Monica+Loadholt

= Research Interest: =

Working with middle school students, I have become increasingly interested in what factors lead to their achievement and motivation, especially in terms of the impact of technology on those areas. My proposed research focuses on teacher and student perceptions in the areas of technology, gender, achievement, and motivation. In the past week, I have considered tweaking my focus to zero in on gifted students in particular, or perhaps even comparing the perceptions of gifted students with those of students in general education. As I continue my reading in search of more information about a gap in the research, I plan to determine whether gifted students will have a starring role in my research or whether my research will focus mainly on general education students. I want to ultimately explore answers to these and other questions--What role does technology play in achievement and motivation in middle school students? Is there any difference in that role based on the student's gender? How does the way a teacher perceives technology impact its use in the classroom?


 * In thinking about my research interests in the past couple of weeks and the suggestions of my group members and instructor, I have taken another look at my research focus. My proposed research now focuses on teacher and academically gifted student perceptions in the areas of technology, achievement, and motivation. I would like to examine the perceived relationship between technology, achievement, and motivation in the academic lives of gifted adolescents. **

= Theoretical Foundations: =

Having a strong, and appropriate, theoretical foundation for research is important. One of the theories from our reading that I felt applied to the research I would like to do is that of experiential learning. Built upon the ideas of Kolb, supporters of experiential learning maintain that students learn about a concept through experience and then take what they have learned and apply it to new situations (Morgan, 2008, p. 35). The utilization of technology in the classroom as a part of instruction is the perfect opportunity for learning through experience since students will be able to take the skills they learn through technology and apply them to new situations, both technological and non-technological.

Also, theories concerning motivation, such as self-efficacy, are important as a foundation for my proposed research. As Bandura (1994) says, self-efficacy is "people's beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives" (p. 2). Self-efficacy, along with flow and engagement, can have a positive impact on performance and well-being (Seel, 2008, p. 50), so the factors that influence an adolescent's sense of self-efficacy are important to consider. The use of technology both at school and at home can impact an adolescent's performance and sense of self, which means that my research would need to explore how technology impacts self-efficacy and vice versa.


 * I also plan to use motivational theory as a framework for my proposed research. Self-efficacy is one facet of motivational theory, but there are others that will be examined and discussed in terms of their connection to my research focus. **

Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71-81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998).

Morgan, K. (2008). Experiential perspectives. In Spector, J. M., Merrill, M. D., Merrienboer, J. V., & Driscoll, M. P. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (3rd ed.). New York: Lawrence Eribaum Associates.

Seel, N. M. (2008). Empirical perspectives on memory and motivation. In Spector, J. M., Merrill, M. D., Merrienboer, J. V., & Driscoll, M. P. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (3rd ed.). New York: Lawrence Eribaum Associates.

=**Research Areas:**=
 * **Gifted adolescents and achievement**--Information on characteristics of gifted adolescents would be shared as well as research about role achievement, as well as underachievement, in the academic lives of gifted adolescents. This information would provide basic information about the thought processes and abilities of gifted adolescents in addition to explaining how these students feel about academic achievement.
 * **Motivational theory**--This area of the literature review would focus on major theories of motivation that could be useful in determining which factors play into the level of academic achievement attained by gifted adolescents. It is important to discuss the factors that might influence motivation in order to determine how those factors can be encouraged in the classroom with gifted adolescents.
 * **Adolescents and technology**--In this area of the review, research on the relationship between adolescents and technology, both in and out of school, would be analyzed. Including a discussion of research on this relationship is important because the focus of the proposed research is on the perceived impact of technology on specific areas of adolescents' academic lives.
 * **Technology in the classroom**--This area of the review would examine how technology is used in the classroom as well as teacher's feelings toward technology in the classroom. It will be important to include this section of the review in order to get a more complete picture of the impact of technology on the academic lives of adolescents, especially since the use of technology in the classroom and how teachers feel about technology may have an impact on the level of achievement students are able to attain.
 * **Relationship between technology, achievement, and motivation**--In this area of the review, existing research on the relationship between these three factors will be examined to determine how technology might be used to increase achievement and motivation, especially with gifted adolescents. It is important that this section is included so that I am able to show how each of the individual factors discussed in the previous sections are tied together.


 * Gap in the Research: **

Little research has been done concerning the impact technology integration might have on motivation and achievement in gifted middle schoolers.


 * Research Questions: **

1) What impact, if any, does technology integration have on motivation and achievement in gifted middle schoolers? 2) What is the relationship between a gifted middle schooler’s perceived level of intrinsic motivation and the actual level of achievement? 3) What factors related to technology integration lead to increased intrinsic motivation and achievement in gifted middle schoolers?


