ED227 Inquiry Paper BALL 1

Ryan Ball

ED227 Inquiry Paper

December 12, 2018

Dr. Susan Adams

Butler University
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Abstract

This research inquiry examines how educators create appropriate learning environments for their

students. Specifically, this research aims to answer the question: “How do educators create

developmentally appropriate conditions for adolescent learners?” In this study, I observed

multiple educators in various classrooms at an Indianapolis High School. I took notes detailing

my observations, specifically regarding developmentally appropriate conditions. The participants

were secondary educators and their students. My observations closely echoed literature I read

regarding developmentally appropriate conditions. I saw teachers adhere to developmental

theories and create positive outcomes, but I also saw teachers go against those theories, which

usually resulted in negative outcomes. Based on my examination of the literature and classroom

observations, I have concluded that the most important elements in creating developmentally

appropriate conditions for adolescent learners are as follows: Establishing a routine and giving

students responsibilities, keeping students engaged (especially through movement), creating a

classroom culture of mutual respect, using concept-based curriculum, and encouraging student

growth in multiple areas.

Keywords: development, conditions, learning, educators, theory, adolescent, high school

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Introduction

In this study, I wanted to observe experienced educators and learn what they do to create

effective learning environments for their students. In particular, I sought to answer this question:

“How do educators create developmentally appropriate conditions for adolescent learners?” The

reality of this study is that there is no specific answer to this question. Educators employ a wide

variety of strategies when creating developmentally appropriate conditions. However, it is

critically important to study and unpack these strategies in order to be an effective educator.

After reading literature pertaining to adolescent development and observing secondary

educators, I have reached several theories regarding what makes a learning environment

developmentally appropriate. I believe that routines are necessary in establishing an effective,

consistent classroom environment. Part of establishing a routine is setting reoccurring

expectations, which instills students with a sense of responsibility. Another strategy for creating

an appropriate learning environment is getting students engaged. Movement is a particularly

effective method of engagement. Mutual respect between teacher and student is a critical part of

creating an effective classroom. Curriculum should be concept-based, meaning that students

should be assessed for their holistic comprehension of an idea, rather than for their ability to

memorize facts. Finally, students should be encouraged to grow in multiple areas. Educators

should strive to solve student problems, get them involved, and prepare them for adulthood.

Literature Review

My theories about developmentally appropriate conditions come primarily from published,

existing research. Educator and author Tristan de Frondeville contributed an important idea to

my thinking: Student engagement is always the first step in instruction. She says that when

students aren’t engaged, “the engine of student learning that you are trying to drive simply isn't
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even in gear” (de Frondeville, 2009). De Frondeville cites physical movement as a good way to

get students mentally engaged. Andrew Miller suggests another strategy for student engagement:

He asserts that teachers should give students more opportunities to manage themselves in the

classroom. Not only does this take the burden off the educator, but it also empowers students.

One specific method Miller recommends is to allow students to create their own rules, norms,

and rituals. “When students create norms,” Miller says, “they are more likely to follow them”

(Miller, 2016).

I firmly believe that the first step in creating an appropriate classroom environment is to

create a culture of mutual respect between educator and student. This belief comes in part from

author Julie Baron. She cites research indicating that students learn more effectively when they

feel respected by their educator. “If teens are more likely to engage with adults who respect

them,” Baron argues, “it's safe to say that respect is essential to student learning” (Baron, 2015).

Author Maurice Elias suggests that respecting student emotions goes a long way in creating a

developmentally appropriate classroom. He offers this piece of wisdom for secondary educators:

“Questions that [students] ask about life and their futures are best treated emotionally, not

through information” (Elias, 2015). According to Elias, being a facilitator and a listener is

sometimes more important than being an instructor.

When it comes to instruction itself, it is necessary to employ concept-based curriculum in

the classroom. Concept-based curriculum assesses students for their holistic understanding of a

concept, rather than grilling them on overly specific facts. In “The Thinking Classroom,” authors

H.L. Erickson and C.A. Tomlinson nicely contrast the two modes of teaching. They describe one

classroom in which “students collaborate as they hypothesize and design and carry out

experiments using levers, pulleys, and ramps. The teacher asks the students to use the concepts
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of force and energy to describe the results of their experiments. Students express ideas, question

each other, and extend their thinking. Down the hall in another classroom, students sit placidly in

rows and stare at their textbooks while child after child reads a paragraph. Behind the vacant

eyes, minds are playing—outside. The teacher controls the scene from a stool in the front of the

room and questions the facts just read” (Erickson & Tomlinson, 2007). Not only is concept-

based curriculum a better method of generating assessment data, but it is also a much more

engaging method of teaching for the student.

