Scheduled for Research Consortium Pedagogy I Poster Session, Thursday, April 27, 2006, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall Poster Area I


Integrating the Personal and Social Responsibility Model Into a First-Grade Curriculum

Paul M. Wright, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN

The current study describes and evaluates an attempt to integrate the Personal and Social Responsibility Model (PSRM) into a first grade curriculum. Martinek and his associates (2001) have made attempts to connect the PSRM more directly to the academic lives of participants through an academic mentoring program that serves as an adjunct to a PSRM physical activity program. Wright (2001) has demonstrated the feasibility of collaborating with a classroom teacher to deliver a PSRM program. The current study involved collaboration between a physical education teacher, classroom teacher, and librarian. This project incorporated educational best practices such as project-based learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and authentic assessment. Participants were 13 students from a first grade class in a university-affiliated laboratory school. The project spanned several months and consisted of two phases. In the first phase, the PSRM was introduced through a series of physical education lessons. The principles of the PSRM were presented through a story. Participants learned yoga postures and animal walks that allowed them to act out the story. Digital photographs and student drawings were blended with the story to create a “book” that demonstrated what the class had learned. In the second phase, this activity was extended into library and classroom lessons. The librarian read the book with participants and used it to teach about the rhythms found in stories. The classroom teacher extended on one of the PSRM principles and had participants write acrostic poems around the word “caring”. Participants then worked in the computer lab to type their poems. Data collected for this study consisted of interviews with the physical education teacher, classroom teacher, librarian, and their principal. Group interviews were conducted with several first grade participants. Observational field-notes were taken in the physical education and classroom settings. Other data sources included artifacts from student work, authentic assessments and lesson plans. Inductive analysis and constant comparison strategies were employed to interpret the data. Data triangulation, peer debriefing, and checks for disconfirming evidence contributed to the trustworthiness of this research. Results indicate that this activity was developmentally appropriate and engaging for participants. The faculty and their principal were receptive to the concept and agreed the value of the PSRM was not restricted to the gymnasium. Implications for future research and the development of educational interventions are discussed.
Keyword(s): curriculum development, elementary education, youth-at-risk

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