Mr. Moreno's Growth Mindset
Action Research Plan
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Positive reinforcement engaging low-income sixth graders in virtual learning
Introduction
Engaging students in Middle Schools has historically been a major concern in economically disadvantaged communities. Today, teachers struggle more often to find ways to engage virtual students in the process of learning in comparison with face-to-face learning. They have reported that their Middle School students lack interest and motivation in virtual classes. Furthermore, the tendency of most adolescent’s learning performance decreasing (Rice & Kipp, 2020; Abbasi, Ghanbari & Hossein, 2015; Owo, 2020) during Middle School years is most evident for academic students over Pre-AP students. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the rapid adoption of virtual learning (El-Ghandour, 2020). Capturing the attention of virtual middle school students from low-income communities is a very difficult task because it requires a combination of multiple strategies to reach learners such as reinforcement, engaging families, learning to connect with their peers, feedback (Rice & Kipp, 2020; Owo, 2020), and understanding community challenges and their cultural behaviors. How do teachers engage learners effectively when they are not in person? Researchers identify three major components of learning engagement (behavior, cognitive, and emotional) that work for virtual students, in order to connect them with the course materials, teacher, and with each other (Rice & Kipp, 2020). Which of these components tilt the scale more to engage sixth graders Hispanic low-income on virtual learning?
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The public Middle school where this action research took place is Title I with 88% Hispanic. Collectively, 82% of the students come from economically disadvantage families, 78% of them are at risk students, and 42% of them have limited English proficiency. These percentages highlight the adverse economic risk factors and support academic correlations. In 2017 in The United Stated, 57% of Hispanic children live in poor or near-poor households with income 185% below the federal poverty level (Gennetian et al, 2019). About half of Hispanic parents with low income have jobs with nonstandard work schedules. Low-income Hispanic fathers spent 45 minutes on activities with their children, while mothers spent 105 minutes average per day on educational activities, play, health, caring for, and helping their children. Meanwhile, 41% of Hispanic low-income children grow up on single-parent families (Gennetian et al, 2019; National KIDS COUNT, 2020). When many single parents have two jobs in order to cover the bills, it is more difficult for parents to be involved as a key player (teacher-parent-peer) for online learning experiences for their children. Consequently, teachers have an enormous impact on the student’s experience, influencing everything from student’s perceived learning and self-efficacy to their motivation (Borup, 2014). Learning facilitators are responsible for students’ comfort. When students feel comfortable in their learning environment, they are more willing to learn and therefore they are more likely to succeed (Raykhona, 2020). An effective classroom must have an effective teacher who takes part in every process of learning (Mei Lestari, 2020). Under all these circumstances that the students face in this community, the action researcher believe that the emotional component plays the biggest role over the behavioral and cognitive parts to engage learners. And the positive reinforcement is the most powerful strategy for engaging Hispanic sixth graders from low-income in virtual learning in urban area.
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Purpose of the Study
To determine if the positive reinforcement increases engagement on Hispanic sixth grade low-income virtual students. The learning interaction is learner-instructor-peer, with ongoing dialogue around learning materials that are less structured and can be modified to meet students’ needs (Borup, 2014)
Fundamental Research Question
Does positive reinforcement engage Hispanic sixth graders from Low-Income Virtual Students in Urban area?
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Study Information
Positive reinforcement means positive response (pleasant) by one person to another’s behavior so that probability of that behavior occurring again is increased (Mei Lestari, 2020). It is constructive in helping students to build knowledge from instructional engagement (Terrace & Landrum, 2020), build self-positive concept, develop an attitude of success, enhance instructional motivation (Mei Lestari, 2020), and create an atmosphere that is inviting to learning. It also makes the processes nicer, more efficient, and with higher impact for improving students’ behaviors (Raykhona, 2020). Positive reinforcement rewards the correct behavior that took place immediately. Consequently, motivating them to do that behavior again (Buehler, 2020) and engage learners’ interests and make them follow the objective of the lesson (Mei Lestari, 2020). As the students repeat the response and is given further rewards, the behavior becomes more firmly establish until it is learned (Raykhona, 2020).
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Research Design
The design will follow a mixed method. The relationship of quantitative and qualitative data can result on a relevant picture of the investigation to have a better understanding of the benefits on positive reinforcement on Hispanic sixth grade low-income virtual students. The quantitative data will use descriptive statistics by using percentages calculations during the research. The qualitative data is collected during the research using systematic observations and anecdotal information from students and sixth grade teachers. The research will take place in a 6th grade Math classroom with two periods of 15 students each (30 students total). Data will be collected bi-weekly January, February, and March of 2021.
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Research Method
The study will utilize survey with 10-14 questions each. A survey will be administered at the onset of the study following by bi-weekly surveys throughout the duration of the research period to measure the effects of the positive reinforcement. The qualitative data will be collected daily based on the implementation of positive reinforcement and the observations/anecdotes of the sixth grade virtual students in the research and experiences of positive reinforcement of teachers of the same grade.
