This SoTL study aimed to discover how teacher education students engaged with a 30-minute unstructured break during a weekly three-hour lecture. Cognitive fatigue and resulting stress accumulation have negative effects on wellness. Education students can accumulate significant stress when studying and preparing. This, in turn, affects their career…

This paper records one small school's adaptation of variable scheduling and the reactions of the school's staff and students to one year of the schedule's operation. The purpose of this experiential paper is to show how one school staff can cooperatively adapt a concept such as variable scheduling to its own needs, rather than to provide a…

The questionnaire concerning contracted student time used at University Hill Secondary School and a summary of responses to it are presented. Contracted Student Time is defined as the scheduling of student time in addition to allotted class time to enable the student to complete the requirements of a course. Numbers and percentages responding to…

This study examined one public school system's change in its scheduling format from a seven-period day to block scheduling. This longer uninterrupted instructional time, usually lasting 90 minutes, provides for fewer classes and transitions per day, and the completion of more course credits during the school year. Participants were 200 high school…

During the past 4 years block scheduling has been adopted by a majority of the high schools in Middle Tennessee. This paper presents findings of a study that explored the effects of the new schedule. Data were gathered from a questionnaire that was completed by 280 teachers and approximately 2,000 students from 6 high schools in the region. Both…

The block schedule is fast becoming the new instructional delivery format of choice for the 1990s in American secondary schools. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the effects of changing from a six-period day to a four-block schedule on two large high schools in Knox County, Tennessee. Part I of the study examined the…

A study of whether the effects of block scheduling on student achievement and attitudes are more advantageous than traditional scheduling was made. The block scheduling treatment involved three required courses on each of four grade levels--freshmen through senior in high school. Interdisciplinary teaching teams were responsible for instruction.…

Author reviews Student Use of Unscheduled Time,'' by Walter J. Foley, Gordon C. Harr, and Larry Smiley (Iowa Educational Information Center), and Comparing Block Scheduling and Traditional Scheduling on Student Achievement and Attitudes,'' by Adrian P. Van Mondrans, James L. Schott, and Denny G. French (paper presented at the convention of the…

Describes how one new high school principal changed the school's traditional scheduling plan. Teachers liked the change and used scheduling as a tool for accomplishing various instructional goals as they emerged. Students noted potential pitfalls of changing schedules. The paper discusses how to accomplish successful schedule change. (SM)

Maintains that many schools have changed to a form of block scheduling. Describes and discusses the impact of several models of block scheduling. Asserts that, when music educators understand the consequences of various scheduling options, they can be more credible participants in discussions of how best to schedule school time. (CFR)

This paper describes the 2-year outcomes of one high school's implementation of an intensive 4-block schedule. The study at Angola High School (Indiana) compared schoolwide grade-point averages (GPAs), standardized test scores, attendance data, and disciplinary records to school-baseline data from the 2 years prior to implementation of the block…

A study attempted to determine if block scheduling in secondary schools affected curriculum and student achievement in English courses. Interviews were conducted with 22 teachers, 4 principals and 1 former principal; questionnaires were collected from 44 students. Of these, 10 teachers, 3 principals, and 23 students were in schools with rotating…

The use of four periods in the school day, as opposed to six, with each period 90 minutes in length is referred to as 4 X 4 block scheduling. In Virginia, as in many states, there is increasing interest in this kind of scheduling to deliver education that meets the instructional needs of students. In 1995-96, Western Branch High School (WBHS) of…

A random sample of 55 faculty and 593 students in 28 classes was surveyed to determine class scheduling preferences for three-semester-hour courses and to relate them to existing scheduling patterns at Moraine Valley Community College. Fifty-five percent of the students preferred two 90-minute class sessions per week, 27% preferred one three-hour…

A tool for staff involved in scheduling for the small high school, this guide takes a look at priorities, schedule design and implementation, building the master schedule, and research approaches for better scheduling. Specific teacher and student responses to various schedules are tabulated. Methods of data analysis are presented with samples of…