Fuentes’ Student-Led Presentations 1 Running Head: FUENTES’ IMPACTS OF STUDENT-LED PRESENTATIONS Impact of Student-Led Presentations (SLPs) on Motivation and Achievement in High School Biology Afrodita E. Fuentes California State University, NorthridgeFuentes’ Student-Led Presentations 2 ABSTRACT This study explored the impact of student-led presentations (SLPs) on student motivation and achievement in the second semester of high school biology. Fifty-five students in an inner-city school participated in the study, 24 honors students and 31 regular students. Most students were in 10th grade and all were members of a small learning community composed of 425 students and 20 teachers. Students had taken biology A, the first semester covering topics in biochemistry, cellular biology and genetics through teacher directed activities. The second semester of biology covered topics in evolution, ecology, and physiology, through SLPs. SLPs involve two phases: 1) preparation of presentations, in which groups of students prepare their presentations on a specific topic using a variety of resources and scaffolding strategies to access and organize academic information, and 2) delivery of presentations, where students take the lead as experts to deliver their presentations on the topic to the entire class. To facilitate this method, the teacher acted as a coach, the classroom had a family-like atmosphere, students participated in decision making, and expectations were clear and firm for all students. SLPs appeared to motivate 44% of the students and help 59% become better students. Presentation scores improved by 7.8 points; with honor students improving the most. Students’ final percentage scores improved by 5.2% from 63.3% to 68.5%. The number of Fs decreased from18 to 12, and the number of Ds, Bs, and As increased. It was revealed that the value students perceive from others for what they do academically, can be a powerful motivator or a deep detriment for learning.Fuentes’ Student-Led Presentations 3 Impact of Student-Led Presentations (SLPs) on Motivation and Achievement in High School Biology The poor standing in mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students was widely known after the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (Prime & Miranda, 2006). It is now common knowledge that this has led the US in efforts to reform education, especially the improvement in math and science achievement. The question is how can the desired achievement take place, when there are so many factors against it? The US government has little influence on the educational system (Papanastasious & Zembylas, 2004). For the most part, states create and enforce educational policies. In most states, elected local school boards, govern and operate local school districts. Textbooks are produced by commercial publishing houses. Public education is free and taken for granted by many. The teaching profession has a low status with teacher salaries considered quite low. The student population is not motivated about science (Daniels & Arapostathis, 2005; Prime & Miranda, 2006). Students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation decreases gradually from 8th to 10th grade (Otis, Grouzet & Polletier, 2005). And teachers in general in urban schools appear to believe that science is a demanding subject that requires skills and abilities, and even intelligence that students do not have (Prime & Miranda, 2006). The Complex Issue I agree in that science seems to be a difficult subject for many students, especially in the Los Angeles Unified School District. I have seen and heard that many teachers do not believe students are capable of learning science. Students see and feel this perception or stereotype others have of them and conform to it. According to Steele as reported by Prime and Miranda (2006), these students experience levels of anxiety that depress their performance because they are placed in a situation in which the stereotype of their incapability toward learning scienceFuentes’ Student-Led Presentations 4 operates. Working at a large inner-city high school with a mostly Latino student population for seven years, I have seen the fear and helplessness in students who are in a chemistry or biology classroom. More than half of the students fail these classes, thus causing low student and teacher moral. I am afraid one of the many reasons students drop out of school is the difficulty and fear they experience in these classes. But, before the blame of low student performance can be placed solely on the school, I have noticed other factors that contribute to the low student motivation and achievement in science and school in general. These include academic deficiencies, but most seriously and almost unfixable are the family and community problems. Some students have enormous economic responsibilities to their families in the United States and even their families in their countries of origin. Many of them live in single-parent homes, with relatives, and even alone and in shelters. Some come from broken and abusive homes. Some students would be better off living alone than with their own families. Their neighborhoods are plagued with drugs, gangs, and rundown living conditions. In my experience as a student and teacher at this school and as a student of education, I have listened to and read many opinions from administrators, experts, and professors of education. No matter how much they claim that learning should not be affected by factors outside of the classroom, the reality is another. In most occasions when these real issues that negatively impact student achievement in the inner-cities come up, they are quickly brushed aside and/or completely ignored. I am overwhelmed to know how many of my students face constant hardships and trauma. I feel helpless to aid them with that physical, emotional, and psychological weight they face. I am not trained and the school and community lack the necessary resources to meet the basic academic needs students have. Sometimes I wish I did not know what my students are going through. But if I do not know, then I wouldn’t understand whyFuentes’ Student-Led Presentations 5 a student is constantly sleeping, crying, fighting, using in illegal substances, and defying authority. In my short teaching career of seven years and without asking for this type information, I have recognized a few of the reasons for this student