Action Research Summary - Copernicus Project - University of ...

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
1
Action Research Summary
Copernicus Project
SSI Year 4: K-6 Literacy through Science
Use of Technology in the Classroom (5 studies)
I. Research Question: If I incorporate technology into the 5E lesson approach, will
students have a higher interest in learning?
Summary of Results and Implications: Teacher researcher acknowledges limits of this
particular study to answer the original research question. However, this study did find
significant increases on two measures – 1) Student technology exposure and interest
towards science instruction/technology infused instruction, and 2) Student technology
exposure and interest towards science instruction: Traditional vs. Technology infused
lesson.
In general, this study found that incorporating technology into lesson plans may
increase student interest and engagement. Teacher researcher argues that this can
have positive influences on student performance throughout the year and would like to
continue research to if effects are sustained over longer periods of time.
II. Research Question: Does using technology (including Discovery Streaming’s webbased
videos and clips, You Tube video clips, “Googled” pictures and diagrams,
PowerPoint, etc.) help my second grade students understand the science concepts
better, as evidenced by scores on quizzes or tests?
Summary of Results and Implications: This study was conducted for practical purposes.
The teacher researcher was curious about understanding just how effective technology
is in helping students comprehend science material better. This study would help inform
the teacher researcher as to how much technology and when to implement technology
into a lesson so that it helped his students perform better.
The data in this particular study did not support the researcher’s hypothesis that use of
technology would help bring student test scores up. The data collected showed no
difference in total average scores between lessons that used some form of technology
and lessons that didn’t. Teacher researcher attributes these results to the limits of his
research design which made used of “pre-made “comprehension examinations provided
by the textbook publisher Macmillan McGraw/Hill.
III. Research Question: Will the utilization of technology during science instruction
promote interest, improve confidence, and increase science test scores?
Summary of Results and Implications: Teacher researcher conducted this study
because of a lack of experience in integrating technology in the classroom. This study
would help inform the teacher as to what effects technology can have on student
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education

Compiled and Written by Jocelyn Edey and Steve Gómez
2
comprehension and performance and would help determine this teacher’s focus on
updating her own technology skills.
A quantitative pre/post test design was used to collect data. Surveys were administered
to students before intervention and shortly after. Results were not conclusive and did
not indicate a relationship between technology implementation and student
performance. Teacher researcher attributes the results to poor evaluation tool and
flawed research design.
IV. Research Question: Will the use of technology improve supplemental assignment
completion rates and sight word reading skills in kindergarten students?
Summary of Results and Implications: The purpose of this study was to determine if
adding technology support (Biffy 50 Toons DVD) for the students’ “Cookie Crunchers”
assignment would improve 32 Kindergarten students’ ability to instantly recognize sight
words for continued reading success.
A pre/post test quantitative research design was used to collect the data. Teacher
researcher acknowledges lack of control for external variables, such as student English
proficiency. Nevertheless, this study demonstrated positive results after implementing a
technology-based intervention on teaching the students sight words. In comparing the
pre-test and post-test results, there was a sharp rise in student achievement after the
implementation of technology. Teacher researcher found that using the Biffy 50 Toons
DVD, students became actively engaged in learning sight words without help from their
parents. Teacher concludes that the use of technology improved supplemental
assignment completion rates in Kindergarten students in this classroom.
V. Research Question: Do my first graders test scores, thereby their achievement,
increase in science with the use of technology?
Summary of Results and Implications: Teacher researcher divided students into two
separate groups to conduct this research. One group was designated the ‘control’ group
the other received an intervention consisting of increased use of technology
(PowerPoint). Data was collected from 19 students in a first grade classroom.
Teacher researcher found significant differences in the performance of both sets of
students. On average, students in this study scored 10% higher in the treatment group
versus control group leading researcher to conclude that indeed technology had an
effect on the students’ performance. Even when the data were broken up by gender, the
researcher found the 10% increase to remain true even by gender (both girls and boys
in the intervention group scored better than their counterparts in the control group).
The Copernicus Project is 100% funded by the
United States Department of Education Office of Post-Secondary Education
Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program
Awarded to the
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education