This paper presents a fieldwork-based classroom observation study conducted across two California elementary schools — Success Academy in San Jose and Esperanza Elementary School in Oakland. The author observes first- and second-grade lessons in Social Studies and Science respectively, documenting school demographics, classroom environments, bilingual education models, and instructional strategies. Observations are then connected to major educational philosophies, including perennialism, essentialism, progressivism, cognitivism, and constructivism. The paper concludes by linking Success Academy's instructional approach to constructivist learning theory, highlighting how prior knowledge activation and social interaction support student cognitive development.
The paper demonstrates systematic comparative observation as a research method. By documenting two distinct school environments at different grade levels and then synthesizing findings through an educational philosophy lens, the author shows how empirical fieldwork can be used to validate and extend theoretical frameworks learned in coursework — particularly constructivism and the role of prior knowledge in student learning.
The paper is organized into five labeled parts: school settings (Part A), classroom environments (Part B), lessons observed (Part C), philosophical connections (Part D), and constructivist theory application (Part E), followed by a brief conclusion. Each part maintains the two-school comparison structure before the final sections synthesize both observations into broader educational theory. This scaffolded structure moves logically from description to analysis.
The best research method for learning about teaching methodologies in a classroom setting is systematic classroom observation. For a set number of days, the observer is required to note all behaviors taking place in the selected class, and these notes should be recorded for future use (Zaare, 2013). There are various advantages to such observational study, including the ability to take notes in a natural setting where students and teachers communicate regularly. As a result, more thorough and accurate data are collected compared to other data sources. An additional benefit is that change can be stimulated within the classroom environment and its effects studied for deeper understanding. Results can then be verified according to the changes that occurred, making the assessment of teaching well justified since the knowledge gained is based on effective instruction.
The purpose of this school study is to link the philosophical theories learned in class with the observed classes of selected schools. Observations were carried out in two different classrooms at different grade levels. The schools are located in different cities but within the same state, and both are public schools serving students up to the 6th grade.
The first school visited was Success Academy, located in San Jose, California. The school served students from kindergarten through 4th grade — a K–5 primary or elementary school with the characteristics of a traditional public school. It had the responsibility of educating all children in its area without charging tuition, and its teachers were fully registered. The school adhered to a specific curriculum issued by the state government along with established policy rules.
The student demographics included 64 percent Hispanic, 24 percent Asian, 8 percent Filipino, 2 percent two or more races, 1 percent Black, 1 percent White, and less than 1 percent Pacific Islander (Great Schools, n.d.). The student body was 51 percent boys and 49 percent girls, with English as the primary language of instruction. Seventy-seven percent of students came from low-income families. In the observed class of 24 students, 50 percent were English language learners (ELL) and the remainder had intermediate or higher language skills. Only 3 percent of the total student population had disabilities (SWD). Regarding staff, 96 percent of teachers had three or more years of teaching experience, and all were full-time. The school had no security guard, social worker, nurse, or school psychologist on staff.
The second school observed was Esperanza Elementary School, located in Oakland, California. It served students from kindergarten through 5th grade and similarly fulfilled the responsibility of providing free education to all children in its area. Licensed teachers delivered instruction in accordance with a state-issued curriculum. The school had very little demographic diversity: 98 percent of students were Hispanic and 2 percent were Black or of other races (Public School Review, n.d.). The student body was 52 percent girls and 48 percent boys.
Both English and Spanish were spoken at the school, which offered a dual-immersion program that allowed native English and Spanish speakers to learn together. In kindergarten through 2nd grade, Literacy and Math were taught in Spanish while Science and Social Studies were taught in English; in grades 3 through 5, the arrangement was reversed. The school was situated in a low-income area, and 92 percent of students came from low-income families. The observed class consisted of 20 second-grade students, all of whom were classified as English learners (4 early intermediate, 13 intermediate, and 3 early advanced). Thirteen percent of students had disabilities.
