Purpose: We report the qualitative findings from a survey of elementary teachers regarding reading instruction. The purpose is to extend on quantitative findings in a previously described survey to gain a more in-depth understanding of Australian elementary teachers' approaches to the literacy block in their schools: how this is used, who makes…

Utilizing data from the National Center for Education Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), a multilevel model (Hierarchical Linear Model) was developed to examine the association of teacher/classroom and state level indicators on reported elementary social studies instructional time. Findings indicated that state testing policy was a…

As schools continue to strive to meet federal testing requirements, many schools have been looking at ways to improve. During the 1990's many school districts thought they had found the method, tool, or program, with which to accomplish this goal: the "block schedule". This study was a comparison of the teaching strategies and attitudes of…

This study questions the belief that little or no social studies is being taught in regular elementary education classrooms. That belief is based on time studies and a body of research that looks at curriculum and teacher interviews and concludes that the social studies time block has been decreased in elementary classrooms, therefore little or no…

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…

OPINIONNAIRES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO 478 BUSINESS AND OFFICE PRACTICE TEACHERS, COUNSELORS, PRINCIPALS, VOCATIONAL DIRECTORS, AND SUPERINTENDENTS CONCERNED WITH BUSINESS AND OFFICE PRACTICE PROGRAMS IN UTAH HIGH SCHOOLS TO ASCERTAIN THEIR OPINIONS CONCERNING THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TWO-PERIOD BLOCK CLASSES COMPARED TO TWO ONE-PERIOD…

This is a followup study of teacher perceptions regarding block scheduling. The original study was done in 1996 at a small city high school in a predominantly rural county in Ohio. At that time, lack of communication was found to be the central theme in the resistance that emerged. This paper is based on data from written responses to open-ended…

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…

Five years of block scheduling at Roy J. Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has reduced the stress levels for staff and students. Increases have occurred in the average daily attendance rate, in the percentage of students on the honor roll, and in the college-enrollment rate. A sidebar lists 10 suggestions for making the transition…

A study of teacher perceptions regarding a proposal to adopt block scheduling was done at a small-city high school located in a predominantly rural county. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 selected teachers from the faculty of 41. Lack of communication was found to be the central theme in the resistance that emerged. This paper…

This study examined special services in four elementary schools in British Columbia (Canada), finding conflicts between mandated inclusion and integrated-curriculum block scheduling. Interviews with 31 teachers revealed that nearly half of the students received special services, and most teachers needed to coordinate planning with several…

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)

This study had three purposes: to compare the concerns of student teachers in a full semester program with the concerns of those in an eight-week, block program; to apply a factor analytic approach to the classification of student teacher concerns; and to determine the level and direction of changes in concerns as a result of experiences during…

Fragmentation of elementary school teachers' time and attention is an almost universal problem. Frequent coming and going of children to and from the classroom for legitimate purposes disrupts and distracts the teacher and other students. Children receiving special education services frequently leave the classroom for half-hour periods, thus…

Judgments on content emphasis reflect on the commitments that teachers have to course content, their attitudes toward teaching certain areas of the curriculum, and teacher's assessment of their own competence in teaching these areas. Three questions were considered: (1) What relationship, if any, is there between an internal factor and the actual…