ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Action Research Proposal Lauraly DuBois EDU 671: Fundamentals of Educational Research

Instructor: Kathy Hoover 11/11/2013

Redesign PLO#4 Apply research to support learning in a technology-enhanced environment.

INTRODUCTION

Approval to Conduct Action Research Study

Implement Student Retention Intervention Actions

AREA OF FOCUS

EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEM

66% 1st Year Retention 44% Graduation Rate

VARIABLES

PARTICIPANTS 17-19 yrs 1st Year ~3,000 Full-time

BACKGROUND Course and instructor lack of consistency

STUDY 1st Year Freshmen, Course & Instructors

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Is the first year student retention rate affected by the following variables for a required first year student success course:

1. Instructor ability/knowledge to teach course objectives

2. Quality and content of required student success course

3. First year student awareness of retention rate and barriers to success

LOCUS OF CONTROL

I have access and influence to..

Students and Classroom

Data Collection

Analysis of Data

Intervention Efforts

INTERVENTION

1 Standardized Course Objectives & Outcomes 2 Instructor Selection Criteria and Requirements

GROUP MEMBERSHIP

SEM Team Academic Advisors Instructors

NEGOTIATIONS

ETHICS

Data Privacy

Informed Consent

Students

No Undue Harm

Respect of Persons

No Unfair Treatment

TIMELINE

PHASE 1 April, June & July 2014

PHASE 2 August 2014 & May 2015

PHASE 3 May & June 2015

STATEMENT OF RESOURCES

Resources Needed

Human Organizational Community

DATA COLLECTION

Student Pre & Post Questionnaires, Interviews, Surveys, conversations Instructor outcome expectations Campaigns and charts

Qualitative Pretests, surveys, interviews Quantitative Student/Instructor Polling Mixed Campaigns and charts

QUOTE

Education is learning what you didnt even know you didnt know.

Daniel Joseph Boorstin

REFERENCES

Gordon, J. B., Levine, R. J., Mazure, C. M., Rubin, P. E., Schaller, B. R., &
Young, J. L. (2011). Social Contexts Influence Ethical Considerations of Research. American Journal Of Bioethics, 11(5), 24-30. doi:10.1080/15265161.2011.560338. Mills, G. E. (2014). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Pathways to Retention and Student Success SEM Plan: 2013-2017. (2013). SEMPlan-Janauary2013. Retrieved from

http://www.indstate.edu/studentsuccess/pdf/SEMPlan-January2013.docx.

REFERENCES

Raab, L., & Adam, A. J. (2005). The university college model: A learningcentered approach to retention and remediation. New Directions For Institutional Research, 2005(125), 87-106. Wang, N., Wilhite, S. C., Wyatt, J., Young, T., Bloemker, G., & Wilhite, E. (2012). Impact of a College Freshman Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum on Student Learning Outcomes: An Exploratory Study. Journal Of University Teaching And Learning Practice, 9(2).