Staff demographics showed that 86 percent of teachers had three or more years of experience, and 90 percent were certified full-time teachers (16 in total). The school had no social workers or law enforcement officers, but did employ a part-time nurse, a part-time psychologist, and a part-time security guard (Great Schools, n.d.). The school offered numerous programs, including school-linked services initiatives, an early childhood initiative, a college and career pipeline initiative, a juvenile justice initiative, fall arts and crafts events, food distributions before Thanksgiving, and food assistance during critical times such as the COVID-19 pandemic through organizations like the Alameda County Community Food Bank, Lincoln Child Center, and Upward Roots. After-school programs providing both academic and social activities were organized for 150 days, three hours per day, throughout the school year.
Success Academy offered both traditional and progressive instructional approaches. Teachers decided the core content to teach while also allowing students to acquire and process information through personal experiences, thinking, and play activities. The teacher took authority in explaining the lesson of the day but gave students latitude to use their imagination when answering questions related to the topic.
The school followed a submersion model of bilingual education, operating on the belief that nonnative speakers should learn English without structured support for their first language. As noted above, 50 percent of the 24 observed students were ELL, while the others had limited English proficiency (LEP). Native English speakers and students still developing English were placed in the same classroom to create a shared learning environment intended to accelerate language acquisition for nonnative speakers. With only 3 percent of students identified as having disabilities, the classroom did not include a special education co-teacher, resulting in no integrated co-teaching (ICT). There was similarly no collaboration with special needs teachers for District 75 (D75) programs, which provide support for students facing challenges such as autism, emotional disturbances, sensory impairments, and other multiple disabilities. The student-to-teacher ratio was 21:1.
The classroom contained one teacher and 24 students in a 1st-grade Social Studies class. Student demographics reflected a large population of Hispanic, Asian, and Filipino students along with some Black students. The teacher was American and female, in her early thirties; students were 6 to 7 years old and included both boys and girls.
The classroom walls were covered with pictures and chart papers, including informational displays such as vegetable names and a number chart from 1 to 100. A whiteboard was used for writing and displaying additional chart papers. A small bookshelf was visible on one side of the room. The classroom was clean, well lit, and free of plants or animals. Seating was arranged in clusters of chairs and tables in a horseshoe or U-shape, with an open carpeted area in the center where students gathered on the floor close to the teacher during instruction. The teacher remained relatively stationary during the lesson since the students were seated near her, though she kept them engaged throughout. No visible cultural artifacts representing students' or the teacher's culture were observed in the room.
Esperanza Elementary made use of bilingual instruction in both English and Spanish. As described above, the school followed a combination of maintenance bilingual education and a two-way or developmental bilingual enrichment program (Roberts, 1995). In bilingual maintenance education, students receive support in their first language — Spanish in this case — while being gradually transitioned into English-medium content. Teaching certain subjects in English alongside Spanish facilitates a transition that supports comprehension in both languages simultaneously. In the two-way enrichment model, both nonnative and native English speakers are included in the same instructional setting. By teaching some subjects in English and others in Spanish — and reversing this arrangement across grade levels — the school aims to develop full bilingual proficiency in students regardless of their home language.
Two-way immersion was apparent in the observed classroom, where native English and Spanish speakers served as learning resources for each other, with academic instruction in both languages beginning in the early elementary years. Although 13 percent of students had disabilities, no integrated co-teaching (ICT) was observed, and there was no collaboration with District 75 (D75) special needs teachers. The student-to-teacher ratio was 17:1.
The observed classroom had one teacher and 20 students in a 2nd-grade Science class. The student population was predominantly Hispanic with very few students of other mixed races. The teacher was also Hispanic, coming from the local area, and was female and above 30 years of age. Students were between 7 and 8 years old and included both boys and girls.
The classroom walls were lined with pictures and colorful chart papers, including displays of student work. The whiteboard was used for writing, explanations, and displaying additional charts. A washbasin was available for students to wash their hands before eating, and desk organizers were present throughout the room. Colored foam mats on the floor provided a gathering space for students to sit close to the teacher during introductory instruction. Tables and chairs were arranged in clusters of four for group activities, and stationery boxes were placed on each table. The teacher moved continuously around the room to maintain student attention and to assist individual students or groups during activities. During active portions of the lesson, the classroom was lively with materials in use. The setup again followed a horseshoe or U-shaped cluster arrangement, with the colored floor mats at the center. No visible cultural artifacts representing students' or the teacher's culture were noted.
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