| The purpose of this study was to investigate if a significant difference existed between mathematics performances of chronically ill and non-chronically ill students in a mid-sized Southeast Texas school district as measured by the fifth grade portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). A non-experimental quantitative design, with a qualitative component was used to investigate this study. Thies (1999) believed the adverse effects of chronic conditions in children and teenagers cause students with chronic illnesses to encounter more academic hurdles than their healthy schoolmates. With the large number of students experiencing chronic illnesses in the school system, it was important to determine if significant differences exist in the academic performance of students with and without chronic illnesses. A total of 30 fifth grade students were used in the study, 15 female and 15 males. Ethnically, six were Hispanic, three were African American, one was Asian, and twenty were Caucasian. An independent sample t-test was conducted to determine if significant differences existed between chronically ill and non-chronically ill students. No significant differences were found between the two groups. Parent interviews were conducted for the qualitative piece of the study in order to identify the lived experiences and perceptions of parents who had chronically ill students. The common themes throughout the interviews were words like “helpless”, “frustration” “hurt” and “hopelessness”. Participants shared feelings and words that were common experiences in their lives. Much of the vocabulary used by the participants was common with disappointment and despair. The study may provide educators information to help improve the learning environment for students with chronic illnesses. The research could also highlight areas of improvements for entire school campuses and its staff. |
