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This qualitative case study was conducted as part of a formative assessment that used a rubric to provide immediate feedback for teachers regarding teaching practices to prepare students for global citizenship. Five teachers from the Saint Bryant Elementary School who oversaw state-standardized testing under NCLB were interviewed, and students’ scores from previous years of testing were analyzed to reveal historical trends. Face-to-face interviews were conducted; audio recordings of interviews were made and transcribed, supplemented by detailed field notes. Two themes per research question were discovered, including (a) students have problems working in small groups because of poor behavior, (b) students need more freedom to choose, (c) teachers teach to the test, (d) behavioral problems prevent teachers from teaching, (e) grade group discussions incorporate listed approaches, and (f) teachers need to feel supported and teacher professional development does not inform teachers about response to intervention and instruction for correcting behavioral issues. These findings are generalizable and transferable to other urban schools.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of conducting this qualitative descriptive case study was to examine the teaching experiences of teachers at an urban elementary school relative to the NCLB Act of 2001. Open-ended questions, interviews, and follow-up interviews were part of the process. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ teaching experiences at Saint Bryant Elementary School and to determine if the teachers believed their teaching approaches properly prepare students to serve as citizens in the global economy. The study examined how the NCLB Act has affected the classroom learning environment. As part of the study, teachers were invited to engage in self-examination and offer feedback regarding their teaching practices. They considered integrating teaching approaches and the theories of Bloom’s taxonomy, Gardner’s multiple intelligences, and outcome-based education in the classroom to improve instruction under NCLB to prepare students for global citizenship. Data from answers to open-ended questions served as unbiased unrestricted responses (Creswell, 2007). Answers to open-ended questions allowed for examination and interpretation of emerging themes and formation of ideas (Creswell, 2002). The goal of the current study was to help equip teachers to prepare students to meet the requirements of the 21st century and the global economy.

To aid teachers in providing their students with the abilities needed to thrive in the global economy, the teachers were administered a formative self-assessment and invited to provide feedback for leaders through the rubrics or checklist that specify what persons should do to implement a particular strategy (Benjamin, 20011). Characteristic of the rubric are lean but vital behaviors delivering fullest return (Benjamin, 2011). In this qualitative descriptive case study, open-ended interview questions were used and follow-up interviews were conducted, if necessary. Posing open-ended questions helps individuals to find answers themselves, as opposed to giving them the answers. Appropriate questions cause concern and sensitivity and, if a researcher can build relationships with participants, open-ended questions are recommended (Goldsmith, 2003).

Methods Conclusions

Preparation for Global Citizenship and Global Skill OutcomesLeah Spencer Hopkins-Author

University of Phoenix

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Bibliography

This qualitative study involved conducting a formative assessment with a rubric for immediate feedback from teachers about possible solutions to the problem of relevant teaching practices for preparing students for global citizenship. The approach is generalizable and transferrable to other schools. Interviews were conducted with five teachers from Saint Bryant Elementary School who took part in state standardized testing under NCLB. Data for the study were collected using teachers’ self-assessments and the rubric, as well as detailed notes from interviews and transcriptions (Creswell, 2002). Creating general codes allowed the larger picture to be revealed in theme categories. At first, the data were subdivided; ultimately, a consolidated and larger picture was generated to reflect the larger goal of the study, which was to understand the impact of NCLB on how teachers educate students in preparation for global citizenship (Tesch, 1990). The qualitative process began with collecting data such as field notes and transcriptions. These data were prepared and transcribed for analysis. Prepared data were reviewed for assurance that an understanding of the material is obtained. Code segments were identified while assigning codes to the data. Textual data were coded for themes and descriptions used in the final report (Creswell, 2005). The simultaneous process of coding and analyzing was necessary to identify the point of data saturation.

The process of data collection and analysis required personal interpretation because assessments were made to describe the situation. The textual data were read several times to obtain a deeper understanding of the information revealed by the sample group. A qualitative descriptive case study design was appropriate for investigating the impact of NCLB on the development of global citizenship skills and knowledge to support competiveness because higher order thinking serves the needs for the global economy. The present study examined the results of a formative assessment on the impact of the implementation of Bloom’s taxonomy into the classrooms as a basis for classroom lessons. The rubric provided a standard for self-evaluation related to several levels of performance (Guskey, 2009). Feedback from the rubric promoted self-grading as internalization of criteria and benchmarks while promoting mastery orientations for learning (Guskey, 2009).

