The Impact of the Media on the Performance of Tenth Grade American Government Students
Lisa Parks
EDTD 6410: Teaching for Understading in Action
Georgia Regents University
March 9, 2014
Spring 2014
Abstract
The problem that I identified for this study was: students’ inability to connect the course
content to real-world situations. This inability to make connections between course content and
real-world situations has decreased student interest and classroom participation. Diminished
interest in the subject caused students to perform poorly on course assessments. It was necessary
for the student to make the connection between course content and real-world situations in order
to receive the benefits of higher learning and civic responsibility.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of media resources, which were
used to enrich the course content of an American Government class, on tenth grade students. The
research question examined how media resources increased students’ performance on course
assessments. I hypothesized that the students’ test scores will increase after being exposed to
media resources (real-world situations) linked to the American Government course content.
A sample of 17 tenth grade students ( eight girls and nine boys), attending an urban high
school, participated in 14 day period of instruction to determine the impact of media resources
instruction on American Government students. The mean, median, and mode of the pretest
scores and posttest scores were calculated and determined that students improved on the course
assessments.
Analyses of the pretest and posttest scores revealed that students slightly improved on the
course assessments. The results of the study affirmed the research question by proving that
media resource did positively impact student performance on course assessment in an American
i
Government course. For researchers interested in replicating this study I would recommend the
inclusion of a control group and a larger student population to analyze.
Keywords: media resources, content assessment, American Government course
ii
Table of Contents
Sections
Page
1. Area of Focus
1
2. Review of the Literature
9
3. Methodology
20
4. Analysis of Data and Findings
25
5. Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations
30
6. Reference
34
7. Appendix
36
iii
Section 1: Area of Focus
Introduction
The current research suggests that the social studies content area is taking a back burner
to the other three major content areas English, Math, and Science. Because of the growing need
to meet federal and state standards, schools have been made to focus only on content areas that
will increase the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) score; leaving Social Studies, mainly American
Government, as a content area that has very little statistics to research. According to the National
Center for Education Statistics (2014), most international and national data collected focused on
literacy, Math, and Science (“Fast Fact,” 2014). On the state level most stats are obtained from
English, Science, and Math; whereas, Economics and US History are included in the calculation
for the new College and Career Readiness curriculum. On the local level, American Government
is monitored through 15 day newly revised test/assessments which is not reliable for accurate
data collection. American Government Course content is not calculated in the AYP, which is
why most instructors treat the Social Studies instruction time as a ‘holding place’ for students to
remain seated and wait until the time to go on to the next most important classes. I feel that the
content discussed in my American Government class will affect the future decisions of my
students across the board. It is my belief that there is a need to incorporate and institute
instructional strategies into classroom curriculum that will, in turn, encourage all American
Government students to take an active part in the learning process.
The current data-driven status of the education field suggests that there is a continuous
need for innovative ways to instruct students. Incorporating various styles of teaching such as
1
frequent exposure to social media, high competent computer technology, and individualized
differentiated instruction appears to be the new standard of student development in many
schools.
Reports show that international educators are now looking for new instructional strategies
to enhance and enlarge educational gains for the students in their country. These new
instructional strategies will aid and ensure that international teachers are creating top contenders
who will be able to compete in a growing global economy. One example of this would be the
curriculum created by Practical Action, a group dedicated to creating instruction that includes
technology and design. Recently Practical Action collaborated with six countries on program that
allows pupils to develop critical understanding of the impact on daily life and the wider world
through evaluation of past and present design and technology ("National curriculum review,"
2014). On the national level, the United States is allocating millions of dollars to equip schools,
around this country, with the newest technological resources necessary to increase student
academic opportunities and capabilities. The state of Georgia is currently a recipient of these
funds through the SIG grant, a step-up program aimed at assisting the schools that are not
performing on desired standard levels. “SIG seeks to accelerate achievement in our nation’s
lowest-performing schools through rigorous, comprehensive interventions. Each school gets a
three-year grant of up to two million dollars per year to provide this comprehensive learning.
This grant supports school leaders, teachers, parents, and community partners to undertake the
difficult, demanding, and rewarding work of turning around a chronically low-performing
school” ("A preliminary progress," 2012)
2
There are many advances being made to improve the educational field, although I believe
that developing students must possess the ability to connect what they learn in the classroom to
what they will need to function successfully after graduation. I also believe that media resource
is the tool necessary for allowing all students to become an active participant in the classroom
and at the same time, enjoy the educational experience.
My suggestion would be to implement a program that instructs students about the core
content through the use of media resources. Instructional changes are eminent because this
growing global institution demands it. Converting to a technological station method of
instruction that communicates through media resources is the key to teaching our students about
life situations that are constantly changing our world. Stokes (2011) states “students who can
navigate and contribute to social media can make their voices heard in these new public forums.
Students who don’t learn to navigate these spaces will be at a deficit in the labor market and in
the civic sphere” (Stokes 2011, p. 1).