The authors of the book Preventing Problems, Promoting Development, Encouraging

Engagement: Competing Priorities or Inseparable Goals? inform my final theory as to what

makes a classroom developmentally appropriate. I believe that teachers must strive to get

students engaged in activities that interest them and help them grow. At the same time,

secondary educators should seek to help their students with their problems and prepare them for

life after high school. The authors write: “Three goals — solving young people’s problems,

preparing them for adulthood and helping them get involved — are too often seen as competing

priorities. It is time that they are recognized as inseparable goals” (Pittman, 2003). Indeed, it is

necessary to meet all three of these goals in order to promote the healthy development of

adolescents.

Context of the Inquiry

My observations took place in an Indianapolis Public School in an urban environment. Notably,

my observations took place in the fall of 2018, which was the first semester of classes after this

high school had merged with others. This merger created a significantly larger student body than

the faculty was accustomed to, which created an interesting period of transition which

undeniably had a significant effect on my observations. I will not disclose the name of the high
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school nor any educators or students involved in the study. This is to protect the identity of the

participants. I choose to do this because I focus on the ineffective teaching strategies of some

educators while praising the success of others. This is not a fair representation of the individuals

discussed because, while I detail their mistakes in my research, I still believe them to be capable

educators overall.

I collected data by sitting in on full class sessions, making observations through the lens

of developmental theory, and taking notes. I visited this high school eight times, for

approximately two and half hours each visit. This leads to a total of approximately 20

observation hours.

Method

My method for collecting field notes was to observe class as attentively as possible while taking

enough notes to ensure I remembered my significant observations. After leaving the high school,

I would write a one to two paragraph journal entry breaking down my observations from the day,

often connecting my observations to developmental theory.

I would write about teachers enacting certain developmental strategies, such as

employing concept-based curriculum. I would also write about the consequences of teachers

failing to enact those strategies. In one instance, I observed a teacher that seemed to have no

established routine or culture of respect. As a result, she struggled to manage her students. I felt

that my notes were sufficient once they convincingly affirmed particular theories that I had read

about. I began the note taking process with several theories in mind, but I felt I had collected

enough data once my observations strongly supported five or six developmental theories.
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Findings and Implications

My observations, combined with studying developmental theory literature, have led me to

several developmental theories of my own. In order for educators to create developmentally

appropriate conditions for adolescent learns, I believe they must do the following: They must

establish a consistent routine and allow students to create their own responsibilities and rituals.

Educators must get their students engaged by using interactive teaching strategies, such as

incorporating physical movement. Teachers must create a culture of mutual respect in the

classroom and they should be emotionally available to their students. Teachers should assess

their students using concept-based curriculum and performance tasks. Finally, educators need to

help their students in capacities that go beyond the curriculum: They should offer guidance, help

students get involved, and prepare them for adulthood.

In order to create developmentally appropriate conditions, educators must have a

consistent routine and set clear expectations. Allowing students to determine their own

responsibilities and rituals is a great way to empower and engage a classroom. During my

research, I observed one teacher who was particularly good at establishing a routine and another

teacher who struggled with the idea. While observing a Project Lead the Way class, the teacher

entered the classroom and very matter-of-factly told his class, “You know the drill.” His students

took the hint and quickly opened their personal laptops and got to work. It was apparent that this

classroom was routinely expected to engage with the same computer software at the beginning of

each class. The software itself looked engaging and I appreciated that the program allowed

students to work at their own pace. However, what I really appreciated was how the teacher had

set clear expectations and a consistent routine. The students worked quietly and attentively for

the first ten minutes of class with little instruction from the teacher. When the educator was
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ready to begin direct instruction, his classroom was already quiet, focused, and in a learning

mindset. In another classroom I observed during a different visit, I saw the opposite scenario

unfold. Students entered a Social Studies classroom loudly and disrespectfully talked over the

teacher as she attempted to begin class. She also struggled to get the students to look away from

their cell phones. Based on the conversation, it was apparent that this behavior was common.