 * Problem Statement: **

Motivation has long been an issue of concern for educators as they strive to find ways to instill a sense of intrinsic motivation in their students no matter their academic level, age, gender, or ethnicity. While research has been done concerning the factors that promote intrinsic motivation in gifted students, there is still much to be learned about strategies for increasing intrinsic motivation and achievement (Garn, Matthews, & Jolly, 2010; Jurisevic & Nagy, 2011). Some research has been conducted with a focus on connections between motivation and cognitive function (Mizuno et al., 2011), but much of the available research focuses on what students and parents consider factors that lead to increased motivation (Garn, Matthews, & Jolly, 2010; Jurisevic & Nagy, 2011; Al-Shabatat, Abbas, & Ismail, 2010; Vansteenkiste et al., 2009). There is still a fairly significant lack of information available on the impact that technology integration might have as a factor in increasing intrinsic motivation and achievement, especially for gifted middle schoolers.


 * Theory: **

Self-determination theory was the theory that featured most prominently in the studies, and this theory, with its focus on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, would be the best foundation for my proposed research study. This theory would be the best fit because the proposed research would examine whether technology integration is a factor that might increase intrinsic motivation in gifted middle schoolers.


 * References **

Al-Shabatat, M. A., Abbas, M., & Ismail, H. N. (2010). The direct and indirect effects of the achievement motivation on nurturing intellectual giftedness. International Journal of Human and Social Sciences, 5(9), 580-588.

Garn, A. C., Matthews, M. S., & Jolly, J. L. (2010). Parental influences on the academic motivation of gifted students: A self-determination theory perspective. Gifted Child Quarterly, 54(4), 263-272. doi:10.1177/0016986210377657

Jurisevic, M. & Nagy, M. (2011). Motivating the gifted at school—A retrospective analysis of gifted student’s past experiences. UDK, 16, 287- 303.

Mizuno, K., Tanaka, M., Fukuda, S., Imai-Matsumura, K., & Watanabe, Y. (2011). Relationship between cognitive function and prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation in adolescents. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 7(4), 1-11. doi: 10.1186/1744-9081-7-4

Vansteenkiste, M., Soenens, B., Sierens, E., Luyckx, K., & Lens, W. (2009). Motivational profiles from a self-determination perspective: The quality of motivation matters. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 671-688. doi: 10.1037/a0015083 -

|| **Strengths **  ||  **Limitations **  ||  **Authoritative Primary Source for This Methodology **  ||  **Why I Will or Will Not Use This Method **  ||
 * ** Research Methodology **
 * Case study || Allows for in-depth investigation; rigorous because of “analysis of rival explanations” (Patton, 2002, p. 553) || Time-consuming; more subjective & interpretive so more susceptible to bias || Yin, R. K. (2003). //Case study research: Design and methods// (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. || Will not use--Amount of time required; potential for bias ||
 * Mixed methods || Allows for more thorough exploration; use of quantitative methods can help to eliminate any bias caused by qualitative methods || Time-consuming; subject to more bias than purely quantitative method || Tashakorri, A., & Teddlie, C. (1998). //Mixed methodology: Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches//. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. || Will not use--Amount of time required; potential for bias ||
 * Quasi-experimental || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Use natural as opposed to contrived settings and groups; don’t require randomization of group assignment for sample; use more than one group for sample || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sometimes difficult to control independent variables (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008) || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Campell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research In N. L. Gage (Ed.), //Handbook for research on teaching// (pp. 1-76). Chicago: Rand-McNally. || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Will use—does not take as much time as qualitative methods, does not require randomized sample group assignment but still allows me to compare groups ||

Chosen Methodology--Quasi-experimental

References:
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Research Questions ** ||  **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Methodology **  ||  **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sample **  ||  **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Data Collection **  ||  **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Statistical Analysis **  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1. What are the differences in motivation and engagement in gifted middle schoolers in technology-rich school environments as opposed to those in technology-poor school environments? || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Quasi-experimental (non-equivalent group design) || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Multiple sites; gifted students in grades 6-8 divided into 2 groups—one group of students who are in technology-rich school environment & one group of students who are in a technology-poor environment || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Motivation and engagement scale; observation scale (to observe actions associated with motivation and engagement) ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2. What factors related to technology use lead to an increase in motivation and engagement in gifted middle schoolers? || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">See above || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">See above || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">See above ||  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2. What factors related to technology use lead to an increase in motivation and engagement in gifted middle schoolers? || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">See above || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">See above || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">See above ||  ||

Creswell, J. W. (2009). //Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches// (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Frankfort-Nachmias, C., & Nachmias, D. (2008). //Research methods in the social sciences// (7th ed.). New York: Worth. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.


