Talk STEM Familia: Dual-Language (TSFII) (TSFII)

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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Vocabulary Acquisition
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Talk STEM Familia Treatment Condition

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 400
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Oregon
    • Eugene, Oregon, United States, 97403
      • Oregon Research Behavioral Intervention Strategies, Inc.

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 8 years and older (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Latinx English learner parent with a student (grade 4-8)
2. Speaking primarily Spanish in the home
3. Having a smartphone, tablet, or computer
4. Having Internet in the home
5. Being the student (grade 4-8) of a participating parent

Exclusion Criteria:

1. N/A

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental: Intervention; 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; 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.
No Intervention: Treatment as usual; 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?

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. Scores were computed as the total percentage of vocabulary words correctly identified out of 72. Score could range from 0 to 100 and higher scores indicate greater levels of vocabulary knowledge.	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. Scores were computed as the total percentage of vocabulary words correctly identified out of 72. Score could range from 0 to 100 and higher scores indicate greater levels of vocabulary knowledge.	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. Scores were computed as the total percentage of vocabulary words correctly used in sentence context out of 72 items. Score could range from 0 to 100 and higher scores indicate greater levels of vocabulary words used correctly in a sentence.	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. Scores were computed as the total percentage of vocabulary words correctly used in sentence context out of 72 items. Score could range from 0 to 100 and higher scores indicate greater levels of vocabulary words used correctly in a sentence.	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). Items used a 4-point response option (1 = not at all, 4 = 3-4 times per week) and a mean score was computed (alpha = .89) and could range from 1 to 4. Higher scores indicated greater use of SAV words.	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). Items used a 4-point response option (1 = not at all, 4 = 3-4 times per week) and a mean score was computed (alpha = .91) and could range from 1 to 4. Higher scores indicated greater use of SAV words.	Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment)
Student Academic Learning (ALB)	ALB will measure student academic learning behaviors (20 items). Items used a 5-point response option (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) and a mean score was computed (alpha = .90) and could range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicated greater levels of perceived academic learning behaviors.	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). Items used a 5-point response option (1 = not at all confident, 5 = extremely confident) and a mean score was computed (alpha = .89) and could range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicated greater confidence using SAV words.	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). Items used a 5-point response option (1 = not at all confident, 5 = extremely confident) and a mean score was computed (alpha = .95) and could range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicated greater confidence using SAV words.	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). Items used a 5-point response option (1 = not at all interested, 5 = extremely interested) and a mean score was computed (alpha = .69) and could range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicated greater interest using SAV words.	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). Items used a 9-point response option (1 = nothing, 9 = a great deal) and a mean score was computed (alpha = .94) and could range from 1 to 9. Higher scores indicated greater efficacy to influence school performance.	Baseline, 12 weeks (mid-treatment), and 24 weeks (post-treatment)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Basic Demographic Survey	Basic Demographic Survey (BDS) will collect information from the parent (age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, level of education, and family income) at pretest.	Baseline only

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Oregon Research Behavioral Intervention Strategies, Inc.
• Collaborators: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Apthorp, H., Randel, B., Cherasaro, T., Clark, T., McKeown, M., & Beck, I. (2012). Effects of a supplemental vocabulary program on word knowledge and passage comprehension. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 5, 160-188.
• Bandura A, Barbaranelli C, Caprara GV, Pastorelli C. Self-efficacy beliefs as shapers of children's aspirations and career trajectories. Child Dev. 2001 Jan-Feb;72(1):187-206. doi: 10.1111/1467-8624.00273.
• Betts, J. E., Appleton, J. J., Reschly, A. L., Christenson, S. L., & Huebner, E. S. (2010). A study of the factorial invariance of the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI): Results from middle and high school students. School Psychology Quarterly, 25(2), 84-93.
• Davis, F. D., Jr. (1986). A technology acceptance model for empirically testing new end-user information systems: Theory and results (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology). http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/15192
• McKeown, M., Beck, I., Omanson, R., & Perfetti, C. (1983). The effects of long-term vocabulary instruction on reading comprehension: A replication. Journal of Reading Behavior, 15, 3-18.
• Beck, I. L., Perfetti, C. A., & McKeown, M. G. (1982). Effects of long-term vocabulary instruction on lexical access and reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 506-521.

Helpful Links

• Davis, F. D., Jr. (1986). A technology acceptance model for empirically testing new end-user information systems: Theory and results (Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology). http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/15192
• Bandura A, Barbaranelli C, Caprara GV, Pastorelli C. Self-efficacy beliefs as shapers of children's aspirations and career trajectories. Child Dev. 2001 Jan-Feb;72(1):187-206.
• McKeown, M., Beck, I., Omanson, R., & Perfetti, C. (1983). The effects of long-term vocabulary instruction on reading comprehension: A replication. Journal of Reading Behavior, 15, 3-18.
• Apthorp, H., Randel, B., Cherasaro, T., Clark, T., McKeown, M., & Beck, I. (2012). Effects of a supplemental vocabulary program on word knowledge and passage comprehension. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 5, 160-188.
• Beck I, Perfetti C, Mckeown M, (1982). Effects of long-term vocabulary instruction on lexical access and reading comprehension. Journal of Education Psychology, 74(4): 506-521. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.74.4.506

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 12, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): September 12, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 29, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 17, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): May 21, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 29, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 27, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Dual language technology; scientific academic vocabulary
• Other Study ID Numbers: MD013619-02; 5R44MD013619-03 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No