Statement of the Problem
Recently, I have noticed that many of my tenth grade students have problems connecting
their course content learning to real-world situations (media resources). This inability to make
connections between course content and real-world situations has decreased student interest and
classroom participation. Diminished interest in the subject causes students to perform poorly on
standardized test. The student must make the connection between course content and real-world
situations in order to receive the benefits of higher learning and civic responsibility.
3
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of media resources, which will be
used to enrich the course content of an American Government class, on tenth grade students.
This study aims toward determining how media resources will increase students’ performance on
course assessments. This was made obvious in my class on the last county administer
assessment. Only 12 students of 110 in the American Government course scored on the
proficient level. These low scores indicate a great need to incorporate a new strategy of
instruction.
My hypothesis is that the students’ test scores will increase after being exposed to media
resources (real-world situations) linked to the American Government course content. I imagine
that this type of instruction will increase test scores because the exposure to current media will
alert the students of the ongoing problems of the world that inevitably affect their well-being.
From my recent observations student appear to lack the ability to empathize and are nonchalant
about world issues which cause me to believe that the students were in need of instruction that
includes content in real-world situations.
Variables
The independent variable will be the instruction involving media resources. The
dependent variable will be the performance of the tenth grade students on a standardize test.
Context
School. The educational institution, in which this study was conducted, is located in the
urban area of a large city located in northeastern Georgia. Currently, the school enrolls
4
approximately 954 students in 9th through 12th grade. The typical class size ranges from 25 to
32 students per teacher or teacher with teacher assistant in special education program. The
central location and district zoning of the high school, serves as definite indicator of the schools
small range of diversity. According to the School Profile (2012) the school houses students from
several housing authorities, middle income homes in the west district of the city, and lower
income housing in the east district of the city. The ethnicity of the student body is approximately
95% black, 2% white, and 2% other, with recent small increases in their white student’s
population”. The special education program houses approximately 15% of the total population
with 12.7% of the population in remedial education programs, while the gifted population has
remained at approximately 0.9% of the student body. The socioeconomic backgrounds of these
students are low at the academy with 88% being eligible for free and reduced lunch (School
Profile 2012, p. 1). The school administrative team includes one principle, three assistance
principles, two instructional coaches, and two guidance counselors who work to organize the
school academic design. The faculty consists of fifty-six certified teachers, one graduation
coach, and a parent facilitator along with approximately 30 other classified staff members.
Additionally, the school receives assistance from a leading education company that monitors
school progress and offers professional training for all employees of the school.
Classroom. My focus group for this study consisted of 17 individuals with an ethnic and
racial makeup that closely resembles that of the overall institution. There were eight females and
nine males. All of the participants are classified as tenth graders and are taking part in a course
that is designed to increase literacy.
Need for the Study
5
My study will prove to be significant because the results, of this study, will be indicated
in each student’s active awareness of a growing global community. It is of high importance that
each student be exposed to instructions that will allows the students to ask significant and
relevant questions about local and national events; thereby, enabling these students to think
rationally, to effectively communicate and clearly articulate their words. This study can and will
satisfy various Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). The main topic to be addressed in this
study is American Government Standard SSCG 7, which states that students will describe how
beneficial and effective participation in civic life can be; characterized by obeying the law,
paying taxes, serving on a jury, being active in the political process, performing public services,
registering for military duty, being informed of current issues, and respecting differing opinions.
This study will be designed to redirect all high school educators to accept the challenge of
different teaching styles. This study is also aimed at appealing to any educational companies or
stakeholders who are interested in providing funds to students and schools that use media
resources to increase students’ academic achievement.
Definitions

Media Resources includes any resource used in the class that is generated to inform the
general public about current events and conditions.

Content Assessment a 15 question assessment created by the school district to test student
progress.
Assumptions
6
I am assuming that the students in my class have easy access to multiple media resources.
Additionally, I am assuming that the students are able to hear or read information and
comprehend the meaning of the material.
Limitations
This study lacks a control group. This is a limitation because the study will not have a
group to compare posttest scores with which will stop the study’s ability to determine the
treatments’ effectiveness.
Delimitation
This study has three delimitations. First, the sample size of the participants is small. This
problem decreases the generalizability of the study for other individuals who might want to
incorporate this manner of instruction into their class. Second, this study only focuses on tenth
grade students. Third, this study is focused on American Government content, which is an easy
area of study to access on the media.
Abstract of Design
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of media resources, which will be
used to enrich the course content of an American Government class, on tenth grade students.
This study will include 23 tenth grade students from an inner city school in northeastern Georgia.
The treatment for this study will include a 14 day period of instructions that will incorporate the
use of media resources. This study will not include a control group; all students will receive the
same instruction. This will be a quantitative study. Data collecting, to evaluate the effectiveness
7
of the instructions taught, will be accomplished by comparing the means of the 15 questions
pretest scores and a 15 questions identical posttest scores.
