Student Empowerment and School Culture:
Perceptions of Adolescents and Their
Parents/Guardians
Dirk Erik Skogsberg
Problem Statement
Middle Level Students
– Adolescence - greatest changes (K-12)
• Physiological
• Psychological
– Changes often impact academics and
behavior
What direct impact do students have
on their well-being and subsequent
learning?
Purpose of the study:
To explore the perceptions of middle
level students and their
parents/guardians of how student
empowerment, through ownership
in the learning community, impacts
the school’s culture
The question…
What are student and
parent/guardian perceptions of
student empowerment, through
ownership in the learning
community, and the subsequent
impact on the school’s culture?
Significance of the Study
• Students at this age/grade level are
“caught” in the middle.
• Expectations
– Set by adults
– Adolescent students are to model adult
behavior
• No student voice
Review of Literature
Key points - continued:
• Adolescents & Adolescence
• Culture
• Ownership & Empowerment
Adolescents & Social Development
Level 3 – PostConventional &
Principled
Level 2 –
Conventional
Level 1 –
Preconventional
Stage 6 –
Universal Ethical
Principles
Stage 5 – Prior
Rights & Social
Contract
Stage 4 – Social
System &
Conscience
Stage 3 – Mutual
Interpersonal
Expectations
Stage 2 –
Individual Purpose
& Exchange
Stage 1 –
Punishment &
Obedience
According to
George &
Alexander:
•Some will demonstrate
a predominance of
Stage 1
•Near age 10, some
begin to enter Stage 2
•Middle level students
are typically thought to
be in Stage 3
•A very small population
of middle school
students will move into
Stage 4 during their
middle school years
Adolescents & Adolescence,
continued:
• Beliefs and autonomy
• Voice
• Needs
• Age vs. physiological
• Stages / Levels
Culture
• Culture in General
• Fostered Democracies
• Culture & Change
Ownership & Empowerment
• Autonomy
• Voice
• Demarginalization
• Ownership vs. Empowerment
Methodology of Research
• Sample Pool
• Demographics
• Interviews
Limitations & Delimitations
Human Subjects and Ethics
• Students
• Parents/Guardians
Collection of Data
• Collection
• Accessibility
• Record Keeping
Pseudonyms / Aliases
• Pseudonyms
–
–
–
–
–
Students
Parents/Guardians
School / Surrounding Schools
Community / Surrounding Communities
Others
Triangulation of Data
• Memoing
• Recordings
• Transcripts
• Log
Analysis / Coding
• Emergent Themes
• Repeated Review
• Synthesis took place AFTER thorough
analysis
• Coding
– Free nodes
– Tree nodes
Findings
1. Ownership
2. Make a Difference
3. Culture & Empowerment
4. Culture & Behavior / Achievement
Finding 1
Ownership is brought about through
empowerment of stakeholders.
–
–
–
–
–
Sense and embrace ownership
Taking an active role – opportunity vs. action
Taking the lead or playing a supportive role
Self-imposed expectations by the students
Demarginalization
Finding 2
People Make a Difference
Belief
– In others
– Oneself
– Collective Whole
Students
– Ownership
– Supported
Student Outcomes:
Know Differently
Content wise
Prepared for life
Authentic learning and engagement with applications
Think globally (with multiple foci)
Use prior knowledge
Believe Differently
All students can be successful
Overcome peer pressure
Read for importance
All students learn in different ways
Self-directed learning
Self-advocates
Freedom & trust to discover new & interesting things
Do Differently
Care for others and act on it
Student involvement
Do something AS a learning community FOR the larger
community
Finding 3
The culture of a school can be changed as
a result of student empowerment.
– “Whose school is it?”
– “How many does it take?”
• X^1
– Change in Our
• Values
• Beliefs
• Attitudes
Finding 4
Change in school culture impacts student
behavior and achievement.
– Making choices, following examples
– Giving opportunities for personal growth
– Realizing your role
Implications – Finding 1
Ownership is brought about through
empowerment of stakeholders
– Ownership of the learning community
required that ALL stakeholders were valued
– Future considerations…
Implications – Finding 2
People Make a Difference
• Staff
– Supporting peers
– Supporting students
• Students
– Supporting peers
– Holding peers & teachers accountable
Implications – Finding 2, cont’d.
People Make a Difference
– Future considerations…
Implications – Finding 3
• Empowerment CAN Change Culture
– Dependence
– Culture Change as a JOURNEY
Implications – Finding 3, cont’d.
• Empowerment CAN Change Culture
– Future considerations…
Implications – Finding 4
• Culture Impacts Behavior / Achievement
– Decrease in significant discipline
– Increase in student academic achievement
Implications – Finding 4, cont’d.
Table 5.2 – Behavior Management Data (by school year)
Suspensions
Expulsions
2007-2008
94
9
2008-2009
75
3
2009-2010
51
0
Table 5.3 – Academic Performance (by school year)
Assessment and
Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP)
Summer School
Retentions
2007-2008
2008-2009
Improvement in
Improvement
all areas, and AYP in all areas,
met in all areas
and AYP met
in all areas
sans reading
for “students
with
disabilities”
37
10
6
1
2009-2010
Improvement in
all areas, and
AYP met in all
areas
16
0
Implications – Finding 4, cont’d.
• Culture Impacts Behavior / Achievement
– Future considerations…
In summary–
• Understand the perspectives of middle level
students
• Guide future professional practice of middle
level educators
• Make a connection between student
empowerment, through student ownership in
the learning community, and its impact on
school culture
• Specific consideration given to students as
active stakeholders