| In the American educational system of the early 21st century, the need to address the academic development of at-risk adolescents heightens the importance of understanding the efficacy of alternative approaches to teaching and learning. Accordingly, the purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate the role of alternative, student-centered teaching strategies in the academic achievement of at-risk adolescents. The research centered on the role of student-centered teaching strategies in the academic development of at-risk adolescents. Utilizing the key theories of Maslow and Gardner as a conceptual framework, 10 randomly selected at-risk adolescents and 2 alternative education teachers in 2 English Language Arts (ELA) alternative classroom settings were observed and interviewed to explore the use of diverse and progressive pedagogical practices that improve students' academic engagement and performance. Employing a postpositivist case study approach, data were collected and analyzed using categorical aggregation. The study identified the positive role of alternative, student-centered instructional strategies in the academic development of at-risk students. Research results demonstrated significant improvement of at-risk students' academic performance in response to alternative, student-centered approaches to instruction and refinement of instructional strategies based on assessment of learning outcomes. The findings of this study may be effective in promoting the use of alternative, student-centered instructional strategies in the traditional classroom setting, thereby increasing learning opportunities for an academically diverse student population. |
