Overcoming Obstacles in Using Authentic Instruction: A Comparative Case Study of High School Math & Science Teachers.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research demonstrates that authentic instruction is an effective form of teaching and raising student achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine high school math or science teachers who had a high interest in using authentic instruction in three different school settings - an alternative school, a charter school, and a traditional school. Ultimately, goal was to see how authentic instruction, if at all, benefited student learning in different environments, if it worked same in contrasting environments, and how teachers were overcoming obstacles and effectively implementing authentic instruction. Findings indicate that maintaining authentic instruction should include quality teachers, collaboration, and sustained professional development. INTRODUCTION Authentic instruction is combination of instruction and assessment that is designed to bolster student achievement through lessons which are taught at a higher intellectual level and that contain information and skills that are of value beyond school (Newmann and Associates, 1996; Newmann, Bryk, & Nagaoka, 2001 ). When lessons are taught at this higher level, they include asking students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information. Students working at these levels might be asked to produce a diagram depicting cause and effect of a science experiment, draw conclusions as to what happened, and then predict multiple ways to solve problem and argue which method is best. In comparison, inauthentic methods would include lower level skills, such as memorization, regurgitation of facts, or solving pages of math problems that have no relation to a real life scenario. If teachers, students, or just about any layperson were asked what they thought students should be learning in school - their answer would most likely include a belief about school being meaningful and relevant to society, or the real world. All too often, in today's schools and in our official state curricula, meaningful, in-depth understanding, and applications to world beyond school are not being taught to achieve intellectual quality, which is essence of authentic instruction. Rather, student learning is often based on rote memorization of useless facts, skills taught in isolation that students are unable to apply to their daily living, or meaningless trivia that has no value outside of school (National Research Council, 2004; Wood 2005). Authentic achievement consists of three criteria: construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and learning that is of value beyond school (Newmann and Associates, 1 996). Construction of knowledge involves students producing original work, such as through writing or art. In a traditional setting, students are mainly asked to reproduce knowledge they gain, such as demonstration of memorization of facts on a multiple choice or matching test. Disciplined inquiry involves students using their prior knowledge in an attempt to understand on a deeper level, rather than a superficial level. Value beyond school is exactly what it states - students should be able to use knowledge and processes that they learn at school in their everyday lives. Authentic instruction can be an overwhelming undertaking and shift in style for teachers and schools, especially for those still using traditional approaches. It has been noted that instruction that emphasizes meaning and understanding is demanding on teachers and not all teachers are willing to use these practices (Knapp et al., 1992; Loucks-Horsley, Love, Stiles, Mundry, & Hewson, 2003). However, its effectiveness in improving student achievement has been shown in numerous studies (Fouts and Associates, 2001; Huffman & Hipp, 2003; Newmann et al., 2001; Starratt, 2004). It is also known that authentic instruction is not easily implemented; higherorder thinking skills and connecting material to outside world have been noted as two of more difficult components to emphasize when using this method (D'Agostino, 1996). …