8
Section 2: Review of Literature
Introduction
The past few years have witnessed a rapid development in the use of media resources in
education. The use of media resources has been deemed crucial to help teachers and students in
coping with new challenges that await them in the future. Reports showed that international and
national educators are continuously seeking new instructional strategies, such as media
resources, to enhance and enlarge educational gains for the students in their country. One
example of this would be the media resource curriculum created by Practical Action, a group
dedicated to creating instructions that includes technology and design. Practical Action
collaborated with six countries on programs that allow pupils to develop critical understanding of
the impact of daily life and the wider world through evaluation of past and present design and
technology ("National curriculum review," 2014). However, according to Stein and Prewett
(2009) the United States of America lags behind a number of other countries in their study and
practice of media literacy education.
This sluggish development of media-driven instruction has caused a problem for the
United States. Therefore, the United States has sought instructional strategies that would aid and
ensure that teachers, in the United States, had created top contenders who are now able to
compete in a growing global economy. On the national level, the United States allocated millions
of dollars to equip schools with the newest technological resources necessary to increase student
academic opportunities and capabilities. The state of Georgia was a recipient of these funds
through the School Improvement Grant (SIG), a step-up program aimed at assisting the schools
9
that were not performing on desired standard levels. “SIG sought to accelerate achievement in
our nation’s lowest-performing schools through rigorous, comprehensive interventions. Each
school got a three-year grant of up to two million dollars per year to provide this comprehensive
learning. This grant supported school leaders, teachers, parents, and community partners to
undertake the difficult, demanding, and rewarding work of turning around a chronically lowperforming school” ("A preliminary progress," 2012).
The problem that I identified for this study was that students’ had the inability to connect
the course content to real-world situations at a chronically low-performing school. This inability
to make connections between course content and real-world situations has decreased student
interest and classroom participation. Diminished interest in the subject caused students to
perform poorly on course assessments. It was necessary for the student to make the connection
between course content and real-world situations in order to receive the benefits of higher
learning and civic responsibilities.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of media resources, which were
used to enrich the course content of an American Government class, on tenth grade students. The
research question examined how media resources increased students’ performance on course
assessments. I hypothesized that the students’ test scores will increase after being exposed to
media resources (real-world situations) linked to the American Government course content.
This study will describe the impact of the media resources on the performance of tenth
grade American Government students. Before reporting and analyzing the results of the study, I
will present a brief literature review of the pros and cons of media resource on instructions. This
10
review will illustrate the positive impact of a less traditional method of instructions, as well as
highlight the possible down falls of media instructions. The literature review will include three
qualitative and two quantitative studies that describe or relate to the use of media instruction in
education. The structure of the literature review will be arranged according to those articles that
support the use of media resource followed by those articles that do not support this form of
instruction.
Review
Research in the education field suggests that there is a continuous need for innovative
ways to instruct students. Incorporating various styles of teaching such as frequent exposure to
social media, high competent computer technology, and individualized differentiated instruction
appears to be the new standard of student development in many schools.
For example Russell (2010) identified in his study the use of ineffective and mundane
methodologies by 21st century Social Studies school teachers. The researcher stated the Social
Studies instructors’ reliance on the more traditional forms of instruction has caused this
generation of learners to become passive and inactive learners. The author of this study was
prompted to investigate instructional methods and practices to encourage educators to develop a
more engaging curriculum for the Social Studies content area.
The purpose of this study was to research what practices teachers use to teach social
studies in the 21st century. The researcher answered the following questions: How is secondary
social studies being taught in the 21st century? Has social studies instruction changed since the
20th century? No research hypothesis was states.
11
This qualitative study used a survey method design to obtain information regarding social
studies teachers’ method of instruction. The sample included 281 teachers, 119 females and 160
males, from 100 United States middle and high schools randomly selected from the National
Center of Educational Statistics. The participants were asked to complete a 35 question Likertscale anonymous survey that was designed to measure the frequency with which teachers used
various instructional methods when teaching social studies content.
“The responses were analyzed by numeration toward each Likert-scaled response. The
participants’ responses were analyzed for percentage per frequency toward each question” (p.
67). The results concluded that a majority (90%) of the teacher in the study use a more traditional
method of teaching while only (19%) a small amount reported using the internet, media, or other
technology resources.
The researcher concluded authentic methods and practices promoted active learning for
this generation of learners; however, 21st century teachers continued to use more traditional
techniques, by utilizing passive learning methods. The researcher suggested two
recommendations that would assist in this matter: 1. new instructional strategies be incorporated
into the school curriculum and 2. teachers needed more professional training with hands on
experience with new strategies and practices.
Some researchers suggested one reason for the continuous use of mundane instructional
strategies is due to the lack of training in differentiated instruction. For example, Milton, (2013)
identified a problem with pre-service teachers in Australia who have an inability to use new
technologies and incorporate digital pedagogies into lessons. The researcher was prompted to
12
investigate this problem because he recognized that beginning teachers should enter the
classroom with the knowledge and skill base to teach with information and communication
technologies (ICT).
The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of Australian
Aboriginal Pre-service teachers’ digital literacy and understanding of digital pedagogies for
teaching literacy. This study aimed to determine how information and communication
technologies could be used to teach literacy. The research hypothesized that this study “will
increase understanding of factors influencing the success of Indigenous pre-service students with
ICT learning, and the development of their digital pedagogies for teaching literacy” (p. 82).
