1Methodology AssignmentParticipantProcedures
- 1. 1 Methodology Assignment Participant/Procedures The intended participants will include both parents and students. The parents of undergraduate students from a mid- sized university will be included in the study. The parents will consist of both fathers and mothers of students. Parents with students in elementary, junior, and high school levels will be excluded from the study. Undergraduate students who are enrolled in communication studies from a mid-sized university will also be considered as participants for the study. The students will consist of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The personal demographic questions that the survey will ask the parents include education status, ethnicity, and the level of study of their children as well as their performance record in school. These questions matter because they will enable the research to deduce useful information about the individual parents and their involvement in the education of their children. For instance, the question on their level of education will assess their understanding of the purpose of the study as well as the role of parents in supporting the education initiatives of students. The question on ethnicity will enable the research to determine whether parental involvement or support to children depends on ethnicity. The students will be asked demographic questions such as their age, gender, and level of study. The
- 2. specific demographic questions for the students will assist in validating the measurement scale. For instance, the level of study will determine the extent of parental support that is needed further validating the measurement scales. The question on gender will expose the difference in perception among male and female students regarding parental support and student satisfaction. Random sampling will be utilized to collect data. It involves sampling where every object has an equal chance of appearing in the study. This method will be utilized because it produces an unbiased representation of the population which will help in drawing useful conclusions about the study. It will also be utilized due to its simplicity as compared to other sampling techniques. This sampling method will significantly influence the outcomes of the results since it will ensure a higher degree of accuracy and validity.The study will adopt a cross-sectional survey design which will ensure that the researcher examines different samples of a population at a given point in time. It will allow the comparison of results/answers from different samples at one point in time. I will also utilize this survey design because it is generally short and inexpensive. They will also enable me to discover new correlations for the study that can be studied later. I intend to send the surveys to 300 parents and undergraduate students from a mid-sized university. To increase their response rates, I will provide incentives and I will also keep the survey relevant. Studies show that sometimes when conducting surveys, it does not pay to depend on goodwill alone. Incentives such as gift cards can motivate the respondents to complete the surveys. However, I will limit the use of incentives to desperate situations because sometimes people may rush through the survey because they want a prize. Also, I will focus on the aspect of survey relevance so that people do not feel that they are wasting time going through the survey. These two strategies will increase the response rates and encourage people to take part in the survey.
- 3. Independent Variable The independent variable is the parental academic supportscale (PASS). It refers to a multidimensional 16-item measure that assesses the frequency of parent-teacher communication across five dimensions: academic performance (e.g., inquiring about how the child can improve a grade), classroom behavior (e.g., communication about students’ behavior), preparation (e.g., communication about a child’s academic or social preparation), hostile peer interactions (e.g., communication about aggressive encounters between students), and health (e.g., communication about medical issues affecting a child’s work) (Mazer & Thompson, 2016 p. 214). Dependent Variable The dependent variable is Student Communication Satisfaction Scale (SCSS).It refers to a global measure that assesses the affective response to the accomplishment of communication goals and expectations (Goodboy, Martin & Bolkan, 2009, p.373). The scale items that reflect student communication satisfaction are less interpersonal and reflect the fulfillment of classroom expectations. SCSS uses twenty-six items to assess the general student satisfaction when communicating with an instructor. The twenty-six items reflect Hecht’s (1978) conceptualization of communication satisfaction from an instructional rather than an interpersonal perspective. References Goodboy, A. K., Martin, M. M., & Bolkan, S. (2009). The development and validation of the student communication satisfaction scale. Communication Education, 58(3), 372-396.
