ERIC Number: EJ1455277
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Student Characteristics and Perceived Sense of Connectedness in Middle School Online Learning Environments
Kendra Nolan; W. Kyle Ingle
Voices of Reform, v6 n1 Article 3 p51-71 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted face-to-face instruction in schools across the United States and the world. Using the Online Student Connectedness Survey (OSCS), we analyzed data from three middle schools in a suburban school district in the southeastern United States in order to determine if there were any statistically significant interaction effects between student characteristics (grade level, gender, and race/ethnicity) and their sense of connectedness in a nontraditional online learning environment. Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests revealed that neither grade level nor gender independently were associated with students' perceived connectedness during online instruction. However, there was a statistically significant difference in student connectedness within the online environment based on race/ethnicity, such that White students reported significantly higher sense of connectedness than non-White students. We also found a statistically significant interaction effect between students' grade level and gender on students' perceived connectedness in the online learning environment. Female students had a lower sense of connectedness in the 7th grade, but sense of connectedness increased in the 8th grade. Finally, we found no statistically significant interaction effects among grade-level, gender, and race/ethnicity on students' perceived connectedness in the online learning environment.
Descriptors: Student Characteristics, Sense of Community, Student Attitudes, Middle School Students, Electronic Learning, COVID-19, Pandemics, Suburban Schools, Instructional Program Divisions, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Individual Differences, Grade 7, Grade 8, School Closing
Nina B. Hollis Institute for Educational Reform. 421 North Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32723. Tel: 386-822-7081; Web site: https://www.voicesofreform.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Elementary Education; Grade 7; Grade 8
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kentucky
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A