The Impact of Common Planning Time on Middle Grades Students and Teachers

This descriptive study examines the practice of common planning time (CPT) for middle grades teachers who are members of interdisciplinary teams and the impact that this practice has on students' self-concepts and perceptions of their school climate and teachers' perceptions of their working environment. Instruments used were the Self-Description Questionnaire-II, Quality of School Life Scale, and Teacher Opinion Questionnaire. Results showed that students receiving instruction from teachers on interdisciplinary teams with CPT had higher overall self-concepts and more positive overall perceptions of their school climate than did students receiving instruction from teachers on interdisciplinary teams without CPT, organized departmentally. In addition, results of the study showed that teachers on interdisciplinary teams with CPT had more positive overall perceptions of their working environment than did teachers who were organized departmentally. The findings suggest that CPT for teachers on interdisciplinary teams plays a critical role in making middle grades schools more responsive to the needs of young adolescents and their teachers.