Talk STEM Familia: Dual-Language (TSFII)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The study will evaluate Talk STEM Familia (TSF) effects on student and parent scientific academic vocabulary knowledge and usage, scientific academic vocabulary (SAV) learning behaviors, academic self efficacy, and satisfaction with the program, including acceptance of the technology and its usability.

Detailed Description
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The Investigators will work with research practice partners Lane Educational Services District (ESD) to disseminate bilingual electronic and printed recruitment materials to Latinx families in the elementary and middle schools throughout the 16 school districts in Lane County, OR. Recruitment materials will direct families to contact the project's bilingual staff by phone to receive study details and, following a brief screen, to engage in an informed consent process. 300 eligible Latinx English-learner parent/student dyads will be recruited. Students will be in grade 4-8; families will speak primarily Spanish in the home; and families will have a smartphone, tablet, or computer and Internet access at home. The Investigators will administer the pre-test to all 300 parent/student dyads via Qualtrics and randomize 150 parent/student dyads to the TSF treatment, 150 parent/student dyads to the treatment-as-usual control condition. Each family will be assigned a non-identifiable user name linked only to their non-identifiable participant ID. The Investigators will then send the TSF program materials and links to the treatment group. These materials will include graphic and video tutorials on TSF set-up and use, including set-up of a wireless bridge that allows researchers to monitor the non-identifiable program usage. Bilingual telephone support will be provided during the 1-month set-up period and throughout the 24-week TSF intervention period. During the intervention, families in the treatment group will be asked to use TSF for 24 weeks. During that time, they will receive 3 notifications/week that prompt them to engage in program games and activities targeting 72 scientific academic vocabulary (SAV) words. Half way through the 24-week intervention period, the Investigators will administer the mid-test via Qualtrics to all 300 parent/student dyads and following the 24-week intervention, the Investigators will administer the post-test via Qualtrics to all 300 parent/student dyads. Pre-, mid-, and post-test surveys will measure gains in knowledge and usage of the 72 SAV words TSF targets, academic self-efficacy, and academic enabling behaviors. Treatment group dyads will also complete a usability, technology acceptance, and consumer satisfaction survey at post-test. All 300 parent/student dyads will receive a smart speaker at pretest, and $100 at mid-test and post-test. Following post-test, parent/student dyads in the treatment-as-usual control condition will receive TSF program materials.

Official Title
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Talk STEM Familia: Dual-Language Academic Vocabulary-Building Technology to Improve Educational, Career, and Health Outcomes Among Latinx Students

Conditions
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Vocabulary Acquisition

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Talk STEM Familia Treatment Condition


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Latinx English learner parent with a student (grade 4-8) Speaking primarily Spanish in the home Having a smartphone, tablet, or computer Having Internet in the home Being the student (grade 4-8) of a participating parent Exclusion Criteria: 1. N/A