- 4. Mazer, J. P., & Thompson, B. (2016). Parental academic support: A validity report. Communication Education, 65(2), 213-221. 1 Empirical Rationale Independent variables and dependent variables should be related.In an experiment,the variable that is changed to measure the effect on something else is the independent variable.The dependent variable in an experiment is the one that is being observed.Dependent variable changes in the response of an independent variable in an experiment.Through cause and effect,two variables may be related.In the experiment to measure student communication satisfaction,the communication satisfaction was a result of the goals and expectations of communication being accomplished.The communication satisfaction between the student and the instructor depends on the relationship.Intimate or non-intimate.When students communicate withthe instructor it is mostly intending to gain information.The behavior of the instructor whether prosocial or antisocial affects students' communication satisfaction.(Allen, M., Witt, P. L., &Wheeless, L. P. 2006). Hypothesis H1 The first step of the experiment was to come up with a measure for student communication satisfaction. This is an alternative hypothesis.The statements made in the hypothesis suggests what to expect from the research.It shows the relationship among the variables in the experiment.
- 5. The research hypothesis attempt to predict a positive relationship between the students and the instructor.The relation is expected to be positive because when the behavior of the instructor does not violate the norms of communication.The communication satisfaction for students will be increased.This is a strong predictor of appropriateness and effectiveness.(Cayanus, J. L., & Martin, M. M. 2008). Variables Independent Variables Operation Definition The first step is to develop a measure for student communication satisfaction. There were the creation and assessment of twenty-four items used to assess the satisfaction of students when they were communicating with their instructor.16 items were first created and revised the there was an addition of 8 items. The created items were to reflect the conceptualization of communication satisfaction. Out of the 24 items created,18 were positively worded while 6 were negatively worded. In the preliminary pool, the 24 items were subjected to factor analysis. The criteria used to obtain factors from the factor analysis were; 1. The Eigenvalue of each factor had to have a minimum of 2.0 2. Each factor had to account for at least 4% of the variance 3. Each factor did not have to cross load other factors 4. Each factor had to have a loading of .70 and the other factor had to be less than .30. Items that didn’t meet the test were deleted. There were three which didn’t meet the 70/30 rule of the criteria Range The format for the response of the items utilized ranged from(1) those that were disagreed to (7) that was agreed. 1. Students don’t like talking to the instructor 2. The student is not satisfied after talking to the instructor
- 6. 3. The student felt that they had accomplished somethi ng after talking to their instructor 4. When the student talk to the instructor, fell their expectations fulfilled 5. The conversation with the instructor feels worthwhile 6. Conversations are rewarding when talking to the instructor 7. The instructor makes an effort to satisfy the concerns of the student References Dependent and independent variables in “standard form” equations by Harrison, David M The Physics Teacher, 02/2013, Volume 51, Issue 2 Allen, M., Witt, P. L., &Wheeless, L. P. (2006). The role of teacher immediacy as a motivational factor in student learning: Using meta- analysis to test a causal model. Communication Education, 55, 21"31. Cayanus, J. L., & Martin, M. M. (2008). Teacher self- disclosure: Amount, relevance, and negativity. Communication Quarterly, 56, 325"341. 2 Parental and their support Article 1: Parental Academic Support Question 1 This research tends to offer parental academic support pieces of
- 7. evidence that are valid. It does that by coming with a Parental Academic Support Scale (PASS) that contains 16 items that entail assessing the child's support in terms of performance in academics, preparation, hostile peer interactions, behavior in the classroom, and health-wise. A correlation was observed between two aspects: the PASS and the teacher-parent contact scale, in that validity evidence that is concurrent, was realized. The relationship the parental academic support scale possesses with a child's success implies that the scale has relation to other similar constructs, hence providing evidence that is initial construct validity(Mazer& Thompson, 2016, p. 214). Question 2 Concurrent validity is attained when there is a correlation with the former validated instrument that entails assessing similar constructs or somewhat different constructs but related. Scores of the parents on the scale of teacher-parent contact show a positive relation to thespecific scores on the PASS. Construct validity involves addressing significance of a construct fulfilling the required relationships with other constructs. There is an inverse relationship between the perceptions of the parents on the children's success in studies and parental academic support(Mazer & Thompson, 2016, p. 216). Question 3 The parents' scores on the Teacher parent contact scale show a positive relation to their parental academic support scale (Mazer & Thompson, 2016, p. 215). Question 4 Assessment of academic support that is from parents was done using Thompson and Mazer’s measure having 16 items. Likert- type scale having 5 points were responded to by the participants. Teacher parent contact assessment was carried out through the 12 things of Seitsinger, depicting how often parents contact the teacher. Success in school, here parents were given a 3 item scale to give out their child's perceptions (Mazer & Thompson, 2016, p. 218). Question 5
