Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a significant difference in the academic and behavioral performance of randomly assigned ninth graders into interdisciplinary and traditional academic schedules. The interaction of gender and treatment (schedules) was also examined. Methodology. A post-test only true experimental factorial design (2 x 2) was utilized to answer questions concerning the academic and behavioral performance of girls and boys in interdisciplinary and traditional academic schedules. A ninth grade class at an average-achieving California high school was divided into two randomly selected groups of 120 students each. One was scheduled into an interdisciplinary team of math, science, English, and social studies in a four-hour block schedule with the same four teachers. The second group was scheduled traditionally into the same four subject areas but without a block schedule or a team of four teachers. Achievement was measured in each group in the areas of: (1) grade point averages in each academic area; (2) standardized test results in each academic area; (3) attendance; and (4) discipline. Findings and conclusions. This study found that there was no significant difference between the interdisciplinary and the traditional groups in any of the areas measured (grade point average, standardized test scores, attendance, and discipline). It also determined that there was no significant difference between boys and girls, except in the area of grade point average in English. Girls achieved significantly higher grade point averages than boys. The study found that there was no significant interaction between gender and treatment, except in the grade point average areas of math and science. In both of those areas, boys were found to perform better in the interdisciplinary team and girls in the traditionally scheduled group. An unexpected finding was that there was a significant difference between the interdisciplinary and the traditional groups in the attrition rate. There was a greater loss of students in the traditionally scheduled group. Recommendations. Overall, this study raised questions about the greater effectiveness of interdisciplinary compared to traditional academic schedules. Based upon this study, high schools should examine the relationships between teacher-generated grades and standardized test scores. Additionally, researchers should continue to study whether the effectiveness of a style of instruction varies according to gender. Why this study found ninth grade boys to achieve significantly higher grade point averages than girls in math and science in a relatively nurturing "team" environment, and why girls achieved higher grade point averages in those same academic areas in a more traditional high school schedule is a subject that needs to be further explored.