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The Relationship of Technology Use with Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement in Urban Middle School Students
Abstract
The academic achievement gap between students of low socioeconomic status and their peers widens, student disengagement increases, and drop out statistics increase as students progress in K-12 education (Johnston & Viadero, 2000). In this new era, students have the opportunity to exhibit more control over their individualized learning through technology use (Caprara et al., 2008; Debowski, Wood, & Bandura, 2001). Educators continually search for the most effective approach to individualized instruction, but it remains to be explored how technology use relates to academic self-efficacy and academic achievement. This study addressed three questions through the social cognitive theory framework. What is the relationship between perceived academic self-efficacy and academic achievement in students at each successive grade level? What is the relationship between perceived academic self-efficacy and educational technology use for mathematics and reading instruction at each grade level? What is the relationship between educational technology use for mathematics and reading instruction and academic achievement? A quantitative correlational study was designed to explore the relationship between educational technology use, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement. The sample included approximately N=414 students from an urban public middle school in the Northeast, N=100 students from each grade (5-8). A questionnaire was used to collect data on academic self-efficacy, academic achievement data were obtained from standardized STAR Assessments in reading and mathematics, and technology use data were collected from two educational technology programs. Analyses revealed a higher frequency of technology use for students at/above grade level, compared to those below, of significant difference for math ( t(410)=6.237, p=<.001, d=.632, ES=med) and reading (t(412)=4.553, p<.001, d=.492, ES=med). Significant relationships between technology use and academic self-belief measures existed for grades 5 ( r=.374, r2=.140, p<.001, ES=med), 7 (r=.436, r2=.190, p<.001, ES=med), and 8 (r=.285, r2=.081, p=.004, ES=med). The strength in relationship between academic self-concept and academic achievement in math increased with grade level after grade 5 (5, r=.430, r2=.185; 6, r=.388, r 2=.151; 7, r=.399, r2=.159; 8, r=.456, r2=.208, p<.001, ES=med/large). The findings from this study may help educational leaders further develop successful learning environments, being cognizant of the relationship of technology-based instructional tasks on self-efficacy and academic achievement.
Subject Area
Educational leadership|Education
Recommended Citation
Hollibaugh Baker, Meghan M, "The Relationship of Technology Use with Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement in Urban Middle School Students" (2015). Dissertation & Theses Collection. AAI3689105.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/dissertations/AAI3689105