¶ … technology to improve behavior and performance in an elementary classroom.
I am unsure whether or not technology assists or hinders the elementary student in his academic achievements. Studies indicate contradictory evidence, but, then again, technology is a huge field and involves many components. Whilst findings show indubitable results on the college / university (e.g. Alavi, 1994) as well as high school level (Christmann & Badgett,1999) level that computer aids higher levels of skills development, learning and achievement from classroom experience, studies on lower -- level children (particularly elementary age) are more mixed. A highly focused study would therefore have to be conducted in order to assess results.
Participants
One class of minimal sixty students in a suburban elementary public school will be surveyed with a similar class of similarly matched and quantified students in two public elementary schools in the same school district used as comparison groups that do not yet have advanced technology in place. The students will be representative of both genders with 70% being White, the rest a combination of Black, Hispanic, and other ethnicities. The population is predominately middle class with the majority (approx. 60%) representing two-parent families. Most students (90%) have parents who at have, at least,...
The classes are not different from each other in any significant way.
The teachers for each class have similar elementary teacher's training background and their years on the job are similar.
Instruments
The school's technology use can be measured by using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP assesses various subject areas including
Mathematics,
science, reading,
geography, and writing. It also includes surveys completed by students, principals, and teachers of the relevant areas. Surveys deal with demographic questions about students and teachers, students' general experiences in school, and their particular experiences in the specific subjects. Principals are asked about their school policies and practices (Policy Information Report (n.d.).
Frequency of use of
computers will also be measured. For instance, students will be asked: "When you do
mathematics at school how often do you...use a computer?" Teachers will be asked, "How often do students in this class...use a computer?"
Teacher attitudes and skill in computer usages will also be taken into account, since, as studies, show these impact. Teacher's skills and preparedness will be assessed bys elf-reports. The way in which computer is used will also be assessed by four questions. These are: These are: "drill and practice," "demonstration of new topics in mathematics," "playing mathematical/learning games," and "simulations and applications."
Students IQ performance in all schools will be assessed by use of the Wide Range Achievement Test-R3 (WRAT-R3). The test measures skills in spelling, maths, and
reading (decoding only). Each area forms a subtest. The items of the test are appropriate for this age group (Calao & Din, 2001).
Surveys will include socio-demographic questions on students…
