Date of Award

7-1-1996

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

Abstract

This qualitative study focuses on the experiences of three at-risk middle school students in an interdisciplinary team organization. The purpose was to investigate the attitudes and experiences of these students as they engaged in the activities of an interdisciplinary team. The sources of data were the descriptive field notes generated by observation, in-depth interviews of the participants, documents from the site, and a field diary which contained the author's reflective insights.The portraits of the at-risk students studied revealed personal characteristics and behaviors that challenged their opportunities for successful school experience. The portraits also detailed elements in their family backgrounds and personal and school problems that increased their vulnerability for school failure.The themes that emerged from data analysis were sense of belonging and resistance. The participants experienced or demonstrated these themes in varying intensities. It was found that the participants were in danger of school failure despite the best efforts of the interdisciplinary team of teachers. The students, in varying degrees, vacillated between concern for or anxiety over the obvious consequences for their limited engagement in the school process and denial of ownership of these consequences through excuses and rationalization. Their common messages disclosed, at best, a limited sense of belonging to the community established by the team organization. The participants understood the concept of an interdisciplinary team organization but did not identity with or personalize the social and academic goals offered by the team setting.The study implied that these at-risk students were not responding to the goals and climate established by their teachers. The students may have benefited from instruction that offered more hands-on experiences, cooperative learning, short term academic goals perpetuated by contracts, and a mentor from the teaching team. The school may have enhanced the effectiveness of teachers through implementation of block scheduling, which would have allowed instructional changes and curricular continuity, and staff development in the areas of teaching and intervention techniques for at-risk students.

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