Students’ Perspectives on Their High School Experience

THE STUDY

This study explored what it is like to be a high school student today. Our purpose was to describe the extent to which the schools in the Richmond metropolitan area are meeting the needs of their diverse body of students. Obtaining a snapshot of high school students’ opinions about instruction, teachers, friends, and activities can be telling about students’ levels of belonging and engagement. Specifically, by interviewing 33 high school students from seven comprehensive high schools, the investigation sought to explore factors related to instructional time, non-instructional time in school, extracurricular activities and school climate

FINDINGS

The following seven common themes were evident across all students: authentic curriculum and classwork, Standards of Learning (SOL) impact, teacher support, peer relations, extracurricular activities, student pressures, and overall school climate. The themes suggest that high school students have a positive view of their education. They generally liked classes that were “challenging,” that utilized debate and discussion, and provided opportunities for “hands-on” activities and group work. They disliked unauthentic activities such as worksheets and notetaking. Conversely, students were cognizant of how current trends in the State Standards of Learning (SOL) have caused their classes and teachers to emphasize facts without meaning, to focus on coverage over depth, to increase seatwork and worksheets, and to reduce differentiation of instruction. Best teachers were ones that were challenging, listened, and were concerned about student learning.

The students valued non-instructional time between classes and lunchtime to interact with friends, enjoy some “down time” and relax. This was sometimes difficult to accomplish because those times were crowded and rushed. The students reported that groups in the school generally got along, although individual students were sometimes “picked on”. Participating in extracurricular activities was another good time to interact with friends, and helped students feel like a part of the school. About 42% of the participants reported that working after school limited their participation.

Most students described a positive school climate and felt that most adults were caring, fair, and listened. Although most of the students could identify at least one adult in the school who cared about them, they also reported that adults in the school often seemed busy, and it was sometimes difficult to get in to see the counselor. An interesting finding is that all 33 students felt safe at their school. While students felt pressures, they appeared to be typical adolescent concerns: “fitting in,” getting good grades, and getting into college. Only about 25% mentioned feeling pressure to use drugs or alcohol.

IMPLICATIONS

Most notably, teachers, by listening to and helping students academically, can play a powerful role in reversing a student's tendency to become disengaged from school. This study supports research by Marks (2000) whose student survey found that authentic instructional work, characterized by substantive conversation, real-world connections, and hands-on activities, is a strong contributor to engagement. The high school students in this study, however, perceived that as teachers implement the SOL, they are providing meaningless instructional activities, and failing to equip students with real world skills. Schools that provide support for teachers to maintain a high quality of instruction with the SOL, not just content coverage, can increase student engagement. It is essential to make teachers aware that “caring” is not about being students’ friends, but rather a teacher who provides authentic learning experiences and interest in students. Schools can also provide places and opportunities for students to be with peers so that a sense of belonging is enhanced. Understanding that a minority of students require specialized help (such as instructional adjustments or finding a caring adult at the school) can also work to address students’ levels of engagement.

For more information about High School Students’ Perspectives, contact the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium at www.vcu.edu/eduweb/merc or call 804-828-0478.