The Challenge
Middle school education plays a crucial role in shaping students’ learning strategies and academic success. However, language barriers and diverse backgrounds among students can hinder effective communication and understanding of educational assessments. In this project, we aim to address the challenge of ensuring that all students, regardless of their linguistic or cultural background, can comprehend and respond reliably to the Learning Strategies Questionnaire. This questionnaire is a valuable tool for assessing students’ learning approaches and tailoring educational strategies to meet their needs. However, its effectiveness is limited by language barriers and complexities, particularly for students with diverse linguistic backgrounds or learning difficulties.
The Approach
To tackle this challenge, we will conduct interviews using Think-Aloud protocols with students from middle schools. These interviews will uncover comprehension difficulties related to the IQES questionnaire on learning difficulties. The Think-Aloud protocols will provide valuable insights into students’ understanding and interpretation of the questionnaire items. We will then analyze the transcripts to identify common comprehension challenges, such as reading difficulties and language barriers.
Additionally, we will collaborate with the Quality Management System (QMS) team at the middle schools to develop recommendations for optimizing the questionnaire and simplifying question wording. This collaboration will ensure that the questionnaire is linguistically sensitive and accessible to all students. We will also pilot test simplified versions of the questionnaire to assess their effectiveness in improving comprehension and response accuracy among students.
The Outcome
The goal of this project is to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for middle school students. By optimizing the questionnaire’s language and structure, we aim to ensure that all students can understand and respond to it accurately. This will enable educators to tailor teaching strategies and support services to meet students’ diverse learning needs effectively.
Furthermore, by providing recommendations for questionnaire optimization and piloting simplified versions, we aim to contribute to the broader goal of promoting equity and fairness in education. Our research will help identify and address barriers to effective communication and assessment in diverse educational settings, ultimately leading to improved educational outcomes for all students.
In summary, this project seeks to empower educators with tools and strategies to create more inclusive learning environments and support the diverse needs of middle school students. Through collaborative efforts and evidence-based recommendations, we aim to foster equity and opportunity for all students, regardless of their linguistic or cultural backgrounds.