Title: Research on Motivational Factors Contributing Toward Alaska Native Student Success in Secondary Schools
1Research on Motivational Factors Contributing
Toward Alaska Native Student Success in Secondary
Schools
- Alberta Jones
- Juneau School District
- University of Alaska Southeast Research Project
- For Dr. Mary-Claire Tarlow, U. of Alaska
Southeast - 2005-2008
2The Drop out Issue
- As the student spirals downward somewhere
between end of - middle school and high school years, he/she
leaves - with a whisper, not a bang(Briggs, 2004)
- Definitions vary from state to state for what the
criteria is to classify students as dropouts - There are common patterns that are evident prior
to the students dropping out--Attendance is key
(Gates study, March 2006), lack of engagement in
activities - 30 of students in the United States drop out of
school - (Time magazine, April 2006)
3Review of the Literature
25 References
- Dr. William Demmerts work-2001 and 2003,ERIC
Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small
Schools - The Seventh Generation-Native Students Speak
about Finding the Good Path-Dr. Thomas Peacock et
al. - Northwest Education Magazine
- Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
- Association of Alaska Schoolboards-AK I.C.E.,
Alaska Native Knowledge Network, ERIC,Journal of
American Indian Education-ASU, National Center
for Educational Statistics, International Journal
of Instructional Media
4Literature Review
- The Need for Motivating Alaska Native students
- Resilience of Students and Overcoming Barriers
- Motivating Alaska Native Students And Ways to
Help Them be Successful
5Resilience and Overcoming Barriers
- Resilience is the ability to bounce back from
adversity - (Strand Peacock, 2002).
- In the Strand and Peacock study, people who
were resilient overcame barriers, with support
from family, extended family, schools and
community members that helped them. They came
back stronger.
6Resilience (Continued)
- Children who were resilient and succeeded had
some protective factors to help them succeed. - Even with failures in school and life stress they
did not give up. - Some are family support and other adult support,
school connections, empowerment, and constructive
use of time.
7External FactorsPower of Five
- The students having school connections with
teachers or other adults made a difference too.
They had the Power of Five (p.4, Schleich).
8Internal Factors
- Having a commitment to learning and being
motivated - Having Positive values
- Having good social skills
- Having a positive identity
- Motivated with high expectations
- Having a cultural or spiritual connection
9Native Beliefs which Foster Resilience
- Spirituality-Everything living is interrelated
- Mental well-being-clear thinking,
- Emotional well being-emotionally balanced
- Physical well being-respecting your body
10Ways to Build Self-Esteem for Native Youth
- Sense of belonging-with parents and family
- Mastery of skills-through story telling and role
modeling - Independence and motivation to do things
- Generosity giving to the community and giving
back to others
(Begins at birth-Strand Peacock, 2002)
11Motivating Alaska Native Students and Ways to
Help Them be Successful
- Indian Nations at Risk Task Force-Collaborative
National effort problem solving-Inventory
developed. - Community involvement focus
- Northwest Regional Laboratory review report on
programs and practices with Native American
students-Demmerts work - University of Minnesota-Duluth-Strand and Peacock
12Research by the three groups recommend
- Change school size
- Community Support within schools
- Culturally relevant curriculum
- Place based education curriculum
- Participant structure and addressing learning
styles - Having a support network-Assets
- Positive teacher interaction and support
13Method-Interview
- Random and personal mostly 1-1, some 1-2 or 1-3
- Population--232 total
- 72 AK N ative SE students, 79 rural AK Native
middle school 37 other students, 10 SACNAS
students, 27 effective teachers, AK Native
administrators and professionals
14Student Questions
- 1) What content do you like in school and why?
- What middle school teacher(s) are you motivated
to - learn from and why?
- 3) What high school teacher(s) are you motivated
to learn from and why? - 4) What class are you motivated to go to and what
makes you motivated with it? - 5) How do you learn best? (What teacher
strategies have you noticed work for you?)
15Teacher Interview Questions
- 1) What do you think you do that motivates
students to come to your class? - 2) What do you do to motivate at risk students in
your class? - 3) What do you do to motivate Native students in
your class? - 4) What strategies work best for Native students
that you use? - 5) What content interests Native students?
16Graduate Student Interview Questions
- 1) What three people in your life motivated you
to value - education and pursue a college education?
- 2) Was it the content (or subject) in middle
school/high - school or your teacher that motivated you
to pursue - college?
- 3) What teaching strategies did teachers do that
connected - you or helped you in school?
17Results of the Interview
- They were recognizable patterns of effective
teaching strategies from their teachers.
Significant statementsgtClusters of
meaninggtEssencesgt
Emergent themes Results of tables
18Motivational Factors Contributing Toward Alaska
Native Student Success in Secondary Schools
- Hands-On Learning and Visual
- Participant Structure-small group learning
Individual and, Partner learning - Relationships between teachers and students-KEY!
- Teacher Effort and Energy
- Personalization Attitude and Character Traits
of Teacher - Rigor-Students want Rigor and want teachers to
have clear expectations for them and to push
them-SUPPORT with rigor!!!! Explain, examples,
demonstration, clues, etc - Cultural Relevance to the curriculum-Embrace all
cultures
19Rigor, Relevance, Relationshipsand Resilience
- Differentiation (Tiered Instruction-Dr. Mary
Prentiss) - Anticipatory Set-Attention Getter-object,
question, story-Pull them in - Choices-Motivation AND Inspiration-Coach Carter
- Blooms Taxonomy-KCAASE
- Knowledge/Comprehension/Application
- Analysis/Synthesis/ Evaluation
- Backwards Design w/Essential Questions-Camps
- Strategy for rigor-Essay writing, scoring guides
20Best Teaching Practices Proud Project-Bringing
it back to our curriculum
- Share a project you were proud of to engage your
students and thinking of making the invisible
students visible. - What were the success factors in that unit?
- How can WE share units that worked??
Cross pollination with schools and regional
communities--we have some similar challenges and
outcome expectations-www.ankn.uaf.edu
21Next Steps
- What can I do personally, and with my staff to
make my invisible students visible? - What can my partner or team and I do to engage my
Native students and all students - Institutional commitment We are ALL
responsible for making a difference--Jared
Whitney, Whitman College, 2008
22(No Transcript)
23Doyck-shinQuyana Gunalcheesh Thank you
24Web Resources
Alaska Standards for Culturally-Responsive
Schools, Alaska Native Knowledge Network, 1998,
www.ankn.uaf.edu Helping Kids Succeed- Alaska
Style, Alaska Initiative for Community
Engagement, March 2004, www.alaskaice.org ANSWER
Camp(Alaska Native Student Wisdom Enrichment
Retreat), Sheryl Weinberg, Associate Director,
Southeast Regional Resource Center,
sherylw_at_serrc.org www.serrc.org Working
Together, An Educational Handbook for Alaskan
Native Familes, Juneau School District, Ronalda
Cadiente-Brown, Juneau School District,
www.jsd.k12.ak.us Alaska Native Student
Vitality Community Perspectives on Supporting
Student Success, January 2006, Malia Villegas,
Ed. M, Rebecca Prieto, B.A. The Silent
Epidemic, Perspectives of High School Dropout, A
Report by for the Bill Melinda Gates
Foundation, John M.Bridgeland , John J.DiIulio,
Jr. http//www.civicenterprises.net/pdfs/thesilent
epidemic3-06.pdf