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WHDL - 00016135

A qualitative investigation on the impact of memes on student engagement in 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts

Stephan Lynch

Resource Types

Academic (Thesis, Dissertation, Etc.)

Resource Languages

English

Institutional Repository

Description / Abstract

Research confirms that student engagement and motivation decline during middle school with a correlating decline in academic achievement. Adolescent students experience changes biologically, socially, cognitively, and emotionally which can contribute to anxiety, the need for peer relations, and establishment of identity and autonomy. The change in the school environment during the transition from elementary to middle school also contributes to the decline in student engagement. This study reviewed the evidence indicating the decline in student engagement and academic achievement during middle school. Additionally, this study analyzed the opportunities available to educators in preparing students for the demands of the 21st century and the influence of technology on teaching strategies and student learning. This qualitative investigation on the impact of memes on student engagement in 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts from the perspective of 7th and 8th grade ELA teachers analyzes the effect of introducing memes as an innovative teaching strategy using technology in 7th and 8th grade ELA classes. Memes are a recognized and an accepted 21st century method of communication and part of the adolescent culture. Using Kolb’s theoretical framework, responses from the research questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with teacher participants were analyzed and organized into three categories: student responses to memes, application methods, and assessment. The results conclude that including memes in 7th and 8th grade ELA is a time effective strategy to positively increase student engagement and academic achievement. Students were excited to use memes, collaborated with classmates, and exhibited increased comprehension and the use of higher order critical thinking skills. Future research should investigate the impact of memes using a larger sampling of teacher participants, gathering data from the student perspective, and analyzing the long term benefits of using memes vertically in English Language Arts and expanding horizontally to other content areas.

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This material is used by permission of the rightsholder in accordance with the terms of the relevant content release. As a user, you have permission to use this content and download a copy for non-commercial use only. Downloading multiple quantities of this resource is expressly forbidden.

KeywordsMemes, Middle school, English Language Arts

Degree AwardedDoctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership

Awarding InstitutionNorthwest Nazarene University

Committee MembersPatrick Randall, Brett Twiss, Heidi Curtis

Supervisor or ChairBethani Studebaker

Peer Reviewed?No

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