- 8. Pearson correlation was employed to evaluate the relationships between teacher-parent contact scale and parental support in terms of academic, the perceptions of the parentson the learners’ success, academic performance, peer interaction that are hostile, preparation, health and classroom related behavior showed a positive relationship with the teacher-parent contact scale scores. The Pearson correlation confirmed associations that are inverse withthe five factors mentioned above(Mazer& Thompson, 2016, p. 218). Question 6 One month duration for the study was little as the parent- teacher interaction possesses differences in how often it is done in a semester. The sample mostly entailed mothers' responses concerning their female children, which becomes a limitation in that the parental academic support scale carries out measurements of parents' perceptions in terms of interactions that are supportive. Challenges in terms of the measures' self- reported nature become an issue to those seeking to research young students (Mazer & Thompson, 2016, p. 220). Article 2: The Changing Nature of Parent-Teacher Communication: Mode Selection in the Smartphone Era. Question 1 This research talks about the evolution of technology from e- mail communication to smartphone technology. It entails how this smartphone has increased parent-teacher communication, posing a relationship between parental academic support and the achievements of the students(Thompson, Mazer, & Flood Grady, 2015, p. 187). Question 2 Smartphones can be employed in communication through social media and broadly do lead to increased parent-teacher interaction. Media richness entails the understanding of the use or selection of effective media for teacher-parent communication. The PASStakes the measurements of the frequency communication of parent-teacher takes place across
- 9. the modes as well as along preparation, academic performance, behavior in the classroom, peer interaction that are hostile and health(Thompson, Mazer, & Flood Grady, 2015, p. 180-190). Question 3 What modes do the parents choose to use, including the latest communication technologies to communicate support in education? (Thompson, Mazer, & Flood Grady, 2015, p. 190). Question 4 The frequency related to parent-teacher communication was assessed using a parental and academic support scale that contains 16 items, a multidimensional measure in which the respondents do the rating on the five factors mentioned earlier. Questions that are open- ended in nature were presented to determine why parents go for specific communication modes (Thompson, Mazer, & Flood Grady, 2015, p. 192). Question 5 It was discovered that often parents employed e-mail (about 12.6%) followed by a face to face communication that is about 5.3%, phone communication entailed about 2.7%, communication in terms of writing took about 1.2%, messaging through texts took about 0.2% while Skype zero percent in terms of academic support. It was also realized that parents do not choose richer modes for complex topics, and they used learner mode that is e-mail, many times for the instrumental contents.The parents recognized academic support as the most significant support on hostile peer interactions, classroom behaviors, preparation, and then health(Thompson, Mazer, & Flood Grady, 2015, p. 193). Question 6 The scale of measuring gives the framework of assessment of the parents' selection modes, but it fails to include the teachers who could have provided the insights on the challenges linked to the methods. The other one is that even if there was a higher response, responses that were written did not allow for the follow-up questions to ensure the modes' effectiveness(Thompson, Mazer, & Flood Grady, 2015, p. 205).
- 10. Article 3: Parent-Teacher Communication Question 1 The purpose of this research study is laying emphasize how parent-teacher communication proves to be having several significance to the students. It improves the performance of the students. Better parent-teacher communication can result in increased parental involvement, hence leading to the development of public interest and support for the schools (Work & Stafford, 1987,p. 182). Question 2 The parent-teacher conference is the very first form of parent- teacher communication that is predominant. It is the most valued by the parents as it is of great benefit to the child. The deficit of skills on the teachers’ side has rendered them to view it as inappropriate. We called home- school communication, which refers to the transmission of information to home by the school and transmission of information to school from home. This tends to be effective with parent-teacher meetings and workshops, visits to homes by the teachers(Work & Stafford, 1987, p.183-184). Question 3 A relationship exists between the student behavior and the parent-teacher communication (Work & Stafford, 1987, p. 183) Question 4 There exist a lot of shared experiences with the teachers and students and the families of the learners. This is caused by the changes in society due to historical purposes that led to school centralization. Now the teachers seem not to be part of the community outside the school or even attend social functions like churches. The relationship of parent-teacher and performance or behavior can be depicted in terms of the students' behavior and academic performance (Work & Stafford, 1987, p. 184).
