Running head: STUDENT ENGAGMENT USING INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD 1

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1 Running head: STUDENT ENGAGMENT USING INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD 1 A Qualitative Study: Interactive Whiteboard Positively Affects Student Engagement Monica Robinson-White University of North Texas

2 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 2 Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine whether the use of interactive whiteboards positively affected student engagement during the teaching-learning process. Six teachers and one- hundred, twenty-two students from a public school in Texas were observed for an entire school year. Participants were all 4 th grade teachers and 4 th grade students. Three researchers segmented the 4 th -grade level resulting in each researcher being responsible for data collection from a pair of teachers and their homeroom students. Collected data from classroom observations affirmed that interactive whiteboards had a positive impact on student engagement. Teacher and student interviews revealed that the majority of the participants had a positive outlook on the utilization and integration of the interactive whiteboards. The students reflective planners basically disclosed data that supported the use of the interactive whiteboard; the students preferred learning via the interactive whiteboard over the traditional non-interactive whiteboard and dry-erase marker. Results indicate that the use of an interactive whiteboard is advantageous to student engagement as well as student participation.

3 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 3 A Qualitative Study: Interactive Whiteboard Positively Affects Student Engagement From cognitive psychologist to educators, many professions attest to the fact that student engagement is a key component of knowledge construction and knowledge retention. With the promotion and rise of technology use in the classroom (particularly at K-12 levels), many skeptics question the validity of technology positively engaging today s students. Technology tools such as the interactive whiteboard (IWB) can be found in classrooms across the country. Some teachers and students would be lost without them; others feel that they are simply glorified whiteboards. Does the use of an interactive whiteboard positively affect student engagement? Are the teachers reaching the students when teaching with the IWB? Considering children today are 1) media and tech-savvy 2) learn differently from past generations and 3) rely more and more on media and technology tools for information, socialization, and knowledge, students learning could benefit from learning technology resources and tools. Transitioning from the information age to the computer age and now to the digital/interactive age, it is viable and necessary that learning technologies are appropriately incorporated into the educational environment. Technology is a part of the world we live in and is a guaranteed part of our children's future. When used appropriately and in the right context, technology can positively impact student learning. From my experience with working with young children and technology, I ve observed how the brief utilization of technology makes students who are completely uninterested in a lesson more focused and engaged. Proper use of technology definitely warrants a position in the teaching-learning process. Technology not only engages, but meets all students at his/her current level.

4 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 4 Through examining the attitudes and beliefs of students in conjunction with the attitudes and beliefs of teachers regarding the interactive whiteboard, the purpose of this qualitative study can lend itself to valid and reliable results. Literature Review Helen Marks, an associate professor at Ohio State University, recognized that many researchers have made great efforts in explaining engagement through comprehensive structures. Her research study evaluates the effect of engagement of school reform initiatives that are consistent prior research (Marks, 2000). In Marks study, findings were made regarding existing patterns in student engagement. She also reported on whether grade levels or subject matters affected student engagement. SMART Technologies stand behind their products and promotes the positive impact that the SMART Board has on the teaching/learning community. SMART claims the interactive whiteboard has positive impacts on student learning: it supports many different learning styles and is used in a variety of learning environments, note-taking on an interactive whiteboard can play a key role in the student review process; and designing lessons utilizing interactive whiteboards enables educators to streamline their preparation (SMART Technologies, 2006). G.L.Morgan s (2008) dissertation examined the impact of interactive whiteboard use on student engagement and appropriate at-task behaviors of junior high school students. Her research findings proved that when using the interactive whiteboard for instructional purposes, student engagement increased significantly (Morgan, 2008). In agreement with Morgan s research, Beeland s (2002) study also was to determine the effect of the use of interactive whiteboards as an instructional tool on student engagement.

