Research Proposal
Liberty University
Sherry Jarvis
Abstract
• The way a teacher teaches and interacts with
students can have a tremendous impact on their
success.
• It is in everyone’s best interest that teachers try
their best to reach all students by:
– Having a caring attitude toward students
– Not giving up on them, no matter what the circumstances
• Previous research suggests there are economic
and social costs that are incurred by taxpayers
from students dropping out. They include:
– Incarceration costs
– Social Costs
– Health Care Costs
Purpose of Study
• The purpose of this study is to investigate
why students are dropping out from their
perspective.
• The study will find the various factors that
is putting these students at risk and
determine ways the teachers can help.
• The research will determine what teaching
methods are working for students.
Research Questions
1. Why are students dropping out of high
school?
2. What is going on in these students lives
that has caused them to get to this point?
3. What preventions can be put in place to
help these students?
4. Are certain teachers and or teaching
methods hindering “at risk” student
success?
Definitions of Variables and Key
Terms
•
•
High School Dropout – This term is used in this
study to refer to students who were
interviewed and did not finish high school. The
ages ranged from 16 to 24 (Bridgeland, 2006).
Drop Out Prevention- Are early warning
indicators for students who may be considered
at risk. Schools have their own methods of
determining which students fit into the “at risk”
category. Schools will determine how to help
these students based on the criteria (Heppen
and Therriault, 2008).
Key Terms Cont’d…..
•
At Risk Students– This is a group that may not be on track for
graduation. Due to:
• Too many days missed
• Failing Classes
 Students with reading disabilities are also in this
category.
– One in six students with reading disabilities by
the third grade are four times more likely to
not graduate (Hernandez, 2011).
Key Terms Cont’d…..
• Family– For this study family has a tremendous impact
on these students.
– Family can help or hinder a students progress
in school.
– This study will determine how much a
students family negatively impacts their
success in high school (Van Brummelen, pg.
249, 2009).
Review of the Literature
From the student perspective:
•
Why are they
dropping out?
1. Not motivated,
and spent very
little time
completing
assignments
2. Had to get a job
3. Became a parent
(Bridgeland, DiIulio,Morison, Burke,
2006)
•
Students said they
would consider
returning to school if:
1. Teachers attitudes
changed
2. Attendance policy
changed
(Dunn, Chamber, Rabren, 2004)
Review of the Literature Cont’d…..
Health Concerns for Dropouts:
• A persons level of education is one of the
number one predictors of their health.
• The higher level of education a person
possesses the better housing and medical
care they can afford.
• Substance abuse and pregnancy is the
leading health concern for students
(Freudenberg, Ruglis, 2007).
Review of the Literature Cont’d
Warning Signs or Indicators of a Drop Out:
• Poor Attendance
• Course Performance
– Research suggest that a student who fails
one or more courses their first semester
freshman year are less likely to graduate
compared to the students who pass all
courses (Heppen and Therriault, 2008).
Review of the Literature Cont’d
Prevention Suggestions:
• Engage the students by making the
curriculum more interesting for students.
• Get the teachers to interact more with the
students on more of a personal level.
• Start some students in vocational training
if that is something that is better suited for
them (Smith, 2011).
Review of the Literature Cont’d
• Vocational Training:
– This gives students an alternative to the
standard learning environment.
– This type of training gives students who do
not see the value of a traditional education a
skill they see as valuable (Berkins and
Kritsonsis, 2007).
Qualitative Research Design
• This design calls for a narrative research design.
• This choice is based on the desire to understand
what these students are thinking in order to
better assist them.
• This study focuses on interviewing students who
have dropped out of school and ones who are
“at risk” in school.
• It will not focus on the amount of drop outs
because the goal of educators is to help reach
all students.
• This information can be used to train teachers
and administrators.
Sampling
• This study requires a lot of time on behalf of
individuals and researchers.
• The sampling procedure will be to select an area
where the researchers live in close proximity to.
• The sample size will be to select one school
district in their area with a high drop out rate.
• The students who are “at risk” or who have
dropped out have to be willing to volunteer their
time to the researchers.
Methods of Data Collection
• This narrative design will use interviews to listen and gain
understanding why students are not motivated in school.
• One interviewer will interview all the students from one
district, then the interviewers from multiple districts can get
together to share the details of their findings.
• Questions will be asked:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Are you passing all classes?
Do you think you put forth 100%?
Are your parents aware of your performance?
Do you live with your parents?
Do you have a job?
Do you like your teachers and do you think they care about your
success?
– Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend who may take up a lot of your
time?
– How do you prefer a class to be managed and organized?
– What is your ideal teacher?
Methods of Data Collection
Continued……
• Focus groups will be used to conduct the
interviews.
• These groups will help students become
comfortable with the interviewer and the
questions being asked.