This qualitative study followed a participatory action research model. Nineteen
Australian Aboriginal pre-service teachers, all volunteers, were asked to conduct an action
research study on their own practices. The research required the participants to developed lessons
involving technology, teach the lessons on two separate occasions, and evaluate the lesson’s
effectiveness. Additionally, the course director completed the same action research study to form
elaboration and triangulation of the student data. The data were collected from surveys and
interviews questioning the pre-services teacher knowledge of technology and use of technology.
The researcher analyzed the data and developed similar themes surrounding the usage of
ICT. At the conclusion of the study, the researcher found that approximately half of the preservice teachers were more knowledgeable about ICT and were more confident when
implementing ICT into the lessons.
13
The conclusion from the findings proposed that with time and practice teachers can
effectively incorporate ICT into the classroom. The researcher suggested three recommendations
that would assist in this matter: 1. teachers needed more practical workshops with hands on
experience with new technologies 2. develop web based learning communities to provide support
for teachers and 3. “more research with a broader population of Pre-service teachers would
provide further understandings about the development of digital literacies to use digital
pedagogies” (p. 93).
Another article that supported interactive learning for students and the need for teacher
training on media resources instruction was The Pedagogy of Critical Enjoyment: Teaching and
Reaching the Hearts and Minds of Adolescent Learners through Media Literacy Education. This
article suggested that if teachers learned the appropriate effective implementation of media
resource instructions that students would be more willing to learn the content and have greater
interest in the subject. Redmond (2012) identified in this study reports that school districts across
the United States are having difficult time implementing media literacy into the classroom. The
researcher was prompted to conduct this study because there were a lack of knowledge about
media literacy and the pedagogy of incorporating media literacy into engaging and effective
lessons. Additionally, the researcher felt there was a need to investigate why media literacy is
taught, what is taught in media literacy course, and how to effectively teach media content.
The purpose of this study was to analyze the instructional strategies, content, and nature
of student learning through the use of media literacy education in middle grade students. This
study addressed two questions: 1. what do teachers include in the content of media literacy
curriculum? 2. What pedagogy do teachers employ in the practice of media literacy education?
14
The researchers indicated no hypothesis but conducted the study to discover new information on
media literacy instruction. This qualitative study was conducted in a PreK-8 public school in a
large northeastern city. The sample population consisted of three teachers, the school librarian,
and approximately forty students. The students were divided into two classes and received
instruction forty-five minutes once per week. The study did not include a control group all
student received the same treatment. The researcher collected data by observing and audio
recording class-by-class activities, interactions, decisions, challenges, and formative outcomes of
the collaborative practices implemented in the media literacy course.
The data were analyzed using grounded theory method, chunking field observations,
transcribed interviews, and documents into common themes. These themes were refined through
comparison between the two media literacy courses. The researcher found that, one theme,
critical enjoyment as a principle motivation and pedagogy in the media literacy course.
The researcher concluded that educators should do more than just incorporate media
resources into the classroom but should work to add critical enjoyment that increases students
satisfaction and increase student analytical, social, and expressive process. The researcher
recommended that furthers studies be conducted on the elementary and high school levels.
Additionally, the research suggest that educators should look more into analyzing student
perception about the media literacy instruction, which will allow researchers to develop more
metrics to measure media literacy effectiveness.
The next article was instrumental in creating evidence of the positive impact of
interactive media instruction on student learning after teachers and students have been properly
15
trained to use the resources. In this study, Junco, Heibergert, and Loken (2011) identified a
problem which was the lack of empirical evidence supporting the large quantity of social media
usage in educational instruction. The researchers were prompted to conduct this study because
they felt the need to provide experimental evidence of the impact of social media on instruction.
The purpose of Junco, Heibergert, and Loken (2011) study was to determine if social
media would impact college students’ engagement and grades. Two questions were proposed for
their study: 1. what effects does encouraging the use of Twitter for educationally relevant
purposes have on students’ engagement? 2. what effects does encouraging the use of Twitter for
educationally relevant purposes have on semester grades? The research hypothesis was not stated
in this study.
A true experimental design was used for this quantitative study. The investigation ran for
a 14 week period, observing and analyzing 125 college students enrolled in a first semester
course. The study included a randomly assigned control group with 55 participants and a
randomly assigned experiment group with 70 participants. The experimental group received
instruction via Twitter, a social networking website, while the control group received traditional
instruction and received messages from a school generated web portal. Data were collected from
pretest and posttest, a 19 item survey, the twitter posting to measure engagement, and the
students grade point averages to measure the difference in scores.
The researchers conducted a mixed effects analysis of variance (ANOVA) model to
analyze students’ engagement and grades. Additionally, the researchers compared pretest scores
16
to posttest scores to determine the impact of the treatment. The findings from the study indicated
an increase in instructional engagement for the experimental group.