5 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 5 Significance of the Study The significance of this study lies in the fact that many of the USA s children are not motivated or engaged to learn. Disengagement corrupts our society. According to Marks, students who are engaged with school are more likely to learn, to find the experience rewarding, to graduate and to pursue higher education (Marks, 2000). Many research studies attribute the lack of engagement to a school s characteristic, weak instruction, and low expectations for student learning (Marks, 2000). SMART claims that interactive whiteboards, such as the SMART Board, affect learning in several ways, such as raising the level of student engagement in a classroom, motivating students, and promoting enthusiasm for learning (SMART Technologies, 2006). Research findings from this study propose that the interactive whiteboard promotes student engagement. Due to student engagement in instruction, teachers can maintain student focus and attention, retention of course material, and improve classroom management (Morgan, 2008). Hypothesis Statement Interactive whiteboards positively impact student engagement. Qualitative Method Participants Participants in this study consisted of the teachers and students in the entire fourth-grade level at a public elementary school in the United States. The fourth-grade level consists of six teachers and a total of 102 students. The fourth-grade teachers participate in the team-teaching strategy at their school. In this particular district, the team-teaching strategy is defined as a

6 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 6 group of teachers involved in instructing the same group of students, yet are responsible for a select number of courses. For example, Teacher A has 20 students and Teacher B has 20 students. Teacher A and Teacher B are responsible for teaching all 40 students. Teacher A is responsible for teaching Math and L.A., and Teacher B is responsible for teaching Science and Social Studies. There is a mounted interactive whiteboard in every teacher s classroom. All teachers have gone through a six-month extensive interactive whiteboard training course and are categorized as intermediate to advanced users of the interactive whiteboard. They are considered the Interactive Whiteboard Mentors/Trainers on campus. Approximately 10% of the fourth-grade students have had previous exposure or experience utilizing an interactive whiteboard from previous grade levels, and have become proficient in interacting with the board and the accompanying software. These students are the tech-geniuses in the classroom and assist their peers when necessary. Seventy-five percent of the fourth-graders have little experience with interactive whiteboards and have to be reminded of their functionality, while the remaining 15% have had no experience at all using the interactive whiteboard. Research Setting This study will take place at an elementary school environment located in the United States. The elementary school is situated in an affluent community that takes pride in the educational progress and success of its children. Therefore, the community has established a Technology Initiative Educational Foundation whose objective is to equip the school with stateof-the-art technology equipment. Currently, the Technology Educational Foundation has progressively furnished 3 rd 5 th grade classrooms with teacher laptops, multimedia projectors,

7 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 7 and an interactive whiteboard. Researchers for this study will observe and interview the entire 4 th grade team of teachers along with their students on campus. Data Collection and Data Analysis In order to increase the validity of this study, data triangulation and investigator triangulation were used. The forms of data collected were observation, interviews, and reflection planner notes. During the classroom observation, each researcher attended his/her assigned team s classes throughout the course of the school year. The researcher noted the students attitudes and behavior when the interactive whiteboard was integrated into the lesson plan versus their attitude and behavior when the interactive whiteboard was not utilized. Also during classroom observations, the researcher noted the teachers attitude and ability to sustain student engagement when the interactive whiteboard was used and when it was not used. Interviews were conducted every three weeks. The interviewers were the researchers and interviewees were the students and the teachers. All teachers and a select group of students were interviewed separately and privately at the end of each three-week period. Interview questions were partially based on a modified version of the Computer Attitude Questionnaire originally created by Dr. Rhonda Christensen and Dr. Gerald Knezek (Knezek & Christensen, 2011). Interviews were video-recorded for analysis by the researcher responsible for that team. Reflection Planner Notes are student planners that include the daily reflections of lessons taught and learned. When the interactive whiteboard was used for a particular lesson, the students were instructed to write their personal outlook and attitude surrounding the use

8 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 8 of the interactive whiteboard for the lesson: Were they excited that the IWB was used for the lesson? Would they have preferred to learn through a different teaching method? The reflection planner notes were reviewed by each researcher on a daily basis. Data were collected and transferred into an Excel spreadsheet for ease of analysis by the researcher responsible for that team. Results There were three researchers involved in the investigation of this study. Each researcher was responsible for a 4th-grade team of teachers and their students: Researcher A investigated data generated from Team A (2 teachers) and 40 students; Researcher B reviewed data generated from Team B (2 teachers) and 42 students; Researcher C examined data generated from Team C (2 teachers) and 40 students. Each teacher created lesson plans that integrated the use of the interactive whiteboard with all courses for two days consistently, then for the subsequent two days, the interactive whiteboard was not utilized at all. This dynamic continued consistently over the span of the school year for the sake of the study. Classroom Observations Each researcher was present in their assigned team s classrooms when instruction was performed with and without the interactive whiteboard. Each researcher documented the reaction of students when the interactive whiteboard was integrated into the instructional design and when it was not. At the end of a three-week period, the researchers would convene and share their notes recorded during the classroom observations. The researchers witnessed the same outcome from each classroom: the students were excited and attentive when the interactive whiteboard was utilized and disappointed when it was not used during the lessons. One researcher even noticed a drastic behavioral change in most students when the interactive

