Teaching Approaches and Student Participation

This research examines differences in teaching approaches throughout a high school in the Midlands of South Carolina and their potential impacts on students’ willingness to participate in class. This research will investigate the two different perspectives in a high school classroom: the teacher and the student. Surveys were distributed to students at a local high school during various classes to ensure broad representation. Then, students and teachers were interviewed concerning their classroom experiences. Students identified the following major themes as leading them to participate less in class when teachers do the following: force unwilling students to participate, have negative body language, and do not understand mistakes. Teachers viewed the following as the most important factors in the classroom: building relationships and emotional safety, growth and learning beyond grades, engagement and fun in the learning process, and empathy and encouraging confidence