- 11. Question 5 To ensure there is affectivity in the home- school communication, the teachers should understand the students' family structure and affirmation of respect for all the families. Parents' involvement needs to be valued a lot and given time and space. Sensitivity to the parents enhances their sense of belonging. Parents are now moving to the phase of becoming vocal in the decision making regarding education. Parent- teacher communication should be in line with the changes in family structures and needs. Improvement of the parent-teacher conferences can be achieved by seeking alternative information- sharing methods (Work & Stafford, 1987, p. 185). Question 6 Teachers have fallen to a delicate position because they have to know more than 100 family structures since there are even more than 100 students. It is tough to know every learner's family, needs, goals, and problems(Work & Stafford, 1987, p. 186). References Mazer, J. P., & Thompson, B. (2016). Parental academic support: A validity report. Communication Education, 65(2), 213-221. Thompson, B. C., Mazer, J. P., & Flood Grady, E. (2015). The changing nature of parent-teacher communication: Mode selection in the smartphone era. Communication Education, 64(2), 187-207. Work, W., & Stafford, L. (1987). Parent‐ teacher communication. 1
- 12. Independent Communication Variable: Parental Academic Support Scale 1. What is the conceptual definition? Cite the actual definition used, do not explain the variable in your own words. (5 points) Mazer & Thompson (2016) define PASS as “is a multidimensional 16-item measure that assesses the frequency of parent–teacher communication across five dimensions: academic performance (e.g., inquiring about how the child can improve a grade), classroom behavior (e.g., communication about students’ behavior), preparation (e.g., communication about a child’s academic or social preparation), hostile peer interactions (e.g., communication about aggressive encounters between students), and health (e.g., communication about medical issues affecting a child’s work)” (p. 214). 2. Answer the following questions: a. Indicate which page within the article discusses the operational definition of your variable (2 points) Page 214 b. Who originally developed this scale? (Hint: You will find this information within the methods section of the article) (2 point) Joseph P. Mazer and Blair Thompson c. How many questions are included in the scale? (2 points) 16 Questions d. Does your scale have dimensions or multiple components that make up the overall variable? If so, what are those dimensions and which items within the scale are associated with those dimensions? (Hint: If multiple dimensions exist, I suggest, using bullets, identify each dimension then provide the items associated). If you believe your variable is uni-dimensional please explain why. (6 points) · AP = Academic Performance · CB = Classroom Behavior; · P = Preparation · HPI = Hostile Peer Interactions · H = Health
- 13. e. Do any of the items require reverse coding? If so, which items? (2 point) Parent-teacher contact f. What are the ranges of scores possible for this scale? In other words, if someone were to complete the scale, what is the highest a participant can score? The lowest? (6 points) A scale of 1-5 where 5 attract a score of Strongly Disagree while 1 is the lowest that represents strongly Agree Reference Mazer, J. P., & Thompson, B. (2016). Parental academic support: A validity report. Communication Education, 65(2), 213-221. Final Research Proposal Assignment 100 points Final Research Proposal Submission: You are going to combine all of the important elements from previous assignments into one unified research proposal. Please do not copy and paste exactly what you have written in previous assignments as the format in which I asked you to write something up in Week 2, 3, 4, or 5 may not translate to this final document. In other words, every assignment leading up to this will be utilized, but you will have to re-write some information to make it flow. Assignment information to include: · COMM Variables Assignment (information from this assignment should be used in the review of literature and the methodology sections) · Past Library Research (information from this assignment should be used in the review of literature section) · Empirical Rational, Hypothesis Assignment (information from this assignment should be used in the empirical rationale and hypothesis/RQ sections) · Methodology Assignment (information from this assignment
- 14. should be used in the methodology section) Here is a specific break-down of how the research proposal should be presented; makes sure that you submit all 8 sections (in order) for the final research proposal: 1. Cover Page – Include a correct APA 7th Edition Cover Page for a student paper. 2. Relevance of Topic (this section serves as your introduction; about 2-3 paragraphs): In this section you want us to learn why this variable has gained importance; why should we care to learn more about this particular style, approach? Why is this an important topic area, to us as students or faculty? 3. Review of Literature (about 2-3 pages): In this section you want to teach us what you have learned from the readings. What are the major findings on this topic? What are the “takeaway” messages that you have gained from all of your research on this topic? How can we use this information to improve our instructional, classroom relationships? Any general or specific advice? Coherent literature reviews often have separate sections for each variable (Hint: You may utilize bold headings of the variable names to separate these sections); with each section, first, providing the conceptual definition of the variable, second, including relevant findings from previous studies. The literature review is a straightforward and concise discussionof relevant literature to provide the background and rationale for your research question and hypothesis. Rather than provide a series of seemingly related paragraphs, you should weave together all of the sources you have read into a coherent argument. You need to organize this material in a logical way – the worst thing your group can do is regurgitate information from the past library research in an “orderly” fashion. What I mean by this is that each paragraph is basically a re-write of the findings from that assignment and they are all strung together without any sort of guiding purpose. You need to have structure. The structure could be as simple as: “Negative
- 15. Outcomes” and “Positive Outcomes.” If you are having trouble with organizing your paper, please reach out to me for a meeting. By the end of the literature review, the reader should understand what the variables are, why they are important, and why they should be related. Pay close attention to the organizational framework of the literature review. 4. Empirical Rationale, Hypothesis (about 2-3 paragraphs): At the end of the review, but before the Hypothesis and Research Question are presented, you are to provide a rationale (include a separate heading for this section entitled “Rationale”) to introduce the Hypothesis and Research Question. This should be a logical, well-supported paragraph indicating why the IV and DV should be related in the manner that you have predicted. Additionally, you should provide rationale for why it is important to learn more about your IV or DV through the research question. In other words, why do we need to learn more about the variable to increase our understanding of communication?If you did your first version of this assignment correctly, then you might actually be able to just copy and paste the assignment content into this section. Pay very careful attention to my comments and suggestions for revisions PRIOR to copy and pasting anything. 5. Research Question/Hypothesis: Your hypothesis is a specific prediction or set of predictions that you will test during your study; your research question is posed to learn more about a particular variable. (Check APA for how to properly format your H and RQ). 6. Methodology:If you did your first version of this assignment correctly, then you might actually be able to just copy and paste the assignment content into this section. Pay very careful attention to my comments and suggestions for revisions PRIOR to copy and pasting anything. 7. Resources Required (answer the following questions): a. Think about your potential survey design. What will you need to accomplish survey distribution? If using an online resource, what will you use? If administering hard copy surveys, what is
- 16. your plan for printing, collating, distribution, and data entry? b. How much time do you intend to spend on your research project? In other words, given what you have already completed, how much longer do you actually think it would take to complete the entire project? Recall, that after data entry you still have to analyze, report out, interpret, and write up the results section, discussion section, and conclusion. 8. Overall Reflection (answer the following questions): a. Given the other types of variables that we discussed in Week 3 of lecture, what other variable(s) might be worthwhile to study in your current research proposal? Think of at least one other variable and identify what the relationship to the other two might be (e.g., mediating variable). Why might this variable be worthy of inclusion? b. You have experience thinking about, researching, and hypothetically designing a research study from the social scientific perspective; however, would you want to continue conducting research via the social scientific paradigm? Or would you prefer another paradigm as we discussed in the earlier weeks of this course? Why? c. What were your greatest challenges in completing the final research proposal? How you were able to work around them (or not). If there were no challenges, then describe in detail why you believe that to be true. d. Were there elements of the course that you would have like expanded, explained more thoroughly, or concepts that were unclear? e. Did the lack of a textbook detract from your learning? Why or why not?