Lyza May R.
Millares
MAED ECE
WORKSHEET ON CRITIQUE OF A RESEARCH WORK
Column 1 Column 2
The Effects of Technology on Student
Motivation and The Effects of
Title of the Research Technology on Student Motivation
and Engagement in Classroom-Based
Learning
Author/s James Francis
University of New England: DigitalUNE
(https://dune.une.edu/theses)
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The main research question that
guided this dissertation was:
How do present-day educators utilize
technology to engage students in
learning activities?
Research Questions Related questions that were also
examined were:
1. Do students report technology
use in the regular education
classroom being used to
accommodate all levels of
students? If so, do they feel that
more or less technology is
needed or necessary?
2. How is technology used to
enhance instruction for identified
students (students using an
Individualized Education Plan
[IEP] or 504 accommodation
Research Questions plan)?
3. What is the current state of
assistive technology at this site
and how is it used to engage
identified students in learning
activities?
The theory of constructivism put forth
by Jean Piaget asserts that a child
who actively experiments in activities
forms more active connections and is
better able to “inter-coordinate”
or integrate their experiences into
their daily lives (Piaget, 1955).
As technology becomes more
and more integrated with daily life,
educators must take a modern view
on the utilization of technology to
support inter-connected learning. This
modern view holds that technology
gives the learner flexibility and the
ability to be adaptable in multiple
scenarios and within different
subject areas. Technology can be
used within many pedagogical
Related Theories and Short approaches (Ford & Lott, 2011).
Definition/Explanation It is also important to note that
constructivism actively supports the
notion of differentiation, or active
support that allows all levels of
learners to fully participate. A teacher
who employs these techniques will
also plan a curriculum that best suits
the needs of the learners, from
materials to proper pacing (Gensburg
& Herman, 2009).
Teachers plan learning activities that
allow students to individually
approach learning goals in their own
way and in their own time, also known
as differentiation. Through
differentiation, students are then able
to construct knowledge and make
meaning to the information being
presented. Through a technology-
centered curriculum, teachers can
utilize technology to differentiate and
accommodate classroom
environments to allow students to
learn. Technology, used
appropriately, supports constructivist
learning and provides different
avenues for students with or without
documented learning disabilities to
learn.
Moreover, discovery learning theory
by Jerome Bruner is an inquiry-based,
Related Theories and Short constructivist learning theory that
Definition/Explanation encourages learners to discover facts
and relationships for themselves. In this
approach, students actively engage
with the material by exploring and
manipulating objects, solving
problems, and performing
experiments. The theory draws on the
learner’s past experiences and
existing knowledge to uncover new
truths and technology plays a
significant role in supporting discovery
learning
Descriptive data was collected from
three sources: Student survey results,
student records, and direct classroom
observations of classrooms. All
students surveyed were asked to
take an anonymous survey which
asked questions based on technology
use and feelings towards technology
used at school. These responses were
compiled into several tables to
provide insight into student’s current
feelings towards technology and its
Research Design effectiveness at NECS. The initial
question determined the grade level
of participants. The two technology
questions were used to determine the
relationship between owning a
computer at home and utilization of a
computer for homework purposes.
Additional questions were used
to determine the level of motivation
students associated with having
technology in the classroom. The final
two questions were used to determine
student feelings of inclusion as it
relates to technology in pedagogy.
The second source of data for this
dissertation came from the NECS
Student Support Cards. These cards
(SSC) are internal documents at NECS
designed to help 30 teachers
understand and follow
Research Design accommodations for students with an
IEP or on a 504 plan.
The third source of information came
from direct administrative
observations of how teachers are
utilizing technology to engage
students in the learning process.
Participants in this research study
were taken from the population of
NECS (students) on a purely voluntary
basis to take an anonymous survey.
This seven-question survey was
disseminated during January and
February 2016 in the homerooms of all
students at NECS. Each student was
given a copy of the survey along with
an assent form, which was explained
in detail. All students were then given
several weeks to complete the survey
and turn it in anonymously by
dropping it in a designated mailbox.
The results were then compiled into
tables.
Research Instruments and Short The second data source was
Description individual student records, specifically
through the internal documentation
of students with identified learning
disabilities.
The third and final source of data was
classroom observations of two
classrooms, a regular education
classroom and a special education
classroom. These sample classrooms
were purposefully selected as they
represent a standard classroom
where the teacher must specifically
implement accommodations to
support and meet the goals of
identified students, and a special
education classroom, where every
student is an identified student, and
all have specific accommodations
that must be met.
To answer the question on the
students’ perceptions of technology
in the general education classroom
and its impact and efficacy on
motivation, a survey was given to the
student population in an urban
charter school (the first of three data
sources). This survey addressed
students’ beliefs about the first
research question on the reported use
of technology in the school. Next, a
review of student IEPs and 504
accommodation plans assist in
Research Procedures and Short answering the second research
Description question on how technology is
currently used as part of identified
students’ instructional plans. The
purpose of these student plans is to
document student strengths and
areas of weakness and how to best
accommodate their disability with the
purpose of enhancing instruction for
specifically identified students. Finally,
the classroom observations assisted in
answering the third and final research
question on how assistive technology
is currently utilized in a purposeful
sample of classrooms at the site.
There were no statistical tools used
since the research design used in the
Statistical Tool research was a descriptive study, and
the research instruments used were
surveys, questionnaires, and
observations.
Technology is everywhere and is fully
integrated into the daily lives of the
average student, giving that student
connection to an immense amount of
information (Egbert, 2009). The use of
this technology in the classroom in the
proper manner has the benefit of
helping to raise academic
achievement from the students as
Conclusions well as from the teachers from all
levels of skill (Courville, 2011). The
need for technology integration is
there, but many schools have not
been meeting this necessary
intervention (Bolkan, 2012). However,
until the status of technology
integration and perception of its
usefulness has been changed, the
disconnect between student and
teacher can only grow larger. A
paradigm shift regarding appropriate
implementation of technology in
Conclusions education is necessary to ensure a
successful 21st century classroom and
to set up students for success in their
future careers.
Personal Comments/Critiques Zavieri (2014) stated that if the
leadership of a system is not strong or
if there is not a total paradigm shift,
maintaining the status quo (difficulties
in educator training and rising costs
of infrastructure) will limit advances in
professional development for
teachers. We have seen
enhancements in technology for
instruction, but the basic structure of
lesson plans has not yet fully
converted to a technology-based
system. Without further interventions,
we will not be successful in their
technology intervention unless there is
a total paradigm shift from a ground
level approach.
The underutilization of the technology
in the classrooms leads teachers to
believe there is a negative impact of
some technology in the classroom,
which may create a separation
between teacher and student
understanding (Thomas, O’Bannon,
and Bolton, 2013). Teachers who do
not fully embrace the technology shift
may hold to older styles of teaching,
creating a feeling of authoritarian
teaching styles. This negativity can
lead to further separation between
teachers and students, creating a
sense of artificiality in the classroom
(Baker, Lusk, and Neuhauser, 2012).