The researchers concluded that using social media is a relevant and effective tool that will
increase student engagement and improve grades. The researchers recommended that further
studies be conducted with other social media tools and with a different population. Also, the
researchers recommended a new instrument to measure student engagement because this study
depended on self-reports which is not a reliable source to measure.
Another group of researchers agreed with the use of media resource in the classroom but,
had some contradictory views and findings. For example, van den Beemt, Akkermant, and
Simons (2011) identified in this study that there has been a misrepresentation in the research
about the new generations of learner. The scholars from this study suggested, contrary to other
research studies, that not all 21st century students are highly skilled and capable of absorbing
large amounts information from interactive media. The researchers were prompted to conduct
this study to confirm the effects of interactive media on the youth.
The purpose of this study was to clarify the forms interactive media that this new era of
learns were using and to question the relevance of interactive media in education. The research
question for this study asked can patterns be found in the interactive media activities and
opinions of young people. The research hypothesis was not explicitly stated. The conveniently
selected sample consisted of 2138 Dutch primary to higher professional students from 24 for
schools in six different regions. For the qualitative study procedures the sample group
volunteered to participate in a 25 question Likert scale survey that questioned the students’ actual
17
use of interactive media and opinions about the use of specific media. The data were collected
from the survey responses.
The researcher analyzed the data in several steps: 1. Outliers were identified, 2. an
exploratory factory analyses to create the media activities categories, 3. cluster analysis to
explore the related patters of media users, and 4. Chi-square test to determine the relationship
between the categories of users and gender and educational level (p. 107). The findings reported
a wide variety of interactive media usage among the students; however, none of the users
indicated learning large amounts information from interactive media the students’ used
interactive media for mundane communication networking.
The researchers concluded that there was a great deal of diversity among the user rather
than a homogenous group who all have highly skilled capabilities of absorbing large amounts
information from interactive media. The researchers discovered 4 clusters of users with only one
group from the sample showing the ability to “produce” or show evidence of learning. Also, the
research found that most students choose to use specific programs while reframing from others
which may cause a lack of obtaining knowledge.
The researchers recommended that this study be conducted with a random sample and
that further research be conducted to study the specific characteristics of the new generation of
learners.
Summary
18
In this literature review, I examined the difference of opinions about the use of media
resources education in the classroom. I also studied the effects of teacher training and impact of
media resource curriculum development. What is known about incorporating media resources
instruction is that students will benefit from its’ authentic form of practice and assessment. What
is unknown is the long term outcome of the instructional strategy.
My study is different because it will focus on the American Government content and the
importance of civic responsibility. My study will prove to be significant because the results will
be indicated in each student’s active awareness of a growing global community. It is of high
importance that each student be exposed to instructions that will allows them to ask significant
and relevant questions about local and national events; thereby, enabling these students to think
rationally, to effectively communicate and clearly articulate their words.
19
Section 3: Methodology
Purpose, Research Questions, Hypothesis, and Research Design
The problems that prompted this study are: 1). the inability of students to make
connections between course content and real-world situations that decreased students’ interest
and classroom participation. 2). diminished interest in the subject caused students to perform
poorly on course assessments. As the results of my finding, I found that it is mandatory for the
student to make the connection between course content and real-world situations in order to
receive the benefits of higher learning and civic responsibility.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of media resources, which was
used to enrich the course content of an American Government class, on tenth grade students.
This study aimed toward determining how media resources will increase students’ performance
on course assessments. This was made obvious in my class on the last county administer
assessment. Only 12 of 110 students, in the American Government course, scored on the
proficient level. These low scores indicated a great need to incorporate a new strategy of
instruction.
I hypothesized that the students’ test scores would increase after being exposed to media
resources (real-world situations) linked to the American Government course content. I imagined
that this type of instruction would increase test scores because exposure to current media would
alert the students of the ongoing problems of the world that inevitably affect their well-being.
As the results of my recent observations, students appeared to lack the ability to empathize and
were nonchalant about world issues; which cause me to believe that the students were in need of
instruction that includes content in real-world situations.
20
This quantitative study used a single groups, pre-test, posttest design. Pre-tests were
administered to students in the participating classroom. For 14 days, the students received
instruction 30 minutes daily that incorporated the use of media resources. At the conclusion of
the 14 day instructional period the students completed an identical posttest. (See Appendix)
Treatment/Intervention
The treatment for this study was a mini lesson that aimed to explain real world situations
involving the American Government through the use of media resources. The students received
the treatment for 30 minutes daily, for 14 consecutive days. The mini lessons followed a routine
schedule of teacher opening that introduced new events, a cooperative teacher-student work
period, and a student-lead closing. The lessons included the following instructional strategies: 1.
think-share-pair, 2. entire class discussion and debates, 3. lectures, 4. close-read activities over
current news articles, and 5. video news clips with corresponding questionnaires.
Timeline
Each day of the study, the timeline followed the same instructional framework of
opening, work period, and closing. The closing alternated instructional strategies depending on
the responses of the students.
Days
Instructional
Detailed Instruction
Framework
Day 1
Days 2-15
Opening
Time allotted for
activity

Pre-test

The teacher briefly introduces the 5 minutes
event or situation occurring in the
news.
