8113 Week 8 Assignment

 

Week 8 Assignment: Research Problem Development

**Replace this line with your full name**

**Replace this line with your EDD/EDS specialization**[RH1] 

Walden University

 

Working Title

The Impact of Virtual Learning on Academic Success in Early Childhood Education 

Background 1 paragraph

(Go back and Revise the Background!!!! (Delete, Redo, & Reduce to 1 paragraph)Make sure its providing information to align with your problem and purpose statement - )

In this section, write one good paragraph that sets the stage for your research problem. Use the MEAL plan for organizing the paragraph to pursue doctoral-level standards for scholarly writing. The mnemonic MEAL has four letters, so all scholarly paragraphs will have a minimum of four sentences.

· M - Your first sentence must be a topic sentence that states the  m ain idea of the paragraph.

· E – The next  e vidence sentence(s) reports 3 references to research that substantiate(s) the main idea. Because they report evidence, all sentences in the evidence paragraph element require APA citations with references.

· A - Provide at least one  a nalysis sentence in your own words. Do not use quotations. Analysis sentences connect the evidence back to the main idea of the paragraph. The best analysis sentences are also cited with references.

· L – Let’s conclude. Finally, end your paragraph let’s conclude sentence. Start the sentence with “Therefore…” or “So…” or similar. This does not require citations[RH2] .

During the 2020-2021 school year when the pandemic forced schools to pivot to a virtual environment, school readiness goals were not met, and children’s scores decreased by 25%. Virtual learning is increasingly being promoted by educational policymakers to replace face-to-face models during the COVID-19 pandemic (Dhawan, 2020). This decision is informed by the desire to maintain young children’s learning while preventing the spread of the disease among the children population (Kaden, 2020). However, parents, teachers, and learners’ beliefs and attitudes towards its efficacy in accomplishing the desired academic outcomes remain largely unexplored by past and contemporary scholars (Avgerinou & Moros, 2020). This phenomenon is widely attributed to the newness of the technology among early learners. Many schools in North America closed in-person learning following the outbreak of the pandemic. As a result, it has become clear that returning to physical learning models will be delayed from 2021 until the pandemic will have been managed in appropriate ways including immunization. Therefore, there is a need to conduct research that directly responds to this concern by assessing the distinct challenges associated with remote teaching and learning and its impact on academic success in early childhood education contexts.

Problem Statement

(Your Problem Statement has been revised)

The problem is little is understood about the perceived influence of virtual learning technologies on learning outcomes of early childhood students. This is evidenced by (Adedoyin & Soykan, 2020) who inferred that additional research into worthwhile modes of virtual learning is needed in view of health crises past and present. (Your Problem Statement has been revised… Now provide 3-5 references to evidence that the problem exists in the current research literature. Explain in your own words, no quotations, please. If the problem is that the apples have worms in them, give evidence that the apples have worms in them. Don’t write about the benefit of apples, the cost of apples, or anything else about apples. Give evidence that the problem exists…that the apples do, indeed, have worms in them. The more cited evidence sentences you provide, the stronger case you build for studying the problem.)

Evidence from the Local Setting (Use the following below and add in…. )

This problem also exists in an urban Head Start Center in a Southern State. This is evidenced by the director of the Head Start center who stated that little is understood about the way virtual instruction has affected learning outcomes (personal communication, Oct. 21, 2021). Also, the data from school readiness goals (personal communication, Oct. 21, 2021) supports the existence of this problem in the following ways. (Elaborate by writing the of Use local evidence, Use personal communications, local test scores, etc.) Use local Evidence, and cite as you see here… for example you stated you work with a head start Agency you may speak with the Education specialist and get information…

The Gap in Practice

In this area you are to describe research from the past 2 to 3 years to show what has been discovered about you problem and discuss what still needs to be researched or discovered. What do researchers say still needs to be researched or discovered?

This problem in the existing gaps in studies examining the effects of virtual learning technologies on educational success in early childhood educational settings is largely attributed to its newness in such contexts (Gillett-Swan, 2017). Researchers have found a strong positive correlation between their use in higher learning and educational success. In this area add info to describe research from the past 2 to 3 years to show what has been discovered about you problem and discuss what still needs to be researched or discovered. What do researchers say still needs to be researched or discovered?

Purpose Statement 

Your Purpose statement has been revised…. check below to make sure you add information needed

The purpose of this quantitative study is to explore early childhood teachers’ perceptions of the influence of virtual learning technologies on learning outcomes of their early childhood students. Add in information to Your purpose statement it now needs to address your stated research problem, what is the purpose of your study? Will you describe, compare, determine, explore, examine, etc.? Complete the purpose sentence below and be sure to clarify your variables/concepts of interest. Your purpose statement should reflect and align* to your problem statement. This statement should tell us the methodology, the population, and the geographic location if applicable. For this assignment, please choose either a qualitative or quantitative study. Next, finish the paragraph by telling us why such a study would be important. Include three citations to support your idea.

 Theoretical or Conceptual Framework (1-2 paragraphs)

Go back and revised this area…. Remember your info has to be aligned within info from your purpose and problem statement ….….. Follow the Outline Below:

                What theory(ies) and/or concept(s) support (frame) your study and who are the original author(s)? Provide an in-text citation with your response. Summarize the key propositions/constructs of the theory or concept. Please note that a conceptual framework aligns with a qualitative study, a theoretical framework only aligns with a quantitative study. For this assignment, please choose either a qualitative or quantitative study.

