Digital Practices for Reading Study

Researchers "used an academic resilience framework to explore how adolescents from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds overcame adversity and achieved high levels of reading proficiency. Our main aim was to investigate whether digital reading practices and reading engagement (reading motivation and metacognitive strategies) could act as protective factors, individually and collectively, promoting academic resilience among students with low SES. Digital reading was related to reading motivation, and then to better awareness of metacognitive strategies, which in turn was shown to be linked to increased reading achievement for all students.

Jang, E., Seo, Y., & Brutt-Griffler, J. (2022). Building Academic Resilience in Literacy: Digital Reading Practices and Motivational and Cognitive Engagement. Reading Research Quarterly. 

https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.486 

Student motivation during COVID-19 survey

 During coronavirus-related school closures in the spring, students' ability to motivate themselves to complete schoolwork varied by age, with 57% of fifth-graders saying they were able to stay motivated compared with 26% of 12th-graders, a survey finds. Distractions at home were the most common reason students cited for lack of motivation, followed by feeling stressed or depressed. 

Large numbers were able to navigate the mechanics of accessing and turning in their schoolwork (87 percent and 79 percent, respectively). Nearly six in 10 (57 percent) said they spent more time than usual on activities they enjoyed. And half reported that they were able to focus on their learning.

But remote learning didn't always result in a lot of learning. Challenges were especially high for low-income and Latinx students, who cited lack of ready access to the internet and computing devices more than other groups of students. Also, female students and those who identify in a way other than male or female reported struggling more with mental health and well-being (57 percent and 70 percent, in order) more than male students (38 percent).

Students weigh in: Learning & well-being during COVID-19. (2020). San Francisco, CA: YouthTruth. https://youthtruthsurvey.org/students-weigh-in/#studentvoice

Engaging and Motivating Students in Learning

This report by The Education Trust examined two powerful levers for engaging learners — choice and relevancy — and explored how educators can use these levers to increase student motivation and engagement. The study explains how educators can bring choice and relevancy into their daily assignments. The authors explain how choice can and should be provided in terms of content, product, and process.

The study found that teachers bring relevancy to assignments when they:

·       Teach rigorous content using themes across disciplines, cultures, and generations; consider essential questions; and explore universal understandings

·       Use real-world materials and events to explore salient topics

·       Connect with the values, interests, and goals of their students

Dabrowski, J., & Marshall, T. R. (2018). Motivation and engagement in student assignments. Washington, D.C.: The Education Trust. https://edtrust.org/resource/motivation-and-engagement-in-student-assignments/

More Sleep for Adolescents Strengthens Health

In a study that sought to examine the impact of a 30-minute delay in school start time on adolescents' sleep, mood, and behavior, it was discovered that students reported significantly more satisfaction with sleep and experienced improved motivation. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and depressed mood were all reduced. Most health-related variables, including Health Center visits for fatigue-related complaints, and class attendance also improved. The results of this study support the potential benefits of adjusting school schedules to adolescents' sleep needs, circadian rhythm, and developmental stage.

Owens, J. A., Belon, K., Moss, P. (2010). Impact of delaying school start time on adolescent sleep, mood, and behavior. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 164(7), 608-614. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.96.

High School Engagement

This study sought to determine whether American high schoolers could be placed into distinguishable groups that share common sets of behaviors, perceptions, and emotions that define what “being engaged in school” means to them. The nationally representative survey of over two thousand high schoolers in traditional public, charter, and private schools finds that nearly all students report being motivated to apply themselves academically, but they also primarily engage in school through different levers. Specifically, they identified six subgroups of students with varying engagement profiles. Among high school students who consider dropping out, half cite lack of engagement with the school as a primary reason, and under half report that they don’t see value in the schoolwork they are asked to do.

Geraci, J., Palmerini, M., Cirillo, P., McDougald, V. (2017). What teens want from their schools: A national survey of high school student engagement. Washington, D.C.: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. http://edex.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/publication/pdfs/%2806.27%29%20What%20Teens%20Want%20From%20Their%20Schools%20-%20A%20National%20Survey%20of%20High%20School%20Student%20Engagement.pdf