Toward Authentic Student-Centered Practices

This investigation uncovered the conditions of learning, both positive and negative, that students in an alternative school experienced both in and out of the classroom setting. Eleven students at an alternative high school in a large suburban school district in the Pacific Northwest were interviewed using methods of narrative inquiry and iterative data collection, grounded in social cognitive theory and student voice literature. Four chief findings are discussed: (a) Learning experiences are improved when explicitly connected to the real world; (b) Positive emotions and relationships support successful learning, whereas negative ones hinder learning; (c) A certain level of student autonomy during learning seems to be tied to achieving goals; and (d) Social learning is consequential for students. The social as defined in this study is composed of two things: (a) how social influences from outside of school can have an effect on how students approach schooling and (b) the implications of understanding and taking part in relationships.