Researching Relevant Professional Development

Learning Task #5 - What Do Our Clients/Students Think? By Carol A. Thesing

I surveyed 25 students in central Minnesota about their learning needs.

My findings were interesting and enlightening.

The type of learning most useful to students included many different subject areas. Core classes, math, science, and English were seen as most important by five students and another five chose learning related to life in general or careers.

Students chose even a greater variety of formats for staff development than teachers. Some of the suggested types were videos, speakers, nature experiences, hands-on activities, classroom, small group, and discussions. The most selected types included video, speakers, and hands-on activities.

When I asked the students which subject area they felt would make a lifelong impact for them, I was surprised by their answers. Nine students said math and science. All but one was male. Five more students said parenting. All were female. Five more said physical education. These were mixed, male and female.

When asked how often classes should run during the week, the students were pretty much split between 3 and 5 days a week. Those students wanting classes to meet only three days a week, thought the classes should be between 1 and 2 hours long. The majority of the students choosing class 5 days a week thought the classes should run between 45 minutes to an hour. I thought this was interesting being so many schools now are switching to block scheduling.

Class size was another area I asked about. Ten out of 25 students felt learning best took place in classes of 15 students or less. Nine preferred a class size of 20. Only 3 thought 25 was a good number, one liked 30 or more and the other 2 students didnt care.

Experts with a big name and fame were not important as teachers to the students I surveyed. Only 4 preferred the national expert to 18 favoring a local teacher with similar background to theirs. One student said they would like both and two students said either would be fine.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 1999

Answers

I think it is very interesting that you interviewed students (and important!). It is interesting to compare the patterns of their answers with some other groups. I think we have something to learn here! Look at what they say about class size and experts versus local teachers! Great job!

(Did anyone hear Garbarino speak on the radio after the Colorado shooting? He said that one thing that could be done right now in high schools would be to make them smaller so that community could develop. If anyone sees a write-up of his comments about some of the issues, I'd love to know about it.)

-- Anonymous, May 07, 1999