Students received corresponding
questions to video

21
30 minutes
Work period


Closing
Day 16


Students watch two or three
videos
Students create written responses
to questionnaires pertaining to
video
The students share the responses
to the questions and states
opinions and findings about the
event.
Posttest
15 minutes
10 minutes
30 minutes
Population and Sample
Population. The population for the study consisted of all tenth grade students in an
educational institution located in the inner city urban area in northeastern Georgia. Currently, the
school enrolls approximately 954 students in 9th through 12th grade. According to the School
Profile (2012) the school houses students from several housing authorities, middle income homes
in the west district of the city, and lower income housing in the east district of the city. The
ethnicity of the student body is approximately 95% black, 2% white, and 2% other, with recent
small increases in their white student’s population”. The special education program houses
approximately 15% of the total population with 12.7% of the population in remedial education
programs, while the gifted population has remained at approximately 0.9% of the student body.
The socioeconomic backgrounds of these students are low at the academy with 88% being
eligible for free and reduced lunch (School Profile 2013, p. 1).
Sample. The sample chosen for this study consisted of 17 individuals with an ethnic and
racial makeup that closely resembles that of the overall population. There were eight females and
nine males, who participated in the study that varied in academic ability levels. These
22
participants were a convenient sample of tenth graders who were taking part in a course that was
designed to increase literacy.
Data Collection
The method of data collection for this study was gathered from the assessment. This
quantitative study served to determine the impact of media resources instruction on 10th grade
American Government students. The research instrument was a 15 question assessment of
current news events. This 15 multiple choice question assessment covered four topics in
American Government: 1. executive powers, 2. United States foreign policy, 3. criminal law, and
4. political officials.
This instrument was used to create a clearer understanding of how media resource
instruction was effective for students’ learning; and because the students were familiar with the
format of the instructional framework. This topic and data collection were appropriate for
determining how this newly implemented literacy course being taught in the classroom would
help to increase students’ performance on course assessments.
I cannot prove the reliability of this instrument since this assessment was a newly
constructed test being administered for the first time in this study. However, I trust the validity of
the instrument because the content of the course match the objectives being questioned on the
assessment and because the questions formulated on the test were generated from an accredited
test bank.
Permission
Parental and school administrators signed consent/permission forms are not needed to
conduct this research.
23
Overview of Analysis
The accumulative data will be analyzed by computing the mean, median, and mode of the
students’ pre-test and posttest scores. This same data will be used to determine the effectiveness
of using media resources to improve student performance.
24
Section 4: Analysis of Data and Findings
Introduction
Overview of the research design. The problem that I identified for this study was:
students’ inability to connect the course content to real-world situations. This inability to make
connections between course content and real-world situations has decreased student interest and
classroom participation. Diminished interest in the subject causes students to perform poorly on
course assessments. The student must make the connection between course content and realworld situations in order to receive the benefits of higher learning and civic responsibility.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of media resources, which were
used to enrich the course content of an American Government class, on tenth grade students. The
research question examined how media resources increased students’ performance of course
assessments. I hypothesized that the students’ test scores will increase after being exposed to
media resources (real-world situations) linked to the American Government course content.
The quantitative study was conducted by implementing media resources structured minilessons that aimed towards explaining real-world situations involving American Government.
The participants were a convenient sample of 17 tenth grade students who took part in a literacy
course. The students received the treatment for 30 minutes daily, for 14 consecutive days. The
mini-lessons followed a routine schedule of teacher openings that included; introduction of new
events, a cooperative teacher-student work period, and a student-lead closing. The lessons
included the following instructional strategies: 1. think-share-pair; 2. entire class discussion and
debates; 3. Lectures; 4. close-read activities over current news articles; 5. video news clips with
25
corresponding questionnaires. Pretest scores and posttest scores were compared to determine the
impact of the instruction.
Preview of the analysis. In order to approach and determine the impact of the instructions on
students’ course assessments grades, I will compute the mean, median, and mode of the pretest
scores and posttest scores. The strategy that I will be using to assess the difference between the
pretest and posttest scores will be accomplished by subtracting the total pretest score from the
posttest scores.
Analysis and Presentation
The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, median, and mode) of the
pretest and posttest scores. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the difference between
the pretest and posttest score results. Each pretest score were subtracted from each posttest
scores and the difference in scores indicated the positive or negative impact of the media
resource structured instructions.
The analysis of the pretest and posttest scores revealed that students only slightly
improved on the course assessments. Seven out of the 17 participants increased on the posttest by
only one question (or a plus 7 points). See Table 1.
Table 1.
