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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2015 Technology and Social Media in Motivating At- Risk High School Students to Complete High School Rebecca Mix Yard Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.edu/dissertations Part of the Instructional Media Design Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact ScholarWorks@waldenu. Walden University College of Education This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Rebecca Yard has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.

Review Committee Dr. MaryFriend Carter, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Cheri Toledo, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Paula Dawidowicz, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.

Walden University 2015 Abstract Technology and Social Media in Motivating At-Risk High School Students to Complete High School by Rebecca Mix Yard MA, University of the Incarnate Word, 1999 BA, William Woods College, 1972 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Educational Technology Walden University November 2015 Abstract Overall, 11% of high school students leave school without a diploma, and the percentage is higher for at-risk populations. High school graduates earn higher salaries and are healthier and more law abiding than dropouts. Research is limited on the motivation of at-risk students to graduate from high school related to their technological identity to include technology and social media in their learning schema. This qualitative case study explored at-risk students’ perceptions of social media, personal learning networks, and informal learning in facilitating their graduation.

Pink’s concept of motivation, Siemens’s connectivism theory, and Bingham and Conner’s theory of engagement and social learning provided the conceptual framework. Interviews were conducted with 11 at-risk students identified by one Charter school: 4 students at-risk of dropping out, 3 dropouts planning to return, and 4 dropouts who had returned to high school. Open coding was used to identify rich themes and patterns that may help at-risk students succeed in school. Of the 5 themes identified 4 related to technology identity: transference to learning, relationships with personal learning communities and social networks, bridging technologies, and connected knowledge.

Relationships with instructors and the school community also emerged as a theme. Connecting familiar and accessible technologies with formal learning could provide additional means of supporting academic success. Permitting the use of smart phones and social media to provide technological access to learning materials and instructors may create a motivating learning environment where students are willing to remain in high school to obtain a degree. Potential social and work benefits beyond high school may accrue for students.

Technology and Social Media in Motivating At-Risk High School Students to Complete High School by Rebecca Mix Yard MA, University of the Incarnate Word, 1999 BA, William Woods College, 1972 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Educational Technology Walden University November 2015 Dedication This work is dedicated to CDR Arthur Erick Mix, USN, Ret., who taught me the love of computers, learning, and teaching. His early work in technology was inspirational. His lessons in life, while learned with difficulty, will always be remembered. Fair winds and following seas, Dad.

It would be impossible not to include my mom, Betty Dorcas Johnson Mix, in this dedication. Her tireless support of our family in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances is truly admired. I love you and miss you, Mom. Finally, huge hugs and kisses to my husband, COL Robert Allen Yard, DDS, FACP, USA, Ret.

Without his encouragement and financial support, this work would never have been completed. Now I can keep the license plate, sweetie! Acknowledgments Each night, I say prayers to guard and bless all the important people in my life. This list includes my husband, COL Robert A. Yard, USA, Ret.; my children and daughter-in-law, Jennifer Chris Yard, Ryan Alexander Yard, and Misty Autumn Stafford; my grandsons, Joaquin Gabriel Yard and Mateo Ryan Yard; my sisters, Kathy Prevost, Tina Williams, and Barbara Mix; my sister separated at birth and dearest friend in life, Alyce Robbins; my life mentor, Mary Ellen Rhatigan; my dear friends Ken Knapp and Caroline Caffey Haberer Knapp; my trusted friends Dr.

Derek Osborne and his accomplished wife Martha Lynn Osborne (Miss Lynnie); my Walden University mentor, Dr. MaryFriend Shepard; and all my classmates in this journey. These prayers also include their families and anyone else I think might need a prayer. Sometimes they even include me.

I know they also pray fervently for me to complete this degree successfully. My life has been blessed by them in so many ways. In addition, I have four very special guardian angels who have watched over me daily to remind me to keep moving forward and honor their past encouragement. Thank you so much to my aunt, Jane Schmitter Key and her husband, Dr.

Key; good friend Diana Knapp; and my mom, Betty Dorcas Johnson Mix. I miss you all every day. Thank you so much to my committee. I am so glad you hung in there with me even when you were not sure I would ever finish.

My deepest thanks to the young people who agreed to be interviewed for this study. Their words will resonate with many other students and help them make choices about their futures. Thank you also to the dedicated staff of their public charter school who have chosen to devote their lives to the futures of these young men and women. They are touching the future.

