The Effect of Allergies on School Age Performance, Research Paper Example

Introduction

The chosen topic is entitled “The effects of allergies on school age children’s school performance” and warrants a greater understanding of whether or not allergies play a role in shaping school performance for children. This project will explore how allergies influence students’ attention span and focus as they complete their homework and other studies in the home environment and in the classroom setting.

The proposed study will include parents of enrolled students and teachers within a K-5 charter elementary school in the Los Angeles area. This population is equipped to evaluate some of the challenges in achieving optimal school performance, as well as the possible behaviors at school and in the home environment that may impact student learning and performance. Allergies may have an impact on student performance when the student population is high, resources are low, and children might not receive adequate clinical support for their condition.

Problem and Proposed Solution

Allergies for school age children have become increasingly relevant in today’s environment and may impact school performance in some settings. It is necessary to determine the extent to which allergies play a role in academic performance for school age children who may struggle with concentration and in completing assignments. It is possible that for some children, allergies are quite prohibitive in their efforts to lead normal and productive lives. Allergies are caused by many different factors, including environmental allergens, pets, foods, and other irritants, all of which may interfere with the ability of students to perform well in school if they have any number of symptoms and other issues that impact their health. Symptoms may arise at any time; as a result, their studies might be interrupted unexpectedly, which could hamper their progress significantly in some cases. Therefore, these children should be evaluated regarding their ability to achieve adequate academic performance when they experience academic problems related to allergies. A possible solution is to determine the true impact of allergies for children and their school performance so that the potential exists to improve academic outcomes. This is best approached by obtaining input from students and parents in regards to the impact of allergies on children’s performance as observed in academic test scores and homework assignments.

Research Question

The proposed research question is as follows: What are the effects of allergies on children’s performance in the school setting? This research question will be addressed using a specific method that will consider the input of those persons who are most qualified to provide an opinion regarding this focus area. The demographic population under consideration is in a charter school in the Los Angeles area that provides education to children ages 5-11 and in grades K-5. All grade levels with the exception of kindergarten are comprised of two classrooms each. The entire student body is comprised of 410 students, including 40 percent White, 25 percent African American, 23 percent Asian, and 12 percent Hispanic or Latino. The student body includes the following makeup: 1) Kindergarten: 1 class of 43 students; 2) Grade 1: 68 students; 3) Grade 2: 77 students; 4) 3^rd and 4^th Grades: 73 students each; and 5) Grade 5: 76 students. Throughout the school, there are approximately 780 parents that might be considered for the study within the age range of 24-50, along with a principal and 17 classroom teachers. Three of the classroom teachers fill the roles of resource teacher, coordinator, and specialist, respectively. There are two members of the support staff in the front office, a cafeteria manager, a part time school nurse, and a part time school psychologist.

Proposed Solution to Address Research Question

The proposed solution to answer this research question will utilize a random sample method and a questionnaire that includes 12 items. The questionnaire instrument will include the student’s grade level, the role of the person completing the questionnaire (i.e. parent or teacher), their race, and any types of allergies that exist, such as food, medication, and environmental. In addition, five to six questions will address child behaviors during the period when allergic reactions or symptoms are experienced. Each questionnaire will be sent home to students on a Thursday, which is the day of the week that has been identified to provide information to parents. In addition, teachers will be asked to complete the questionnaire to gauge their perspective regarding student performance. As the questionnaires are returned, they will be stored in a confidential envelope in the main office, from which the questionnaires will be retrieved on a daily basis. One week to ten days will be provided to return the questionnaires in order to obtain at least 50 responses. Questionnaires will be evaluated in order to determine the frequency of responses and the type of issues that are commonly experienced with respect to allergies and whether or not they have an impact on student academic performance. It is important to utilize only those questionnaires that are fully completed in order to identify the most accurate results for consideration. Therefore, completed questionnaires up to a total of 50 will be utilized for the study measurements and evaluation.