Results of Pretest and Post Test Assessments
ID #
pre-test
Student 1
Student 2
posttest
35
70
42
70
26
Points gained of loss
+7
0
63
42
49
56
84
63
42
49
56
42
28
56
77
77
70
70
49
42
70
77
70
63
49
63
42
0
63
84
70
70
56
42
56.411765
63
70
58.470588
+7
+7
-7
+ 14
-7
+7
+ 21
0
+7
0
- 28
+7
+7
-7
0
Assessment Scores
Student 3
Student 4
Student 5
Student 6
Student 7
Student 8
Student 9
Student 10
Student 11
Student 12
Student 13
Student 14
Student 15
Student 16
Student 17
n=17
median
mode
mean
Participants
Figure 1. The results of the Pretest and Posttest Assessments. Each pretest score were subtracted
from each posttest scores and the difference in scores indicated the positive or negative impact of
the media resource structured instructions
27
Discussion
The research question asked how media resources would impact students’ performance of
course assessments. Data results indicated that the instructions were only slightly effective. My
hypothesis was validated because the 17 participants answered one to three questions correctly
than on the pretest. My findings are similar to that of Junco, Heibergert, Loken, (2011) in their
study of social media and its’ impact on college students’ engagement and grades. These three
researchers determined that by using social media for educational purposes was a relevant and
effective tool that would increase student engagement and improve grades.
Impact on Student Learning
This study impacted students’ learning by offering an alternative method of instructions.
One of the key objectives of the educational system was to present student with instruction that is
differentiated. This media resource instructional strategy allowed students to better interpret the
content and function at their own pace and at their own level of understanding. Also, this study
provided empirical evidence that using media resources could increase student performance;
recognizing that the students learned the content effortlessly and was able to make real world
connections to the content learned in the course.
Significance to Audience
My research proved to be significant because the ending results indicated several of the
participants became actively aware of American Government’s purpose and its’ involvement in a
growing global community. It was of high importance that each student was presented with
28
instructions that would allow them to ask significant and relevant questions about local and
national events, which in turn, have enabled these students to; think rationally, effectively
communicate, and clearly articulate their words. This study could impact high school educator
decision making by redirecting and challenging them to accept different styles of teaching.
Another focus, in the study, was to appeal to any educational companies or stakeholders who
were interested in making financial contributions to students and schools that used media
resources to increase students’ academic achievement.
Finding from the Analysis
Analyses of the pretest and posttest scores revealed that students slightly improved on the
course assessments. According to Table 1, in the over-all analyses, nine of the seventeen students
showed an increase on the post assessment by answering one to three more questions correctly.
The results of the study affirmed the research question by proving that media resource did
positively impact student performance on course assessment in an American Government course.
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Section 5: Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations
Summary
The problem that I identified for this study was: students’ inability to connect the course
content to real-world situations. This inability to make connections between course content and
real-world situations has decreased student interest and classroom participation. Diminished
interest in the subject caused students to perform poorly on course assessments. It was necessary
for the student to make the connection between course content and real-world situations in order
to receive the benefits of higher learning and civic responsibility.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of media resources, which were
used to enrich the course content of an American Government class, on tenth grade students. The
research question examined how media resources increased students’ performance on course
assessments. I hypothesized that the students’ test scores will increase after being exposed to
media resources (real-world situations) linked to the American Government course content.
A sample of 17 tenth grade students ( eight girls and nine boys), attending an urban high
school, participated in 14 day period of instruction to determine the impact of media resources
instruction on American Government students. The mean, median, and mode of the pretest
scores and posttest scores were calculated and determined that students improved on the course
assessments.
Conclusion
The findings from my small-scale study helped to build a better understanding of the
impact of media resources instruction on my American Government students. The findings also
30
offered implications for me as a teacher who sought new instructional strategies to enhance
student learning. The results of this study suggested that media resources involving current news
sources were an effective method of instruction for students who have difficulties connecting the
classroom content to real-world situations.
My objective for this research was to help my students develop the ability to connect
what they learn in the classroom to what they would need to function successfully after
graduation. I believed that media resource was the necessary tool that allowed my students to
become an active participant in the classroom and at the same time, enjoy the educational
experience. The problems identified at the start of the study diminished interest, poor
performance on course assessments, and inability to connect were solved by the conclusion of
the study since the media resources increased students’ performance on course assessments. In
conclusion; yes, the hypothesis was validated. The students’ test scores did increase after being
exposed to media resources (real-world situations) linked to the American Government course
content.
Reflective Essay
Self-evaluation. This study focused on the implementation of a program that instructs
students about the core content through the use of media resources. I have learned from
conducting this study that instructional changes are a necessity for this generation of learners as
this growing global institution of teaching demands it. I have also learned that teachers need to
incorporate multiple techniques into the classroom to assist in student commitment, participation,
and learning process.
31
After researching media usage in education, I found that many of the researchers
incorporated media usage with technology models which allowed the students to fully engage in
the learning experience while performing task that were of high interest to the students. If I had
to redo this study, technological models would be one application that I would incorporate into
the classroom to aid and promote student learning. Additionally, I would administer, for a longer
period of time, the instruction with media resources treatment on a specific subject to determine
the true impact of the instructions.
Attempting to complete the study in such a short time span proved to be the most difficult
task. However, keeping an accurate schedule and following the time of the course consistently
helped to resolve these problems. In the final analysis, I discovered that students benefited from
the instruction; which in turn, has made this study a worthwhile experience.
