Best practices to keep kindergarten students engaged

1. Best practices to keep kindergarten students engaged Dionisia Rigby CBSE 7202T Seminar in Applied Research II Fall 2013 Action Research Midterm

2. Table of contents • Rationale – Slide 3 • Experimental Design – Slide 4 • Threats to Internal Validity – Slide 5 • Threats to External Validity –Slide 6 • Proposed Data Analysis- Slide 7-10 • Survey Questions – Slide 11 • References – Slide 12

3. rationale • The purpose of this research is to find the best practices to keep kindergarteners engaged and energetic in an all day program. It has been noticed that many students fall asleep throughout the day. Numerous kinesthetic activities will be used as a form of intervention to see what keeps students engaged the most. A pre-survey will be given, intervention will be implemented and post-survey will be given

4. Experimental design • One Group Pre-Test Post-Test Design • One group, 29 girls (School X in Brooklyn, NY) will receive a pretest (O) • Group will be exposed to a treatment (X) • Group will be post-tested (O) • Symbolic Design Representation • OXO • Pre-Test (O) and Post-Test (O) = Pre and Post Survey • Treatment (X) will consist of before and after videos of scholars during math and core instruction over the period of 2 weeks

5. Threats to internal validity • History – events outside of the experiment are likely to occur such staying up late the night before or on a regular basis • Maturation- overtime students may become accustomed to kinesthetic movements causing them to no have an effect • Mortality – students may have long absences or may transfer schools • Statistical Regression – a low number of students my bring forth results, causing data to be insignificant

6. Threats to external validity • Pre-Test Treatment – students may act differently since they were pre-tested • Multiple Treatment – Students may receive more than one treatment in succession • Experimenter Effects – Researcher actively presents potential threats; due to person bias researcher may effect results due to previous knowledge of students

7. Proposed data analysis Attitude Rating Scale 1 – Strongly dislike 2- Dislike 3 – Like 4 – Strongly Like Engagement Scale 1- Never 2- Rarely (1 to 3 times) 3 – Most (4 to 7 times) 4- Always The proposed data two sets of information. The data shows students attitude towards jumping jacks pre and post-survey. The second set of data shows if jumping jacks keep students engaged pre and post test. Most students attitude towards jumping jacks improved towards jumping jacks. Jumping jacks kept more students engaged and on-task post test.

8. Proposed Data Analysis Above is the proposed data for the activity students prefer to stay engaged during instruction. Pre-survey most students prefer to try to stay engaged on their own with no intervention. Post-survey most students prefer to do jumping jacks to stay engaged.

9. Proposed data analysis Sample Data Set represents proposed correlation between my pre-test survey question, "Do you like Core (science and social studies)?" and the number of times students fall asleep during Core. This data shows a strong negative correlation between student's attitude towards Core and number of times students fall asleep during Core.

10. Proposed data analysis Sample Data Set represents proposed correlation between a post-test question, "Do you need jumping jacks to keep you awake during Core?" and post-test question, "Do I like jumping jacks?". This data shows a strong positive correlation between needing jumping jacks to keep students awake and their attitude toward doing jumping jacks.

11. Sample Survey questions

12. references • O’Connor-Petruso, S. (2013). Descriptive Statistics Threats to Validity. PowerPoint slides. Retrieved from Blackboard Course Documents