 * Significance of the Study**

Motivation has long been an issue of concern for educators as they strive to find ways to instill a sense of intrinsic motivation in their students no matter their academic level, age, gender, or ethnicity. While research has been done concerning the factors that promote intrinsic motivation in gifted students, there is still much to be learned about strategies for increasing intrinsic motivation (Garn, Matthews, & Jolly, 2010; Jurisevic & Nagy, 2011). Some research has been conducted with a focus on connections between motivation and cognitive function (Mizuno et al., 2011), but much of the available research focuses on what students and parents consider factors that lead to increased motivation (Garn, Matthews, & Jolly, 2010; Jurisevic & Nagy, 2011; Al-Shabatat, Abbas, & Ismail, 2010; Vansteenkiste et al., 2009). Swicord (2010) pointed out that there is little information available about the relationship between gifted students and technology use (p. i). There remains a lack of information available on the impact that technology integration might have as a factor in increasing intrinsic motivation, especially for gifted middle school students.

Educational technology is a field that is in an almost constant state of flux due to the changes in the technologies that are available for use in learning environments. The research I would conduct on links between technology use in classroom instruction and levels of intrinsic motivation in gifted middle school students would validate the idea that educational technology is more than just letting kids play on computers or watch movies in the classroom. My findings would show whether or not technology has an impact on the inner workings of students’ minds in terms of how they are motivated to learn.

Students at all ability levels at times have issues with motivation, and these issues will not only be relevant while they are in school, but also once they enter the work force. Knowing what forces have an impact on intrinsic motivation would be helpful in teaching students skills that they will not only need as they continue their educational career, but also in teaching them the skills they will need in order to be successful in the adult working world.


 * Dissemination of Research**

Although there are many journals related to the field of education, the three that I would most like to publish an article on my research findings in are Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, Middle School Journal, and the Journal of Research on Technology in Education. These three journals would allow me to share my findings about any links that might exist between the use of technology in instruction and levels of intrinsic motivation within gifted middle school students.

Two conferences where the sharing of my findings might be most useful are the ASCD conference and the AMLE conference. Both conferences would allow me to share my findings with both teachers and administrators so that my research might have an even better chance of being a catalyst for change.


 * References**

Al-Shabatat, M. A., Abbas, M., & Ismail, H. N. (2010). The direct and indirect effects of the achievement motivation on nurturing intellectual giftedness. International Journal of Human and Social Sciences, 5(9), 580-588.

Chen, K.-C. & Jang, S.-J. (2010). Motivation in online learning: Testing a model of self- determination theory. Computers in Human Behavior, 26, 741-752. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2010. 01.011

Davis, K. C. (2012). The effects of technology instruction on the academic achievement of fifth grade students (Doctoral dissertation, Liberty University). Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1591&context=doctoral

Garn, A. C., Matthews, M. S., & Jolly, J. L. (2010). Parental influences on the academic motivation of gifted students: A self-determination theory perspective. Gifted Child Quarterly, 54(4), 263-272. doi:10.1177/0016986210377657

Geyer, R. W. (2009). Developing the internet-savviness (IS) scale: Investigating the relationships between internet use and academically talented middle school youth. RMLE Online, 32(5), 1-20.

Jurisevic, M. & Nagy, M. (2011). Motivating the gifted at school—A retrospective analysis of gifted student’s past experiences. UDK, 16, 287-303.

Mizuno, K., Tanaka, M., Fukuda, S., Imai-Matsumura, K., & Watanabe, Y. (2011). Relationship between cognitive function and prevalence of decrease in intrinsic academic motivation in adolescents. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 7(4), 1-11. doi: 10.1186/1744-9081-7-4

Shroff, R. H. & Vogel, D. R. (2009). Assessing the factors deemed to support individual student intrinsic motivation in technology supported online and face-to-face discussions. Journal of Information Technology Education, 8, 59-85.

Stefl-Mabry, J., Radlick, M., & Doane, W. (2010). Can you hear me now? Student voice: High school & middle school students’ perceptions of teachers, ICT and learning. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 6(4), 64-82.

Swicord, B. (2010). A phenomenological study of gifted adolescents and their engagement with one on-line learning system (Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers—The State University of New Jersey). Retrieved from http://mss3.libraries.rutgers.edu/dlr/showfed.php?pid=rutgers-lib:27194

Vansteenkiste, M., Soenens, B., Sierens, E., Luyckx, K., & Lens, W. (2009). Motivational profiles from a self-determination perspective: The quality of motivation matters. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 671-688. doi: 10.1037/a0015083