Student Voice: A Qualitative Study Investigating Students' Experiences and Teachers’ Perceptions of Instructional Practice Across Learning Levels
Using a 360-degree approach, this qualitative case study compared the experiences of students and the perceptions of teachers concerning instructional practice across learning levels in a northwest Georgia high school. The purpose was to use student voice to inform administrators of teachers’ and students’ classroom engagement. Using nine math classes across three learning levels (foundations algebra, on-level algebra, and advanced algebra), the study used open-ended surveys to collect self-reported data from students and teachers to identify common themes of learning and teaching practices. The common themes identified agreements and collaborative strategies between students and teachers at three different learning levels that aligned with the Georgia Teacher Keys Effectiveness System teacher effectiveness instrument (GADOE, 2016; Stronge, 2016). This study examined and reports the emergent common themes of instructional strategies, differentiated instruction and positive learning environment. This study aimed to add to case study knowledge of how administrators and teacher leaders can use student voice as a tool to inform instruction and support administrators in measuring teacher and student engagement prior to formal teacher evaluation by reporting the frequency of agreements between the experiences of students concerning their teachers’ practice among learning levels (Saldana, 2015; Merrimer & Tisdell, 2015).
student voice, engagement, student experiences, teacher perceptions, learning agreements, evaluation, Educational Leadership
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations