Jacquelynn A. Malloy

Approaching the unavoidable: Literacy instruction and the Internet

Searching, reading, and constructing meaning from Internet sources are not only leisure-time activities for many of our students, but also requisite skills for learning and researching in the middle and upper grades. The differences between comprehending what is read in printed versus online texts are discussed in this column, as are the reading strategies that can apply to both. The authors highlight resources that will assist teachers in framing and preparing Internet-inclusive instruction in their elementary classrooms. Teachers are encouraged to harness the interesting and motivating aspects of Internet use as a way to prepare students for the technological advances that have become a part of our schools and our lives.

Sixth-grade students’ engagement in academic tasks

ABSTRACT Student engagement is important for teachers and researchers because it is associated with student achievement. Guided by self-determination theory, this year-long case study used observations and interviews to examine six students’ behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement in integrated literacy and social studies tasks. Task differences were rated according to the degree to which tasks were authentic, collaborative, challenging, student directed, and sustained. Results demonstrated that, overall, students were more engaged in tasks that include a higher degree of these elements. In particular, students reported that they were engaged in tasks that included collaboration, new learning, and teacher support.

Upper Elementary Students’ Motivation to Read Fiction and Nonfiction

This research explores upper elementary students’ motivation to read fiction and nonfiction. Using expectancy-value theory, the researchers developed separate surveys to measure motivation to read fiction and nonfiction. Researchers administered surveys to 1,104 upper elementary students (grades 3–6) in multiple locations across the United States and found the instruments to be psychometrically sound. Results corroborate previous research demonstrating students’ declining motivation to read across grade levels; in particular, students’ value for reading was declining. This research also corroborates previous research findings that girls are more motivated than boys to read fiction. Researchers found insignificant gender differences between girls’ and boys’ motivations to read nonfiction, indicating a need to further investigate students’ motivation to read nonfiction. Implications for classroom application of survey results and the need to enhance students’ value for reading are discussed.

Making a Case for a Blended Approach: The Need for The Design-Based Case Study.

Design-basedcasestudiesaddressresearchquestionsthatinvolveinstructionalinnovationswithina boundedsystem.Thisblendofcasestudyanddesign-basedresearchprovidesasystematicapproach toexamininginstructionalinnovationsthatareboundedbyperspective,context,andtime.Designbasedcasestudiesprovideaframeworkforengaginginiterativecyclesofdatacollectionandanalysis thatareusedtodeterminehow,why,andwhetherthegoalsofaninstructionalinnovationhavebeen met.Theauthorsnotecommonconcernssurroundingcasestudyanddesign-basedresearchandhow design-basedcasestudiesaddresstheseconcernsbybuildingonthestrengthsofbothapproaches. KEywoRDS Case Study Research, Design-Based Case Study, Design-Based Research, Instruction, Qualitative, Research Methods