In a letter to his wife dated May 12, 1780, John Adams, the second president of the United States of America and former educator, wrote, “I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain” (Hogan & Taylor, 2010). This quote should cause every educator to remember our mission to prepare all of our students to be the citizens of the future. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study.

1 Background for the Study. 7 Purpose of the Study. 10 Nature of the Study. 15 Scope and Delimitations.

19 Chapter 2: Literature Review. 21 Organization of the Chapter. 22 Literature Search Strategy. 23 The Current State of American High Schools.

24 At-Risk Students. 37 Pink’s Concept of Motivation. 37 i Siemens’s Connectivism Theory. 42 Bingham and Conner’s Theory of Engagement and Social Learning.

61 Social Media and Technology Identity. 82 Personal Learning Networks and Technology Identity. 98 Personal Learning Networks: Learning Contributions and Social Contributions. 115 Chapter 3: Research Method.

124 Research Design and Rationale. 125 Role of the Researcher. 132 Participant Selection Logic .135 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection .137 Data Analysis Plan .139 Issues of Trustworthiness. 155 Evidence of Trustworthiness.

158 Transference to Learning .160 Relationships With Personal Learning Communities and Social Networks .174 Relationships With the School Community. 227 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusion, and Recommendations. 228 Interpretation of the Findings .238 Limitations of the Study. 241 Recommendations for Further Research.

242 Implications for Social Change. 250 Appendix A: Letter of Cooperation. 279 iv Appendix B: Adult Student Consent Form. 280 Appendix C: Adult Student Invitation to Participate in Research Email Script.

283 Appendix D: Adult Student Invitation to Participate in Research Telephone Script. 284 Appendix E: Interview Questions. 285 Appendix F: Interview Protocol. 289 v 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study The high school dropout rate in American schools has reached unacceptable proportions, particularly for students of certain ethnicities and genders.

Statistics provided by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) revealed that for the 2011 to 2012 school year, 3.3% of high school students left school before receiving a diploma. This type of student is called an event dropout (NCES, 2014, p. A second category of dropout, referred to as the status dropout, includes students between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not currently enrolled in school and did not complete high school. The total for this group, according to the same data source for the same period, was 7.

In 2014, of a population of high school seniors totaling just over 3 million, 11% or 330,000 of potential graduates did not leave school with a diploma. Additional problem areas are revealed when the population is broken down into grade level, ethnicity, and gender groups. Subpopulations with dropout rates as high as 22. Further, according to U.

Department of Education Common Core of Data (CCD, 2011) statistics, 81% of the ninth grade population graduated. Disparity also exists in the way states report their dropout information, creating a complicated and unreliable picture of national graduation and dropout rates. Bowers and Sprott (2012) found dropout rates ranging from about 20% to over 50% for urban high schools with large student populations. The dropout rates for some subpopulations are even higher (p.

Schoeneberger (2012) provided a view of the statistics from an economic perspective. 2 Not only does the decision to drop out of school affect the individual student, but the rest of America also suffers. Martin and Halpern (2006) estimate the lost lifetime revenue for male dropouts between the ages of 25 and 34 is approximately $944 billion dollars, and costs associated with poor health and criminal activity have been estimated at $24 billion. The limited education and skills dropouts possess result in the acquisition of lower-paying jobs and a reduced contribution to the U.

tax base, with estimates suggesting tax contributions at approximately half the rate of a high school graduate, equating to about $60,000 less over their lifetime. 7-8) The globalization of the economy with the resulting movement of lower skill level jobs to other countries increases the demands for young people to become better prepared to compete on the world employment stage. A task force organized by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Chancellor of New York Public Schools Joel Klein found that 75% of young men and women eligible to serve in the U. military would not qualify on the basis of fitness, criminal history, or lack of education (United States Education Reform and National Security, 2012).

Many do not possess the required high school diploma or graduate equivalence diploma (GED). Thirty percent of those who do have a diploma or GED cannot pass the required aptitude test due to low math, science, or English scores. The task force made the point that the United States cannot dominate the world with military force alone, asserting that dominant power would come from “human capital.” If the educational system does not produce well-educated human 3 capital, national security will be at risk as more individuals from foreign countries are employed to fill positions within the U. State Department and intelligence agencies.

These positions include foreign language translators, scientists, defense workers, and aerospace technicians. The task force also found that failing to complete high school led to a higher possibility of unemployment, a life of poverty, or time spent in jail. Male high school dropouts have a 1 in 10 chance of being sent to jail or a juvenile detention facility. Salaries for all populations of dropouts are considerably lower by as much as $20,000 a year (p.