Evaluating the challenges and benefits of constructivist-based schooling: A case study, supported by focus groups and content standards testing

The purpose of this action research study was to engage teachers, parents, and students in discussing the benefits and challenges of constructivist-based schooling, employ strategies for improving practice, and determine if the 2-8 grade students in the targeted school demonstrated mastery on the California Standards Test (CST). This study took place at Coast School (a pseudonym), a small, K-8 school in California, and involved multiple stages: planning the constructivist-based program, implementing it in the school, and evaluating its effectiveness. The evaluation process was driven by several research questions: What are the strengths of a constructivist approach to teaching and learning? What are the challenges of this approach? What strategies might be implemented for improving the program? What percentage of students scored as proficient or higher on the language arts and math components of the California Standards Test (CST)? What percentage of students improved or remained at the same proficiency level in language arts and math on the CST? How do student proficiency levels in language arts and math at the school compare with district and state levels in 2nd through 8th grade during that same year, as measured by the CST? This study was informed by qualitative data from focus group discussions with each of the constituents (teachers, parents and students), as well as aggregated quantitative data from the CST. The focus group findings reflected several strengths associated with the constructivist-based approach: active parental involvement, multi-age classroom groupings, an enriched curriculum, and respect for student voice. Several challenges were also identified: teaching in a multi-age classroom (which was also noted as a strength), creating meaningful assessments, and involving and educating parents. A number of suggestions for improving the program were made, all associated with the challenges that were identified, and were considered for ongoing improvements at the Coast School. CST findings revealed an increase in the percent of Coast School students who were proficient or who scored higher in both math and language arts for students who have been at the school for two or more years. Data also showed that students scored similarly to District and California CST scores in both language arts and math. These findings suggest that while constructivist-based schooling has challenges, there are considerable benefits, and students perform as well as other students in the district and California.