that students had positive feelings toward year-round schooling after experiencing one year of the 60-15 calendar (Palmer & Bemis, 1998). While one found no differences, the other two did report significant differences in favor of year-round education in at least a subsample of the student population (e.g., fifth- grade girls showed significant differences; boys did not) (Palmer, et al., 1998).
- "As one researcher suggests, students make their own decisions about how they will allocate their time and effort to learning tasks, andstudents who are highly motivated to learn will do so. According to one study, when students are highly interested in a learning activity, they will learn more in a given period of time than when they are less engaged. In addition, increasing student motivation has been demonstrated to lead to better student attendance, thus increasing the amount of time students spend in school and, therefore, their potential to benefit from appropriate instruction" (Aronson, Zimmerman, & Carlos,1998).
-Studies show that "53% of students favored year round schooling during the summer before implementation, while 79% of the students favored it at the end of year," after they experienced year round education. Unfortunately, students felt that year round schooling prohibits them from having summer jobs and/or internships that would be important for their career (Imperial, 2005).
-University School on the campus of East Tennessee State University switched to a year round schedule and released the evaluation of their transition to the year round schedule in July 2001. The evaluation included an analysis of both survey data and student performance data. The University School collected surveys at the end of the first year after implementation for five years. These surveys were given to students, parents, teachers, and staff. The evaluation found that student attitudes toward the year round schedule improved a lot after actually experiencing it and students were "overwhelmingly favorable" to the switch to year round education. Also, the evaluation said students seemed to be very pleased with "not only the academics, but the environment, activities, learning process, intersession activities and vacation opportunities" and that students were pleased with their test scores and felt motivated to go to class ("University School," 2001).
Parent/Student testimony begins at 0:39
Although many students have positive attitudes toward year-roundschooling,is it worth it in the end?Despite the fact that many students embrace year round schooling after they are exposed to it, it's hard to determine if the benefits outweigh the negative aspects. At times, school work can become very difficult and rigorous; if there is constant pressure to do well and be focused, students may become apathetic or frustrated with year round schooling. Just because students enjoyed one year of year round school, does not mean that they will enjoy it every year for the rest of their academic careers. But, on the other hand, students will now not have to wait for summer school to catch up to their fellow classmates, they will be able to take remedial classes earlier in the year. Unfortunately, many students feelings about year round schooling change on a daily basis, so no data collected will ever be 100 percent accurate.
References Aronson, J., Zimmerman, J.,& Carlos, L. (April 1998). Improving student achievement by extending school: is it just a matter of time? Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-98-02.pdf
When it comes to evaluating student's attitudes, motivation, and attention span during year round schooling, many research studies have found that, students view the subject matter in a positive light because it offers them more frequent breaks from school.
One study discovered that students had positive feelings toward year-r
- "As one researcher suggests, students make their own decisions about how they will allocate their time and effort to learning tasks, andstudents who are highly motivated to learn will do so. According to one study, when students are highly interested in a learning activity, they will learn more in a given period of time than when they are less engaged. In addition, increasing student motivation has been demonstrated to lead to better student attendance, thus increasing the amount of time students spend in school and, therefore, their potential to benefit from appropriate instruction" (Aronson, Zimmerman, & Carlos,1998).
-University School on the campus of East Tennessee State University switched to a year round schedule and released the evaluation of their transition to the year round schedule in July 2001. The evaluation included an analysis of both survey data and student performance data. The University School collected surveys at the end of the first year after implementation for five years. These surveys were given to students, parents, teachers, and staff. The evaluation found that student attitudes toward the year round schedule improved a lot after actually experiencing it and students were "overwhelmingly favorable" to the switch to year round education. Also, the evaluation said students seemed to be very pleased with "not only the academics, but the environment, activities, learning process, intersession activities and vacation opportunities" and that students were pleased with their test scores and felt motivated to go to class ("University School," 2001).
Parent/Student testimony begins at 0:39
Although many students have positive attitudes toward year-roundschooling,is it worth it in the end?Despite the fact that many students embrace year round schooling after they are exposed to it, it's hard to determine if the benefits outweigh the negative aspects. At times, school work can become very difficult and rigorous; if there is constant pressure to do well and be focused, students may become apathetic or frustrated with year round schooling. Just because students enjoyed one year of year round school, does not mean that they will enjoy it every year for the rest of their academic careers. But, on the other hand, students will now not have to wait for summer school to catch up to their fellow classmates, they will be able to take remedial classes earlier in the year. Unfortunately, many students feelings about year round schooling change on a daily basis, so no data collected will ever be 100 percent accurate.
References
Aronson, J., Zimmerman, J.,& Carlos, L. (April 1998). Improving student achievement by extending school: is it just a matter of time? Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/po-98-02.pdf
Palmer, E. and Bemis, A. (1998). Year-Round Education. Retrieved
from http://www.cehd.umn.edu/carei/reports/docs/year-round.pdf
University School releases evaluation of transition to year round schedule. (2001). Retrieved from
http://www.etsu.edu/etsu/news/20010184.htm
Year Round School. (2005). Teen Ink. Retrieved from http://www.nayre.org/Teen%20Ink.pdf