The effects of deeper learning opportunities on student achievement: Examining differential pathways

Abstract

This study investigates relations between cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal opportunities, noncognitive outcomes, and student achievement in 1,096 students from 20 high schools (10 Deeper Learning [DL] network, 10 control) who participated in the Study of DL (SDL). DL is an umbrella term used to encompass the cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills and knowledge that students need to be successful in school and the workforce. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test a theoretical model that hypothesizes plausible pathways between DL opportunities to interpersonal, intrapersonal, and cognitive outcomes. Further, a multigroup structural equation modeling examined differences in these relations between DL and matched nonnetwork schools. Cognitive and intrapersonal opportunities were related to both interpersonal and intrapersonal outcomes. Further, cognitive opportunities were indirectly related to student achievement through interpersonal outcomes. Similar patterns of relations were found in DL and control schools. This study helps to build a stronger understanding of how types of DL opportunities and strategies can best develop the complex skills that students need to be successful in school and can also be used to inform future intervention designs and research studies.

Transformation of school leaders’ understandings and practices of change leadership, deeper learning and equity through participation in a leadership academy

“…, 2016). Teaching “students ‘how to learn’ appears to be key for implementing change in intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes” (Ottmar, 2018, p. 851). Implementing deeper learning in schools with its enhanced focus on cognitive opportunities is also related to “more positive collaboration and intrapersonal outcomes” (Ottmar, 2018, p. 853) regardless of school structure.…”

“…Teaching “students ‘how to learn’ appears to be key for implementing change in intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes” (Ottmar, 2018, p. 851). Implementing deeper learning in schools with its enhanced focus on cognitive opportunities is also related to “more positive collaboration and intrapersonal outcomes” (Ottmar, 2018, p. 853) regardless of school structure. Despite the advantages of deeper learning, one group of researchers concluded that students from deeper learning schools did not have better college retention rates than other students (Yang et al.…”

“…Educating students using deeper learning methods is a way to accomplish the goal of getting students at par with contemporary practices and behaviors that could make them effective learners and productive citizens (Bitter and Loney, 2015;Darling-Hammond et al, 2022a;Hewlett Foundation, 2013;Ottmar, 2018). Deeper learning pedagogy is designed to enable students to develop 21st-century skills such as collaboration, creativity, flexibility, critical problem-solving, communication and dealing with ambiguity (Hewlett Foundation, 2013;Mehta and Fine, 2015).…”

Does attending a deeper learning school promote student motivation, engagement, perseverance, and achievement?

“…In an enduring effort to bolster student achievement, recent initiatives have prioritized creating classroom environments in which students have opportunities and resources to deeply engage with course material (Noguera, 2017). In fact, a growing network of more than 500 schools with 13,800 teachers and 227,000 students across 41 states is centered on providing DL opportunities to students, many of whom are low income and minority students (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2019; Ottmar, 2019). This large network is rooted in the idea that DL can provide students with crucial social, emotional, and academic skills.…”