Draft Memo/Proposal

TO:  American schools in Stuttgart, Germany.
FROM: Olga Usova
DATE: November 26, 2017
SUBJECT: Action Research Proposal: Implementing Pop Culture to Promote Student Engagement in Online Learning Environment.
 I. Introduction
     The action research proposal explores the relationship of popular culture and student engagement in distance education employing constructivist and collaborative theories.  The study will be conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, where students are from varying backgrounds and ethnic groups with a somewhat equal 50/50 gender split.  Most of the students reside in American households; however, some of the students are bilingual or consider English as their second language. A small number of students have never lived in America and have been educated in local schools in Europe and/or Asia. All students in the study groups will be required to participate in the same activities but only one group – the test subjects – will receive instruction that employs elements of pop culture.

• Purpose

      Disengaged students lack the psychological investment necessary to master academic knowledge and skills when they encounter the impersonal context of learning materials. Additionally, teachers/instructors must learn to incorporate a variety of instructional methods in the classroom to include direct students’ interest.  In today’s classrooms, especially online, the student population is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of culture, background, and ethnicity. Teachers must meet the needs of these students by committing to high quality interaction with students and find common ground to promote student engagement in academics. If students are able to make personal connections to the lessons, which is what constructivist models of teaching is all about, they are able to activate existing knowledge to motivate learning through direct engagement in classroom activities (Bates, 2017). The goal of this action research proposal is to provide a potential solution to assist educators of American schools in Stuttgart, Germany, in identifying diverse students’ interest to increase student engagement in academic studies.

• Question

      Would constructivist and collaborative models of learning be more successful if elements of popular culture that promote student engagement in meaningful learning were employed?
II. Review of Literature
     Teachers around the country are abandoning the traditional teacher centered objective instruction and instead, opting for Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky’s student centered constructive pedagogy to activate student engagement in learning (Koonce, 2004). Ali Rahimi, Ph.D. Professor of Applied Linguistics and author of 13 published books, conducted a research study to compare the major philosophical assumptions and major characteristics of objective and constructive teaching styles and the subsequent effects each approach had on student engagement in learning (Rahimi, 2011).
     In his research, Rahimi examined both methods of instruction to determine the key ideas and traits of teaching and learning. Studying the components of objective teaching Rahimi determined that the transfer of knowledge is mainly from teacher to learner and relies heavily on textbook instruction to convey learning. Students are considered passive learners who submit to deliberate instruction and are expected to learn what the teacher knows to be true. Evaluating the transfer of information, Rahimi explains that students become disengaged from meaningful learning as “teachers tend to value correct answers and ignore student thinking on topics being taught” (Rahimi, 2011, p. 91-94). On the opposite side of the spectrum, Rahimi determined the instruction in a constructivist classroom is based on student centered learning; where the learner engages in study using their prior knowledge and experience to make a direct connection to the materials being taught (Rahimi, 2011, p. 96). The teacher creates a learning environment in which the students are presented with complex problems or projects that are supported by “information resources, cognitive tools, and learning support strategies,” such as teacher modeling, scaffolding, and collaborative learning (Rahimi, 2011, p. 98). Students are encouraged to analyze and evaluate information to interpret meaning based on their own experience and understanding of the world in which they live. Students engage with products of culture and use this information to construct a reality that meets specific learning goals (Rahimi, 2011, p. 96-101). The constructivist method of teaching is a learner controlled environment where students become engaged through practical responses to problems. Students engage and participate in learning by incorporating their own ideas, experiences, and individual style into classroom activities to gain the essential knowledge needed for meaningful learning.
     Agreeing with Rahimi’s research that a constructivist approach to teaching promotes student engagement in learning, David Childs, a professor at Northern Kentucky University, integrated aspects of popular culture into his high school social studies curriculum to explore the topic of racial stereotyping in America (Childs, 2014, p. 291). Childs observed that his students were quick to engage in conversations about “being black” but were reluctant to “read and listen and foster historical thinking” (Childs, 2014, p. 294) in relation to mandated textbooks and formal instruction.  Listening to his students, and identifying their specific interests in music – rap and hip hop, Childs decided to incorporate popular music into classroom activities. Childs firsthand experience at promoting student engagement through the use of music and lyrics is testimony of how the understanding and application of popular culture is a powerful tool for engaging students in the instruction and learning in today’s classroom.
III. Methodology
     The preliminary research and studies on the correlation between popular culture and student engagement in learning is positive. My proposal explores how schools can make similar connections to students’ lives by employing elements of pop culture in relation to text readings in distance education. This study is generated to answer the question, “Would employing elements of popular culture in pedagogy promote student engagement in meaningful learning?”