Follow this outline:

1. What is the theory or conceptual framework?

2. Why is it appropriate for the study?

3. How does it guide the purpose, data collection, and data analysis?

4. Review one or two recent education studies that used your framework.

 (1-2 paragraphs)

What is the theory or conceptual framework? (Revise to align)

The connectivism theory holds that the learning experiences and processes as they exist in the real-world are not wholly represented. According to the model, a complete educational system incorporates an element of community and global connectivity. Thus, it recommends the adoption of technologies that enhance integrated and coordinated learning processes, such as electronic devices, videoconferencing, and social media tools. More importantly, the theory suggests that such technologies optimize student engagement and experience, translating in improved academic performance.

Why it is Appropriate for the Study? (Revise to align)

The theory is important in understanding the incorporation of virtual learning technologies in early childhood education settings. More specifically, it places emphasis on the importance of sharing of information thoughts, and values to improve academic outcomes. To this end, the framework acknowledges that technology is a critical component of the learning process as it improves the process of coordination, connection, and sharing of knowledge across different learning groups.

Guiding the Purpose, Data Collection, and Analysis (Revise to align)

The key tenets of the theory guide the process of gathering, and analyzing data in varying ways. For instance, it provides insights into the questions that should be asked during interactions with participants. Additionally, it directs the analysis process by using it principles, such as knowledge sharing to guide the types of data that should be gathered. For instance, the theory is largely linked to the correlational analysis, which will form the basis of this study.

Two Recent Educational Studies that have used the Theory (Revise to align)

Numerous researchers have employed the connectivism theory to explore the effects of technology on learning. Azlain (2019), for instance, investigate the role of social networking sites such as Google Plus and Edmondo, in promoting collaborative e-learning based on connectivity. His results suggest that such technologies optimize collaborative and supportive learning processes. Similarly, Mattar (2018) examine how connectivsim-related learning can be utilized in the fields of educational technology. The findings suggest that web 2 technologies enhance student learning experience and overall performance.

Research Question(s)

Please go back and revise your research questions!!!! List only 1 or 2 research question(s) that you plan to use to address your problem of practice. Your question(s) must be able to address the problem, align with your purpose statement, and be appropriate for the study approach. For a quantitative study, also note the corresponding hypotheses (null and alternative).

QN Relationship (Correlation) Boilerplate

 RQ1: What is the relationship between adoption of virtual learning technologies in early childhood education settings and students’ academic performance?

H01: There is no statistically significant difference between adoption of virtual learning technologies and academic performance among early childhood learners in the United States.

Ha1: There is statistically significant difference between adoption of virtual learning technologies and academic performance among early childhood learners in the United States.

Boilerplate for QL research questions

RQ 1: How do early childhood education learners perceive the adoption of virtual learning technologies with respect to their academic performance?

 

Revise all reference and in-text citations make sure every in-text citation is cited and listed correctly in APA 7 styles in References If the citations is not used in paper please delete… I see a lot of unused references listed but no cited in paper!

Great Job!!!!! 7/10 pts…. Correct all highlighted areas and use Week 8 template to finish and correct!!!

References

Adedoyin, O. B., & Soykan, E. (2020). Covid-19 pandemic and online learning: the challenges

and opportunities. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-13.

Alves, P., Miranda, L., & Morais, C. (2017). The influence of virtual learning environments in

students’ performance. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(3), 517-527.

Alzain, H. A. (2019). The role of social networks in supporting collaborative e-learning based on

connectivism theory among students of PNU. Turkish online journal of distance education, 20(2), 46-63.

Dhawan, S. (2020). Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of

Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 5-22.

Donohue, C., Johnson, A., Lucas, P., Lynd, C., Mukerjee, J., & Thouvenelle, S. (2020). Distance

.learning and early childhood education.

Ferri, F., Grifoni, P., & Guzzo, T. (2020). Online learning and emergency remote teaching:

Opportunities and challenges in emergency situations. Societies, 10(4), 86.

García, E., & Weiss, E. (2020). COVID-19 and Student Performance, Equity, and US Education

Policy: Lessons from Pre-Pandemic Research to Inform Relief, Recovery, and Rebuilding. Economic Policy Institute.

Gayatri, M. (2020). The Implementation of Early Childhood Education in the Time of Covid-19

Pandemic: A Systematic Review. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 8(6), 46-54.

Giffin, J. (2020). Teacher Observation, Feedback, and Support in the Time of COVID-19:

Guidance for Virtual Learning. Center on Great Teachers and Leaders.

Gillett-Swan, J. (2017). The challenges of online learning: Supporting and engaging the isolated

learner. Journal of Learning Design, 10(1), 20-30.

Kaden, U. (2020). COVID-19 school closure-related changes to the professional life of a K–12

teacher. Education Sciences, 10(6), 165.

Keller, S. (2020, November 4). What effects are we seeing virtual learning has on kids, teachers,

and parents. Applied Imaging. https://www.appliedimaging.com/blog-it-services/virtual-

learning-what-teachers-and-parents-are-saying-about-the-impact-on-students/

Mattar, J. (2018). Constructivism and connectivism in education technology: Active, situated,

authentic, experiential, and anchored learning. RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 21(2).

Schachter, H. L. (2017). Organization development and management history: a tale of changing

seasons. Public Administration Quarterly, 233-253.

Seesaw. (2014). Seesaw. Seesaw. https://web.seesaw.me/

Shafiei Sarvestani, M., Mohammadi, M., Afshin, J., & Raeisy, L. (2019). Students’ experiences

of e-Learning challenges; a phenomenological study. Interdisciplinary Journal of Virtual

Learning in Medical Sciences, 10(3), 1-10.

Toto, G. A. (2021, January). Perceptions and effects of distance learning detected during an

online course on ICT for aspiring nursery and primary school support teachers. In TeleXbe.

Virtual learning for early childhood students. (n.d.). Www.uft.org. Retrieved August 11, 2021,

from https://www.uft.org/news/teaching/teacher-teacher/virtual-learning-early-childhood-

students.