Melinda Clayton, LMHC, LPC, ABDA Phone: 407-924-4523 email: mdclayton1@msn.com
Janet’s Planet: Exploring Microgravity An Educational Study
Research Hypothesis and Question
In the year 2010, Space Florida will be providing middle schools across the state of Florida with free access to Janet’s Planet: Exploring Microgravity. As no known research studies regarding the educational value of the DVD have as yet been conducted, the purpose of this study is to measure any statistically significant increases in learning that may occur subsequent to viewing the DVD. It must be noted that this researcher is working in cooperation with Janet Ivey from Janet’s Planet, and was not commissioned by either Space Florida or by Zero-Gravity Corporation.
The research question posed by this study is:
Is there a statistically significant increase in participant knowledge regarding microgravity subsequent to viewing Janet’s Planet: Exploring Microgravity?
Method
This quasi-experimental research study was conducted with 10 elementary and middle school aged children from a rural section of Florida. The children ranged in age from nine to twelve years of age, and were chosen to participate based upon parental response to a query submitted by the researcher. It must be noted that participan selection was not random, as the pool of subjects queried were acquainted through various extra-curricular activities.
The researcher is a psychotherapist licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in Florida, and as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado. She is nationally certified by the National Board of Disability Analysts, and is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Education at Northcentral University, with a concentration in Special Education Administration. The study took place in the office of the researcher.
The participants were all administered a pre-test survey comprised of 20 questions specific to microgravity. The multiple choice test was designed by Janet Ivey of Janet’s Planet.
Sample question:
What is gravity?
a) a rock band from Australia
b) helps compact trash
c) the invisible pulling force between the centers of two objects
d) the force that keeps you up when you jump on a trampoline
Participants were instructed to work independently without group discussion. After completing the pre-test, participants watched the DVD Janet’s Planet: Exploring Microgravity. Subsequent to viewing the DVD, participants were administered a post- test comprised of the same 20 questions as the pre-test. Participants were again instructed to work independently without group discussion.
Data Analysis
Because the tests incorporate 20 questions, each question has a value of five points. The researcher scored the pre-tests and computed the mean, or average, of the scores. The pre-test mean was 85. After participants viewed the DVD and completed the post-test, the researcher again scored the tests and computed the mean. The mean score of the post-tests was 100.
Conclusion
The 15 point difference in means would indicate a statistically significant increase in student knowledge subsequent to viewing Janet’s Planet: Exploring Microgravity. The significance level, or critical p-value, of the data indicates that such an increase is unlikely to be due to chance and is instead linked to actual participant learning. Further studies utilizing random sampling and a larger sample size would be helpful to decrease threats to internal validity and reliability.