• Organizing details

      The experiment to study the relationship between pop culture and student engagement will be administered in the middle of a unit that examines critical approaches to literature. For a period of two weeks the control group will receive regular classroom instruction while the test subject group will receive instruction that incorporates elements of pop culture. The study will comprise of three variables and one group of test subjects.

• The control variable will be one class of honor students.  This class will contain approximately 17 students who are diverse in ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and academic ability.
• The independent variable will be elements of popular culture that will be employed in the experimental learning material.
• The dependent variable will be the level of student engagement in the experimental group.
• Procedures

      All students in both classes will be required to read “A Rose for Emily,” a short story written by William Faulkner. Over the course of 10 class periods all students will read and discuss specific sections (or mini chapters) of the short story in relation to elements of fictional literature – character and theme. 

1. During the ten day study, the students in the control group will receive direct instruction from the teacher to closely examine the text in the short story. Using reading comprehension strategies previously learned they will analyze the story’s written text to determine meaning of the characters and themes. The reading comprehension strategies students are expected to use are: Activating background knowledge, questioning the text, drawing inferences, determining importance, visualizing, and synthesizing the text to create a new understanding
2. The test subject group will receive direct instruction from the teacher and also be asked to use reading comprehension strategies to make meaning of the text.  However, this group will examine elements of pop culture in relation to the characters and themes in the story.

      The elements of pop culture that will be taught is dependent on students’ cultural background, ethnicity, and personal interests so the exact course of discussion and conversation is difficult to determine until the lesson is in progress.
     Theoretically, a good starting point would be on the topic of fashion and how society judges one another on clothing, hair, and body image. The topic of fashion is prevalent in most cultures and would ignite a discussion on how Faulkner has characterized Emily and the townsfolk in the story. Similarly, a discussion on the recent political debates would illustrate Faulkner’s depiction of a changed society. Students would be able to identify with the changes in government to the changes they will see in their own neighborhoods and communities. Borrowing from the study conducted by Duncan-Andrade and Morrell, a lesson segment dedicated to gang violence and loyalty would be an ideal pop culture reference to activate meaning in the death of Emily’s husband and necrophilia. Finally, music and or movies of any genre could be used to analyze and interpret the actions of any of the characters throughout the story.
     Both classes will follow the same classroom framework.  In all lessons (1-10) activities will begin with a whole class discussion on the specific chapter(s) assigned that day.
     Before each lesson the students in both groups will be provided with a student survey form and a graphic organizer to make notes and answer questions relating to the text.

• Data Collection and Analysis
• To determine if employing elements of popular culture in classroom pedagogy promotes student engagement in meaningful learning the following measures are considered.
• Formative Assessment

1. How frequently did the student participate in discussions?
2. How frequently did the student participate in group discussions?
3. Did the student show signs of interest in the topic?
4. Does the student contribute relevant information to group discussions?
5. Does the student construct viable arguments when critiquing the reasoning of others?
6. Does the student look for and make proper use of structure?
7. Is the student goal orientated?
8. Are assignments completed on time?

• Summative Assessment

1. Does the student complete the written assignments?
2. Is the written assignment creative and relevant to the topic?

  Conclusion: I theorize that the steps taken to incorporate popular culture into classroom instruction will promote student engagement in meaningful learning.  When a student can draw from their background knowledge or cultural experience to connect new learning to existing knowledge they employ critical analytical thinking skills to decode the meaning of the text.  Exposing students to popular culture connects the current lives of the students to the classroom. Students are therefore able to structure the information in a meaningful manner that they can recall at a later date. The ability to connect with the lesson engages the student in learning which boosts motivation and self-efficacy to reach their end goal.
References
Bates, T. (2017). Constructivism. Chapter 2 Teaching in a digital age. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/chapter/section-3-4-constructivism/
Childs, D. J. (2014). “Let's Talk About Race”: Exploring racial stereotypes using                        popular culture in social studies classrooms. Social Studies, 105(6), 291-300.        
Koonce, G.L. (2004). Taking sides: Clashing views on educations issues. Is Constructivism the Best Philosophy of Education?.18( 48-58). Retrieved from: http://thesciencelane.weebly.com/uploads/7/9/9/0/7990143/taking_sides_issue_1.4.pdf
Rahimi, Ali. (2011) Constructivist vs. objectivists learning environments. Contemporary              Online Language Educational Journal, (1) (89-103). Retrieved from:                                             http://www.academia.edu/4696067/Constructivist_vs._objectivist_learning