SCHOOLING AND STUDENT PERCEPTIONS:

UNDERSTANDING MEANING AND RELEVANCE OF THE PLACE

CALLED
SCHOOL IN THE LIVES OF MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN
By Andrew T. Garcia

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This research explored the meaning of school for middle school

students from
their point of view. The study was conducted, in part, to allow the
underrepresented voices of adolescents to be documented in an
educational study. A focus was on how school is perceived and
experienced by middle school students.

The existing literature demonstrated a need for investigations of

schooling from the point of view of young adolescents since most
studies have inferred student
perspectives from studies of programs, curriculum and teachers.

Interpretivist and phenomenological research methods were used.

Focus
Groups, a survey, several questionnaires and interviews were used as
data collection methods. Analysis was done by coding responses and
by listing student responses allowing for a stream of middle school
consciousness to emerge for the reader.

Findings illustrated a high degree of focus on teachers and their modes

and
attitudes in school. Students indicated a desire for more activity based
learning at school and for more input into the curriculum.

Co-researchers overwhelmingly indicated that school was both a place

to
learn AND a place to socialize.

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