Comparing Middle School Student Learning Outcomes Among In-person, Online, and Hybrid Modes of Instruction: A Consideration of Student Engagement in Distance Learning During a Pandemic
Loading...
Authors
Randolph, Dacia
Issue Date
2022
Type
Dissertation
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
In this study, a comparative analysis was conducted to explore how students’ learning outcomes were potentially influenced by student engagement during different modes of instruction. The study compared the final mean grade point averages (GPAs) of a sample (N = 600) of middle school students during in-person, online, and hybrid modes of instruction. The sample group was divided into two subgroups (Group 1: n = 300 and Group 2: n = 300). The designated timeframes for the evaluation were before the COVID-19 pandemic (sixth grade, 2018-2019), at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (seventh grade, 2019-2020), and during the COVID-19 pandemic (eighth grade, 2020-2021) to determine if student engagement affected academic achievement. The three data analyses used to compare the students’ final mean GPAs included: (a) Paired t-test (between in-person and online instruction when compared among the entire sample); (b) One-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA (among in-person, online, and hybrid instruction when compared for Group 2); and (c) Independent Samples t-test (between online and hybrid instruction for the entire sample). The results from the analyses indicated there was no statistically significant difference when students transitioned from in-person before the pandemic to online instruction at the onset of the pandemic. However, a statistically significant difference was shown when students transitioned from online to online or online to hybrid instruction throughout the pandemic. Recommendations for practice and future research focusing on students’ needs were presented.Keywords: hybrid, in-person, instruction, learning, online, and student engagement.