The Effects of Interdisciplinary Teaching on Students in Outdoor Academy at Tahoma High School

Abstract

Is interdisciplinary teaching the answer to the call for schools to improve standardized test scores? As teachers continually search for the best ways to impart knowledge and wisdom to their students in traditional classroom settings, Tahoma High School has implemented Outdoor Academy. This class integrates traditional, required 10th grade courses; English, science, and physical education, into one full day course which meets every other school day and takes biweekly field trips to attempt to provide better connection between the students and the materials learned in class. After over seven years of implementing this class, Tahoma has found that the students in Outdoor Academy continually outscore the rest of their schoolmates on standardized tests. The continual academic success of the students in Tahoma's Outdoor Academy raises the question of; what is the experience of the students in this integrated class and how does this experience lead them to higher academic achievement? To answer this question, this research project took on a quantitative case study approach in order to allow myself to observe these students in their natural setting and also to analyze their standardized test scores, and survey them on their experience in the class. The study has shown that students felt a stronger connection to both the teachers and their peers in Outdoor Academy than they did to their other teachers and classmates, and that Outdoor Academy students scored on average 15% higher on standardized tests than did the rest of the school. Thus, the research has shown that students retain more knowledge when they are better connected to their teachers and peers, and when lessons are made relevant to real world experiences.