One of the first things this teacher did was play a long, disengaging video of a monotonous

political speech. I could see why this educator was struggling. The video seemed as if it had been

chosen rather arbitrarily. There was no routine in this classroom and expectations were unclear.

It appeared that this educator had tolerated small instances of misbehavior in the past, but those

problems festered to the point where she was no longer in control of her classroom. In his article,

“Tools for Student Self-Management,” Andrew Miller asserts that routines are critically

important in establishing a successful classroom. He goes on to say that students will be far more

engaged if they are given a voice in creating those routines (Miller, 2016). In the social studies

class I observed, the students were disengaged partially because they had no say in what they did

on a daily basis. Routines are important because they give students a sense of order and

consistency. A solid routine can put students in a learning mindset every day. Self-determined

routines and responsibilities allow students to engage more deeply with their own learning. It is

also easier for an educator to hold a student accountable for a responsibility that they chose for

themselves.

Educators should design lesson plans that are innovative, engaging, and fun. Movement

is a great way to make students feel more involved. I saw an excellent example of student

engagement in an art class I observed. The classroom was brimming with activity as groups

moved around the classroom to gather the supplies necessary to create their own three-
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dimensional pieces of fashion. The art teacher had asked her students to put on an after-school

fashion show. Groups had been assigned certain artists that were supposed to inspire their

designs. The teacher had poured extra time, energy, and resources into her classroom to make the

fashion show happen. The activity was certainly an engaging performance task that her students

would never forget. I was impressed by the energy of the classroom as students buzzed around

the tables creating their costumes. Tristan de Frondeville cites movement as one of the best

strategies for student engagement: “Because most kids find it invigorating and it's easy to

monitor full participation, it may become one of your favorite ways to get kids focused” (de

Frondeville, 2009). Indeed, movement gets students excited and it is easy to visually observe

which students are engaged and which are not. It is critically important to create engaging lesson

plans that focus more on performance tasks and concept-based learning. Strategies that rely

solely on students sitting at their desks and listening to lectures are disengaging and

developmentally inappropriate.

When creating a developmentally appropriate classroom for adolescents, it is critical to

foster a sense of respect between student and teacher. I was particularly impressed with the

feeling of respect and community I felt in a Biology classroom. The teacher opened class with a

mystery for the students to solve: Several years ago, a man was on a radio competing to earn a

Wii. The challenge was called “Hold Your Wii” and the goal was to drink as much water as

possible without urinating. The man drank so much water without urinating that he had to be

hospitalized and eventually died. She asked her students how the man died. She was very

encouraging and open to all answers, even ones that were pretty off-base from the direction she

was headed. Eventually, she revealed that the man’s cells had ruptured, which led into a lecture

on osmosis. This was both an engaging way to open class and an opportunity for student voices
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to be heard. I noticed that she was very friendly and encouraging to all her students, who she

collectively referred to as “lovies.” This quirky choice was heart-warming as it reflected the

genuine care she felt for her students. During another one of my observations, I saw a teacher do

a worse job of respecting her students and hearing their voice. The situation started when an

administrator got on the PA and instructed all teachers to lock their doors after one minute had

passed. The administrator announced that all students in the hallway after the minute passed

would be marked tardy. The teacher I was observing misheard the directions and immediately

locked her door. She had two or three students knock on the door before the minute had passed,

but they were already locked out. They tried to debate the issue with her, but she was very

matter-of-fact and would not listen to them. The situation was frustrating to watch because the

teacher had made a simple mistake and was in the wrong. Making mistakes is unavoidable and

perfectly acceptable but being unwilling to hear your students is unacceptable. Effective

classrooms should be a place of mutual respect. Presumably, the students received tardies.

Author Julie Baron cites research that suggests students learn more effectively when they feel

respected by their educators. “If teens are more likely to engage with adults who respect them,”

Baron argues, “it's safe to say that respect is essential to student learning” (Baron, 2015).

Because respect is essential to learning, it is therefore essential to create a developmentally

appropriate learning environment. It is also important to give students a voice in the classroom.

This engages them and makes them feel like they have agency in their own education.

A secondary educator’s curriculum should be concept-based. I saw an excellent example

of concept-based curriculum when I observed yet another fashion show. This time, it was in a

Design class and the students had been tasked with creating functional shoes from household

materials. Rather than having his students create a written report or take an exam over design
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concepts, the teacher had them prove their knowledge and skills through a performance task. As

authors Erickson & Tomlinson say, “concept-based curricular and instructional designs are three-

dimensional” (Erickson & Tomlinson, 2007). What they mean by this is that concept-based

curriculum does more then merely assess the student for knowledge. It also allows them to show

off learned skills and demonstrate their mastery of a concept. Furthermore, concept-based

curriculum provides the educator with more useful, holistic assessment data.