• Students will be broken up into groups
depending on their teachers from a particular
school district.
– This will help determine whether a particular teacher
or teaching style has an impact on student success.
Data Analysis
• This research method does not require the
collection of quantitative data.
• A report of the districts drop out rates will
be included in the study.
• These results will be used to identify any
additional patterns that can help
interviewers reach their conclusions.
Data Analysis
• The interviewers will keep a log of the
persons being interviewed.
• The log will:
– Take into account non-verbal features
– Record the interviewers thoughts and
reactions during the interview
– Record answers to the questions
• The interpretation of the data will focus on
an explanation as to why students fail.
Ethics and Human Relations
• The risks associated with conducting
interviews is that the participants may be
worried about their information being
confidential. To prevent this:
– Assure participants that they will remain
anonymous.
– Assure them that their answers will not be
shared outside of the researchers in the
study.
Ethics and Human Relations
Cont’d….
• Interviewers chosen will not have an
influence on the participants. To ensure
this:
– Interviewers will not know the participants
personally.
– Interviewers will not know the teachers or
school administrators personally.
• Before interviewing students, researchers
will meet with school boards to gain
approval.
Time Line
• The interviews would take place twice a
year.
– The first interviews would be conducted at the
end of the school year to talk with the
students who did not finish school that year.
• The second phase of interviews would be
conducted mid-year.
– Interviewers would meet with students who
failed a class first semester.
– Then they can provide information back to the
school districts.
References
•
Allensworth, Elaine M.; Easton John Q. (2007). What Matters for Staying
On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public High Schools: A Close
Course Grades, Failures, and Attendance in the Freshman Year.
Research Report. Consortium on Chicago School Research.
Retrieved on January 31, 2012,from Education Resources Information
Center. (Document ID: ED498350).
•
Berkins, Cynthia Lawry; Kritsonis, William Allan. (2007). Curriculum
Leadership: Curriculum For the at Risk Students. Online Submission, The
Lamar University Electronic Journal of Student Research. Retrieved on
January 31, 2012, from Education Resources Information
Center. (Document ID: ED498643).
References Cont’d…….
•
Bridgeland, John M.; DiIulio, John J. Jr.; Morison, Karen Burke. (2006). The
Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts. Civic Enterprises.
Retrieved January 31,2012, from Education Resources Information Center.
(Document ID: ED513444).
•
Butts, P.. (2009). FREQUENT ABSENCES? Help Students Keep Up, Not
Drop Out. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 45(4), 163-165. Retrieved
February 5, 2012, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document
ID: 1722972071).
References Cont’d……
•
Conner, E., & McKee, J.. (2008, November). Drop-Out Challenges:
Pathways to Success. Principal Leadership, 9(3), 39-43. Retrieved
February 5, 2012, from Research Library. (Document
ID: 1596697691).
•
Dunn, Caroline, Chambers, Dalee, Rabren, Karen. (2004). Variables
Affecting a Students’ Decision to Drop Out. Hammil Institute on
Disabilites and Sage, 25: 314. Retrieved Febuary 25, 2012.
•
Freudenber, Nicholas; Ruglis, Jessica.(2007). Reframing School Dropout as
a Public Health Issue. Public Health Practice and Policy. Vol.
4.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 1,
2012 from Education Resources Information Center. (Document ID:
ED399412).
References Cont’d…..
•
Heppen, Jessica B.; Therriault, Susan Bowles. (2008). Developing Early
Warning Systems to Identify Potential High School Dropouts. Issue
Brief. National High School Center. American Institutes for Research.
Retrieved January 31, 2012, from Education Resources Information
Center. (Document ID: ED521558).
•
Hernandez, Donald J. (2011). Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading
Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation. Annie E. Casey
Foundation. Retrieved on January 31, 2012 from Education
Resources Information Center. (Document ID: ED518818).
•
Monrad, Maggie. (2007). High School Dropout: A Quick Stats Fact Sheet.
National High School Center. Retrieved on January 31, 2012, from
Education Resources Information Center. (Document ID: ED501066).
References Cont’d…….
•
Russell N Cassel. (2003). A high school drop-out prevention program for
the at-risk sophomore students. Education, 123(4), 649. Retrieved
February 5, 2012, from Research Library. (Document
ID: 370080721).
•
Smith, Denise. (2011). Understanding Factors That Influence Academic
Performance in Tenth Grade Students. Online Submission from School of
Education and Counseling Psychology. Dominican University of
California. Retrieved January 31, 2012 from Education Resources
Information Center. (Document ID: ED521708).
•
Van Brummelen, H. (2009). Walking with God in the Classroom: Christian
Approaches to teaching and Learning. Colorado Springs, Co: Purposeful
Design Publications.