1. Zhao, Y. (2009). Comments on the Common Core Standards Initiative. AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice, 6(3), 46-54. Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org/jsp.aspx

2. Guskey, T. R. (2009). Practical solutions for serious problems in standards-based grading. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

3. Creswell, J. W. (2005). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

4. Benjamin, S. (2011). Simple leadership techniques: Rubrics, checklists, and structured collaboration. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(8), 25–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/003172171109200806

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Recommendations

Recommendations for teachers. The following recommendations apply to teachers. First, teachers are recommended to continue to work in school environments that provide opportunities for growth. Teachers who might want to expand into other roles in education will need experience and training. Second, teachers are recommended to incorporate higher student expectations into instructional practices because striving to achieve the current teaching goals will not yield results adequate to meet future needs. Through assessing and reassessing one’s instructional practices, teachers may discover the rubric is helpful for providing feedback to include approaches of Bloom, H. Gardner, and OBE. More rigor will improve student achievement.

Another recommendation for teachers is to follow through on new ideas in the classroom to close the cultural gap and to promote small group instruction. By continuing to expand the use of research-based methods and ideas for preparing students for the global economy, implementation of these new ideas will help keep the classroom interesting for both teachers and students. Teachers are also recommended to use constructivist kinds of learning to encourage more independent learning and small group learning as forms of differentiated instruction. Teachers who are able to learn the needs of individualized students can consider project-based learning and inquiry-based learning to address the various learning needs of each student and better prepare each student for the needed for the global economy.

Recommendations for leaders. The following recommendations apply to leaders. Leaders are recommended to continue to produce successful candidates for higher education because good prospects continue to emerge from public schools. On a similar note, leaders are recommended to employ the best qualified teachers because for doing so improves the likelihood of the school preparing students for the global economy. Leaders are recommended to continue to prepare students for the global economy because doing so fulfills the mission of education. Another recommendation for leaders and supervisors involves spending more time conducting informal observations in the classrooms to provide the needed feedback for teacher effectiveness. Teachers need support from instructional leaders to achieve success in the classroom. Ideally, leaders are recommended to push for smaller class sizes because noncomplying students and those with behavioral problems who seek for teacher attention are more easily accommodated in a smaller class. Administrators are recommended to plan with a team to ensure alignment throughout the school. Observing teachers and communicating with teachers ensures interventions are helping rather than frustrating teachers. Another recommendation is for leaders to provide diverse kinds of professional development and consider using a rubric to provide feedback at a glance. Leaders are also recommended to partner with other organizations to help address management of problem students, thereby contributing to a climate for learning and personal and professional growth.

ConclusionsThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the themes that emerged from teachers’ experiences, as expressed through interviews and formative self-assessments. Achievement rates and test scores of students in grades 3 through 8 were examined as teachers considered their teaching approaches and the necessity to focus on the mandates of NCLB and state-standardized tests. All of the participating teachers expressed that their teaching was often dictated by the demands of the state-standardized tests. The study sought to address the particular concerns of teachers from urban schools in the United States that, based on their failure to achieve annual yearly progress, are failing to provide their students with the skills needed to thrive in the global economy because the teachers are often obsessed with preparing students for the accountabilities of NCLB.

From the five interviews conducted, six themes emerged to synthesize the data, which reveal (a) experiences of teachers in their present school and district under NCLB, (b) teaching styles of teachers under NCLB, (c) teacher perceptions of state-standardized assessments, (d) teachers’ classroom practices, (e), internal mechanics of the school, (f) teacher perceptions for closing cross-cultural gap, and (g) teachers’ opinion of performance-based pay.

Abstract Results

Research question Theme 1 Theme 2

1. How does NCLB affect

your ability to effectively

prepare students with

skills needed to be

effective global citizens?

Students have problems

working in small groups

because of poor behavior.

Students need more freedom

to choose.

2. How does NCLB affect

your ability to practice

using theories such as

Bloom’s taxonomy,

outcome-based education,

and Gardner’s multiple

intelligences in your

teaching experience?

Teaching to the test. Behavior problems prevent

teachers from teaching.

3. How have school

professional development

in the form of rubrics

helped to equip teachers

regarding the use of

Bloom’s taxonomy,

outcome-based education,

and Gardner’s multiple

intelligences for your

teaching experience?

Teachers need to feel

supported as they are not

informed about RTII.

Grade group discussions

incorporated listed

approaches.

Pedagogy Foundation Teacher emphasis

Comparison to

traditional teaching

approaches

  Children do not learn

the same as others.

Children performing

poorly in linguistics or

math may excel in other

domains (Helding, 2009).

Multiple

intelligences

demand

interdisciplinary

approaches to

learning a research

methodology of

interactionism,

dynamics, and

cultural sensitivity.

in intelligence

testing could come

from only two

domains including

spatial/mathematics

or linguistics/verbal.

Gardner (2006)

believed that the

eight intelligences

should avoid

unwarranted

hierarchy.