Finally, effective educators encourage student growth in multiple areas. In order to fully

support the development of adolescents, secondary educators much teach lessons that exist

outside their content area. Teachers should encourage students to pursue their interests and get

involved. Teachers should offer guidance when a student comes to them with a personal

problem. Finally, educators should help prepare their students for life after high school. While

these goals are lofty and sometimes compete with one another, all three goals must be pursued

simultaneously. I observed an English teacher that obviously cared for his students in a capacity

that went beyond literature. As his students worked on a writing assignment, he told me about

some of the behavioral problems in his classroom and showed me the software teachers use to

create write-ups. He talked about how “the system” simply made it difficult for some students to

succeed. He explained how many of his students lived in dangerous neighborhoods and how

their homes were routinely raided by police. More specific to English, he talked about how 9th

grade students with 3rd grade reading levels simply cannot flourish or get the help they need

under the current education model. This educator’s compassion for his students and his desire to

see them succeed served as a model for what an effective, passionate educator looks like. As the

authors of Preventing Problems, Promoting Development, Encouraging Engagement: Competing

Priorities or Inseparable Goals? say, “Young people need places, services and instruction. But
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they also need supports — relationships and networks that provide nurturing, standards and

guidance — and opportunities for trying new roles, mastering challenges and contributing to

family and community” (Pittman). To me, these needs rest at the heart of adolescent

development. Teenagers desperately need healthy relationships, guidance, and opportunities to

explore their own potential. As educators, we must realize that we cannot always provide our

students with these necessities single-handedly. Therefore, it is important for an educator to be

knowledgeable of their local community and be able to provide their students with guidance and

resources.

I have based my theories on firsthand observations and on an examination of

developmental theory literature. I believe these concepts to be the most important building

blocks to consider when creating a developmentally appropriate environment for adolescent

learners.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have developed my own theories regarding how educators create

developmentally appropriate conditions for their teenaged students. Based on my studies of

developmental theory and my classroom observations, I believe I have found a strong starting

point for creating a developmentally appropriate classroom. Teachers must engage their students

in order to begin teaching them. I believe classrooms require a sense of consistency and

responsibility, which can be created through routines and clear expectations. A sense of respect

between educator and student is critical and will allow the student to engage more deeply.

Curriculum should be engaging and concept-based. This allows the student to prove their

knowledge holistically. Finally, educators should encourage student growth inside and outside

the classroom.
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With these theories in mind, I believe I am better suited to lead my own classroom. My

observations were highly formative and gave me a unique perspective into the profession of

teaching. I have reflected on the type of educator I should be, want to be, and can be.
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Works Cited

de Frondeville, Tristan. “How to Keep Kids Engaged in Class.” Edutopia, George Lucas

Educational Foundation, 3 Aug. 2009, www.edutopia.org/classroom-student-

participation-tips.

Baron, Julie. “Teen Engagement in Learning Starts With Respect.” Edutopia, George Lucas

Educational Foundation, 26 Oct. 2015, www.edutopia.org/blog/teen-engagement-starts-

with-respect-julie-baron.

Elias, Maurice J. “7 Things Parents and Teachers Should Know About Teens.” Edutopia, George

Lucas Educational Foundation, 8 June 2015, www.edutopia.org/blog/7-things-parents-

and-teachers-should-know-about-teens-maurice-elias.

Miller, Andrew. “Tools for Student Self-Management.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational

Foundation, 13 Sept. 2016, www.edutopia.org/blog/tools-for-student-self-management-

andrew-miller.

Erickson, H. L., & Tomlinson, C.A. (2007). The Thinking Classroom. In Concept-Based

Curriculum and Instruction for the Thinking Classroom (pp. 5-23). Thousand Oaks, CA:

Corwin Press.

Pittman, K., Irby, M., Tolman, J., Yohalem, N., & Ferber, T. (2003). Preventing Problems,

Promoting Development, Encouraging Engagement: Competing Priorities or Inseparable

Goals? Washington, DC: The Forum for Youth Investment, Impact Strategies, Inc.

Available online at www.forumfyi.org.