PUB TYPE Dissertations/Theses- Masters Theses (042)

This study investigated the effects of block scheduling on student learning. It compared the grade-point averages (GPAs) of one group of students during their 9th-grade year while under the traditional 7-period day to the GPAs of their 10th-grade year under the 4-by-4 block schedule. The text offers a history of block scheduling and lists some of the reasons for the shift to block scheduling, such as the more relaxed pace associated with block schedules. Disadvantages and concerns related to this type of scheduling are also listed and include conflicts with extracurricular programs and difficulties in balancing students ' schedules. For the study, 198 students, out of a total enrollment of 650, in a rural high school in West Virginia participated. Three types of GPAs were used to compare the two schedules: GPAs in English and math; GPAs in English, math, science, and social studies; and GPAs in all subjects. Descriptive statistics and dependent sample t-tests were conducted on each of the three groups of GPAs