Impact on student learning. The strategy that was included in this study impacted students’
learning by offering a differentiated method of instruction. This media resource instructional
strategy allowed students to better interpret the content and function at their own pace and at
their own level of understanding. Also, this study provided empirical evidence that using media
resources would increase student performance; recognizing that students learned the content
effortlessly and efficiently and was able to make real world connections to all content learned in
the course.
Recommendations
My recommendations for researchers studying the topic of media resource instruction
would be to conduct the study with a random sample and with a larger sample size. Additionally,
32
I would recommend that the study be conducted on elementary and middle school students as
well. My final recommendation, for the researcher, would be to implement the media resource
treatment for a longer period of time.
33
References
Junco, R., Heibergert, G., & Loken, E. (2011). The effect of twitter on college students’
engagement and grades. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning,
National curriculum review. (2014). Retrieved from http://practicalaction.org/curriculum-review
Milton, M. (2013). Digital literacy and digital pedagogies for teaching literacy: Pre-service
teachers’ experience on teaching rounds. Journal of Literacy and Technology, 14(1), 7296. doi: 1535-0975
Redmond, T. (2012). The pedagogy of critical enjoyment: Teaching and reaching the hearts and
minds of adolescent learners through media literacy education. Journal of Media Literacy
Education, 4(2), 106-120.
Russell, W. (2010). Teaching social studies in the 21st century a research study of secondary
social studies teachers' instructional methods and practices. Action in Teacher Education,
32(1), 65-72.
Stein, L., & Prewett, A. (2009). Media literacy education in the social studies: Teacher
perception and curricular challenges. Teacher Education Quarterly, 131-148.
Stokes, A. (2011, February 29). Expert article: Making the case for teaching with new media.
Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/blog/expert-articlemaking-the-case-for-teaching-with-new-media
van den Beemt, A., Akkermant, S., & Simons, P. (2011). Patterns of interactive media use
among contemporary youth. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27, 103-118.
34
[Web log message]. (2012, March 29). Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/blog/2012/03/apreliminary-progress-report-on-turning-around-the-lowest-performing-schools/
35
Appendix
1.
The executive branch
a.
b.
c.
d.
enforces law.
interprets law.
makes and passes law.
none of the above
5.
Which term refers to the rule by
people?
a.
b.
c.
d.
popular sovereignty
rule of law
limited government
checks and balances
2.
All of the following are ways that the
legislative Branch can check the powers of
the executive branch except
6.
Interest groups and political parties
both promote United States Democracy by
a.
the senate may refuse to approve a
treaty negotiated by the President.
b.
the senate may refuse to approve a
presidential appointment.
c.
Congress may pass a law declaring a
presidential act unconstitutional.
d.
Congress may override a presidential
veto.
a.
expressing detailed, ideologically
distinct programs.
b.
centralizing public authority.
c.
linking citizens to political process.
d.
lobbying members of Congress.
7.
A form of direct democracy in which
voters can decide whether a representative
should continue in office is
3.
According to the Preamble of the
United States Constitution the purpose of
our government includes all of the following
except
a.
b.
c.
d.
a.
making everything in our country as
perfect as possible.
b.
providing the basic necessities for all
citizens.
c.
being fair to all citizens.
d.
giving protection to all citizens.
8.
How does the United States
government generate the majority of its
revenue?
a.
b.
c.
d.
4.
This term refers to the fact that no
person or government is above the law
a.
b.
c.
d.
legislative initiative.
recall.
referendum.
popular initiative.
Individual income taxes
Corporate income tax
Excise taxes
Sale of bonds
9.
When a nation’s imports exceed its
exports, the country is
a.
running a trade deficit.
b.
running a trade surplus.
c.
in default.
d.
bankrupt.
popular sovereignty
rule of law
limited government
checks and balances
36
10.
The most important civic
responsibility citizens have is to
d.
high school dropout, unemployed,
single male
a.
b.
c.
d.
13.
The Miranda Warning represents an
attempt to protect criminal suspects against
pay taxes.
participates in exit polls.
vote.
be informed about current events.
a.
b.
c.
d.
11.
Of the list below which are
considered to be violent crimes?
a.
b.
c.
away
d.
hiking
assault, armed robbery, murder
arson, theft, violating curfew
DUI, intent to distribute cocaine, run
unfair police interrogation.
biased jury selection.
imprisonment without a trial.
illegal wiretapping.
14.
The United States Congress, which is
made up of two houses is called a
a.
b.
c.
d.
embezzlement, insider trading, price
12.
Which person is more likely to
commit a crime?
bicameral legislature.
parliament.
constitutional legislature.
conference legislature.
15.
This power enables Congress to
regulate working conditions across the
nation.
a.
college educated, employed, married,
and female
b.
high school educated, employed,
divorced, and male
c.
high school educate, married,
unemployed, female
a.
b.
c.
d.
2
to enforce civil rights laws
to initiate national defense protection
to pass bankruptcy laws
to regulate commerce
2