The unprecedented impact of Covid-19 policies on educational systems cannot be overstated. While often a topic of debate, the scrutiny of teaching and learning in public educational settings intensified during the pandemic and has remained persistent. However well-intentioned these policies were, teachers continue to be challenged by increased scrutiny while meeting the demands of high stakes courses, testing requirements, and rigidity in classrooms. These restrictive environments and policies conflict with theories and research that support authentic learning and collaboration as best practices. This can make the implementation of methods to empower and engage students feel nearly impossible. The innovative teaching practices presented in this article can be used by teachers, and in teacher training programs, to engage students to become active participants in both teaching and learning as well as overcome the limitations of restrictive environments. In the action research study referenced in this paper, students were encouraged to explore a democratic learning environment in which they worked collaboratively to develop lesson plans for social studies that adhered to state requirements. The findings showed a profound shift in perceptions of teaching and learning by students and teacher.

Author: Diana Satterfield

Published in: Ireland International Conference on Education (IICE-2023)

• Date of Conference: 24-26 October, 2023
• DOI: 10.20533/IICE.2023.10.0005
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-68-6
• Conference Location: Dún Laoghaire, Ireland