Organizational Skills and Student Achievement

Abstract

Organizational skills are important to the success of every student but they may also be the answer to helping students with mild disabilities keep up with their school work. Given the increasing number of children diagnosed with emotional or learning disabilities—many of whom will receive education in a general classroom—it is becoming more and more important for teachers to provide the support their students need. This thesis project explores the reasoning behind providing inclusive educational settings, discusses the challenges for teachers, parents, and students inherent in that inclusivity, and examines how different organizational strategies affect such challenging circumstances. The research focuses specifically on how note-taking strategies influence student achievement. The research was conducted with a control group of five students and an experimental group of five students, the latter of whom received class notebooks to record all notes, homework, and test and quiz answers. The research findings found that the students who used the note-taking strategy achieved higher overall test scores, were better prepared for class, and gained confidence in their own abilities.