An Analysis of Secondary School Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Block Scheduling

The purpose of this mixed method study was to examine the perceptions of public secondary school teachers regarding block scheduling and to identify the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using the block schedule in three secondary schools in one suburban school system in Georgia. Perceptions of teachers were obtained from data collected from a 23-item survey and three focus group discussions. The study concluded that secondary teachers’ perceptions of block scheduling were generally favorable. However, some teachers did firmly support some statements on block scheduling. The study suggested there is not a significant difference in teachers’ perceptions based on grade level assignment and professional development experiences. However, teachers with 11-15 years of teaching experience had more favorable perceptions of block scheduling than teachers with 6-10 years of teaching experience. Qualitative data were collected from three focus groups. A third party conducted one focus group in each of the three schools with a total of N = 21 participants. Themes were developed by combining responses from the N = 3 focus group sites. Teachers had mixed impressions of block scheduling. However, cited advantages far outweighed the disadvantages. Themes included: 90-minute planning period and better relationships with students. Disadvantages of block scheduling included less time for parental involvement and condensed curriculum content. Recommendations for further research to include: a large scale study be conducted that includes all Georgia secondary schools; a more comprehensive study be conducted that includes students, teachers, administrators, and parents; a study be conducted on the influence of the block schedule on student success in college and/or the workplace; future researchers conduct empirical studies of student achievement in content areas in schools utilizing the block schedule