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 8 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: One intervention and two arms: Intervention and treatment-as-usual
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Experimental: Intervention<br>Parent/student/dyads in the treatment condition will be sent program materials via mail and text or email, including smart-speaker hardware, wireless network bridges for wireless network connectivity, and web links to Talk STEM Familia, including set-up video tutorials, and graphic instructions. Intervention activities will take place in participants' homes over the 24-week intervention period and will include using the dual-language Talk STEM Familia technology to receive instruction, practice, and feedback on academic vocabulary. | Other: Talk STEM Familia Treatment Condition<br>* This study has one intervention and two arms: experimental and treatment as usual. Participants randomized to the treatment condition will receive the TSF technology in addition to the vocabulary instruction, monitoring, or resources delivered by English Language Development programs (ELD) and schools. TSF will deliver frequent, brief, dual-language exercises to help families learn, practice and apply SAV words in conversation. Audio-visual lessons will support learning at all literacy levels, regardless of prior familiarity with STEM subjects. The complete TSF tool will contain approximately 72 minutes of video modeling and 12 hours of interactive exercises delivered over 24-weeks in brief, interactive, easy to assimilate lessons.<br>|
| No Intervention: Treatment as usual<br>Parent/student dyads in this arm will receive treatment-as-usual (the vocabulary instruction regularly provided in their schools). They will receive the TSF technology after post-test data has been collected. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student Scientific Academic Vocabulary (SAV) word meaning (AVM) | AVM (Academic Vocabulary Meaning) will measure change in student vocabulary knowledge (multiple choice test of meaning). The multiple choice test is based on the assessment used in Beck et al. (1982) and McKeown et al. (1983) with middle school students. | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Parent SAV word meaning (AVM) | AVM (Academic Vocabulary Meaning) will measure change in parent vocabulary knowledge (multiple choice test of meaning). The multiple choice test is based on the assessment used in Beck et al. (1982) and McKeown et al. (1983) with middle school students. | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Student SAV word usage (AVWU) | AVMU (Academic Vocabulary Meaning Usage) will measure change in student ability to correctly use vocabulary words in sentence contexts.The sentence verification test is similar to the Test of Instructed Word Knowledge in Vocabulary used in the Apthorp et al. (2012) study of vocabulary learning in middle school. | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Parent SAV word usage (AVWU) | AVMU (Academic Vocabulary Meaning Usage) will measure change in parent ability to correctly use vocabulary words in sentence contexts.The sentence verification test is similar to the Test of Instructed Word Knowledge in Vocabulary used in the Apthorp et al. (2012) study of vocabulary learning in middle school. | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student Use of SAV: AVUB | AVUB (Academic Vocabulary Usage Behaviors) will measure change in student use of SAV words (10 items). Items were adapted from: the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI; Betts, Appleton, Reschly, et al., 2010) | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Parent Use of SAV: AVUB | AVUB (Academic Vocabulary Usage Behaviors) will measure change in parent use of SAV words (10 items). Items were adapted from: the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI; Betts, Appleton, Reschly, et al., 2010) | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Student Confidence in using SAV words (AVC) | AVC will measure student confidence in using SAV words (10 items). Items were adapted from the Efficacy to Influence School-related Performance subscale of the Parental Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES; Bandura, et al., 2001). Items were developed using procedures for developing self-efficacy scales (Bandura et al., 2001). | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Parent Confidence in using SAV words (AVC) | AVC will measure parent confidence in using SAV words (10 items). Items were adapted from the Efficacy to Influence School-related Performance subscale of the Parental Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES; Bandura, et al., 2001). Items were developed using procedures for developing self-efficacy scales (Bandura et al., 2001). | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Student Interest in choosing STEM careers (STEM) | STEM will measure student interest in choosing STEM careers (4 items). Items were adapted from: the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI; Betts, Appleton, Reschly, et al., 2010) and the Efficacy to Influence School-related Performance subscale of the Parental Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES; Bandura, et al., 2001) | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Parent academic support (AEB) | AEB will measure parent academic support behaviors (20 items). Efficacy to Influence School-related Performance subscale of the Parental Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES; Bandura, et al., 2001). | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Student Academic Learning (ALB) | ALB will measure student academic learning behaviors (20 items). | Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Student User Satisfaction and User Ratings of Student User Satisfaction and User Ratings of Technology | Student User Satisfaction and User Ratings of Technology (post only). The Investigators will collect user satisfaction (US) and technology usability ratings (UR) of TSF using 25 Likert-scale items drawn from and adapted from the System Usability Scale (SUS) with attitudinal and behavioral intention items derived from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM; Davis, 1986). Items measure: 1) stimulation, 2) comprehension, 3) acceptability, 4) ownership, and 5) persuasiveness. Open-ended questions will also solicit qualitative responses regarding family use of the TSF app. | 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 
| Parent User Satisfaction and User Ratings of Parent User Satisfaction and User Ratings of Technology | Parent User Satisfaction and User Ratings of Technology (post only). The Investigators will collect user satisfaction (US) and technology usability ratings (UR) of TSF using 25 Likert-scale items drawn from and adapted from the System Usability Scale (SUS) with attitudinal and behavioral intention items derived from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM; Davis, 1986). Items measure: 1) stimulation, 2) comprehension, 3) acceptability, 4) ownership, and 5) persuasiveness. Open-ended questions will also solicit qualitative responses regarding family use of the TSF app. | 24 weeks (post-treatment) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Dual language technology, scientific academic vocabulary