9 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 9 whiteboard was not being utilized. Another researcher pointed out that the students were eager when chosen to go in front of the class to interact with the interactive whiteboard. All researchers noted that there definitely was an increase in classroom participation. Interviews Teachers and students impressions were gathered through confidential interviews. The interviews were video-recorded so that researchers could later convene and review. All interview questions were drawn from modified versions of the following questionnaires: Survey of Teachers Attitudes toward Information Technology (Knezek & Christensen, Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning, 2011) and The Young Children s Computer Inventory (Knezek & Christensen, Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning, 2011). Teachers were asked to answer and expound upon questions such as the following: Do you feel comfortable using the interactive whiteboard? Why or why not? Does working with the interactive whiteboard make you nervous? Why or why not? Are the students engaged when you instruct with the interactive whiteboard? How do you know? Do you want to work with the interactive whiteboard on a regular basis? The students were to answer and expound upon questions such as the following: Do you enjoy using the interactive whiteboard? Why or why not? Are you tired of using the interactive whiteboard? Why or why not? Would you work harder if you could use the interactive whiteboard more often?

10 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 10 Do you think that you would understand a lesson better if you used the interactive whiteboard more? Once the researchers reviewed the video interviews, they concluded that five out of six teachers had a positive attitude toward using the interactive whiteboard. The one teacher, who displayed a negative attitude toward the use of the interactive whiteboard, felt that creating lessons that required integration of the interactive whiteboard was too time-consuming; it was simpler to teach the topic the traditional way by using a regular whiteboard and dry-erase marker. Overall, the researchers concluded from the teacher interviews that the interactive whiteboard served to increase student participation and thoroughly kept student attention during lessons. The researchers reviewed the student video interviews to discover that 100% of the students were disappointed when the interactive whiteboard was not utilized during a lesson. They all felt that using the interactive whiteboard helped them understand and remember the lesson taught. Reflection Planner Notes The reflection planner notes were collected and reviewed after every third-week period. Results centered on how the students personally felt about the interactive whiteboard being utilized during instruction. The effectiveness of the interactive whiteboard was apparent in the students planner notes, which were largely positive. According to a few of the comments, students felt that the teachers taught better on the days that the interactive whiteboard was integrated into the lesson. One student wrote, I wish we could use the interactive whiteboard all day, every day. Another student wrote, I love Math because we get to use the interactive whiteboard.

11 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 11 The researchers concluded that the students expressed enthusiasm and positive attitude towards the use of the interactive whiteboard. Conclusion In conclusion, findings for the research question - does the use of the interactive whiteboard positively affect student engagement were affirmative. The qualitative findings revealed that the students preferred learning with the interactive whiteboard than without the interactive whiteboard. According to one of the teachers, the students had a positive perception on learning, seemed to understand lesson concepts better, and gained and retained knowledge during this school year better than previous school years due to the consistent use of the interactive whiteboard. All three researchers believed that the successful integration of interactive whiteboards into the teachers instructional design on a regular basis could lead to engaged students who enjoy and are excited about learning. As Beeland stated, student engagement is one of most important factors that affect teaching and student motivation to learn (Beeland, 2002).

12 INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 12 References Beeland, W. (2002). Student engagement, visual learning and technology: can interactive whiteboards help? Action Research Exchange, 7. Retrieved December 9, 2012, from Valdosta State University: Knezek, G., & Christensen, R. (2011, March 25). Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning: Knezek, G., & Christensen, R. (2011, March 25). Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning: Marks, H. (2000, Spring). Student engagement in instructional activity: patterns in elementary, middle, high school years. American Educational Research Journal, Morgan, G. L. (2008). Use of interactive whiteboard as an instrucitonal tool to improve engagement and behavior in the junior high school classroom (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Liberty University. SMART Technologies, I. (2006, March). Interactive whiteboards and learning. Retrieved from whitepaper_update.pdf