Building Community in a Standards-Based Classroom

Graduation Date

Spring 2006

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Document Form

Print

Degree Name

Master of Science

Program Name

Education

Program Director

Madalienne F. Peters, EdD

Abstract

Creating a sense of classroom community has social, emotional, and academic benefits. The problem confronting schools today is how to create community in a standards-based environment, where teachers are no longer the primary decision makers about how time and resources are allocated in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine and document the attempts of practitioners to build community in standards-based classrooms. Existing literature contains information about definitions of community, benefits of community, and teacher practices that build community. This study extends that knowledge by applying grounded theory to data obtained by interviewing five teachers. Teachers provide classroom structure through which they implement four strategies that generate and maintain community. Standards place constraints on community building, but these constraints can be counter­balanced by teacher priority.

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