TDNet Discover

The purpose of this mixed method action research study is to investigate electronic device usage during the instructional day at White Knoll High School and determine whether implementing a structured schoolwide framework (FOCUS: Fidelity, Ownership, Consistency, Understanding, Supporting Systems) improves instructional focus, increases student engagement, and strengthens awareness of behavioral expectations. This study design will adopt mixed method action research with quasi experimental pre-test, post-test design. The study will be conducted in White Knoll High School, a public high school located in Lexington County School District One in South Carolina. An intact classroom group design, with a baseline presenting current practices and a comparison phase representing use of the FOCUS framework will be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of this study. Quantitative survey measures will be collected about student and teacher perceptions of device use, instructional focus, and level of clarity regarding expectations as well as qualitative data on open ended survey responses and focus group interviews. Quantitative data will be summarized with descriptive and inferential statistics, whereas qualitative data will thematically code to identify prevalent patterns in the experiences of stakeholders. Results across phases will be compared to ascertain whether the focus of instruction and perceived alignment with the expectations of device use increase postimplementation of the framework.