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Data Collection and Analysis
To measure the outcome of the research question, the data collected will have three categories: First, systematic observation and anecdotal information notes that describe in detail what researcher sees and hears of students during the positive reinforcement and sixth grade teachers points of view of positive reinforcement. Second, interviews data from students and sixth grade teachers through the use of surveys and pencil-paper on specific questions. Third, collecting data from formal assessments such as unit tests and district tests for research purposes. With this data integration, the research will have better quality and accuracy.
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Measurement Instruments
The first and second semester data of formal assessments will be collected and analyzed in Excel using descriptive statistics. Looking for patterns or similarities of the research target students. The interview data will be analyzed calculating the percentages of responses from learners. While the first category (qualitative) will be analyzed to dig deep and find any correlation or until the degree of statistical relationship between the categories is known. The above will allow complete understanding of the effects of positive reinforcement in virtual students.
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Implementation timeline
1. Planning phase: Winter 2020
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Action research outline
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Literature review
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Action research plan
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Pre-research survey
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2. Action phase: January, February, and March, 2021
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Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data
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Implementation the action research plan
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3. Developing phase: April, 2021
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Write an action plan of positive reinforcement for virtual students
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Share with the other teachers to receive feedback
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4. Reflecting phase: May, 2021
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Write the action report
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Share results of the action research
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Reflect on the action research process
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Sharing and Communicating Results
The result will be shared online and with the principal, grade level APs, school faculty, and counselors in order to review or update the importance of positive reinforcement on Hispanic low-income students in virtual learning. The action research will be used to create an applicable recommendation for classroom teachers in order to increase the students’ engagement in Title I, middle schools, and for future action studies.
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Final Reflection
Teachers have an enormous responsibility with students’ experiences in the learning process and motivation. The literature review allowed to understand the importance of positive reinforcement as the most powerful strategy to engage middle school students on virtual learning from disadvantages communities. Where the emotional component play the most important role and allow to improve the behavior and cognitive pieces. Where learners can respond to a specific behavior, in order to increase the academic performance for their lifes.
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References
Abbasi, A., Ghanbari, B., & Hossein, M., (2015, October) The effect of teachers’ individual verbal feedback and praiseon EFL learners’ motivation and attitude. Vol. 02, Issue 10, pp. 0822 – 0831.Retrieved http://ijramr.com/sites/default/files/issues-pdf/395.pdf
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Borup, J., West, R., Graham, C., & Davies, R., (2014). The Adolescent Community of Engagement Framework: A Lens for Research in K-12 Online Learning Environments. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 22(1), 107-129. Retrieved https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258246131_The_Adolescent_Community_of_Engagement_Framework_A_Lens_for_Research_in_K-12_Online_Learning_Environments/citation/download
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Buhler, M., (2020) Reinforcement in the Classroom: Reference Guide. Honors Theses, University of Nebraska – Lincoln. 239. Retrieved
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1223&context=honorstheses
El-Ghandour, N., Ezzat, A., Zaazoue, M., Gonzalez, P., (2020, December) Virtual learning during thee COVID-19 pandemic: a turning point in neurosurgical education. Journal of neurosurgery. 49(6):E18. Retrieved https://thejns.org/focus/view/journals/neurosurg-focus/49/6/article-pE18.xml
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Gennetian, L., Guzman, L., Ramos, M., & Wildsmith E., (2019, September 20) An Economic Portrait of Low-Income Hispanic Families: Key Findings from the First Five Years of Studies from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families. Retrieved
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Gharbaghi, A., Ben Aris, B., & Hamdani, M., (2011) Comparison of Persuasion in the Real and Virtual Learning Environment. International Conference on Social Science and Humanity. IPEDR Vol.5(2011) IACSIT Press, Singapore. Retrieved
http://www.ipedr.com/vol5/no1/71-H00153.pdf
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Mei Lestari, M., (2020) Teachers’ reinforcement and students’ perception to the teachers in English classroom. UNNES ELT FORUM 9 (1) Retrieved https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/elt/article/view/36461/16481
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Mertler, C., (2016) Action Research Improving Schools and Empowering Educators. Fifth Edition. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.
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National KIDS COUNT (2020, January) Children is single-parent families by race in the United States. Retrieved
https://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/tables/107-children-in-single-parent-families-by- race#detailed/1/any/false/37,871,870,573,869,36,868,867,133,38/10,11,9,12,1,185,13/432,431
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Owo, W., (2002, December) Evaluating the Efficacy of Instructional-Reinforcement Techniques on Junior Secondary School Students’ Academic Engagement and Performance in Basic Science in Rivers State. International Journal of Science Research in Education, Vol.13(5), 924-937. Retrieved http://www.ijsre.com/assets/vol.%2C-13(5)-green---owo.pdf
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Raykhona, B., (2020) Thee effectiveness of teaching writing to the students with the technique “rewards and positive reinforcement” Academic Research in Educational Sciences. Vol 1 No1. Retrieved http://ares.uz/storage/app/media/2020yil/sentiyabr/pp.%20229-232.pdf
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Rice, K., & Kipp K., (2020, May 6) How Educators Tap Into Research to Increase Engagement During Remote Learning? Retrieved
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Terrance, M., & Landrum T., (2020, July 11) Positive Reinforcement in Schools: Logic and Application. Retrieved https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1074295620934702