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Can Technology-Infused PBL increase student engagement among African American and Latino middle school males?

Research

Statement of the Problem
When I thought about a particular group of students in the classrooms, I recalled seeing  groups who were not as engaged as their peers.  Some of them were disenfranchised and seemed to give up. Their classroom participatory grades and homework grades were poor.  They had numerous referrals to the principal’s office and suspensions for disruptive behavior.  I found it difficult to request a deeper level of thinking from the whole class while a group of students did not apply themselves to practice what was necessary to learn the concepts enough to be able to apply their knowledge in real world applications.  How can educators create more interesting, student-led lessons, resulting in higher order thinking for which students will be accountable and take ownership for their own learning? more...

Design Process

The teacher studied 187 sixth graders.  She disaggregated the data by ethnic group and gender to look for trends in engagement and academic skill level. The study looked at student engagement before and after implementing Project Based Learning units of study.  A pre-assessment survey was administered to all 6th grade study during the first quarter of 6th grade.  The post-assessment survey was administered after completing a PBL study on the topic of energy conservation.  Data analysis included comparison of pre and post student responses and teacher observation data.

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Support and Next Steps

   In addition to partnering with Napa county schools and the County  Office of Education, NapaLearns also encourages the success of every student by providing resources, funding, and thought leadership to help district staff adopt innovations in teaching and learning focused on the demands of the future. I have a special appreciation for NapaLearns for granting me the opportunity to conduct further research.
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