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The Effects Of High-Leverage Practices On Teaching Candidates Math Self-Efficacy, Christine Quisley

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The start of each school year should be one of excitement and joy for learning. However, year to year, there is one subject that elementary students and their teachers dread: math. This study focused on collecting data from teaching candidates on their math self-efficacy beliefs and the perceived competence in their ability to implement three specific high-leverage practices (HLPs) during student teaching.

This qualitative case study explores the experiences of teaching candidates enrolled in a university teacher preparation program. Within previous method courses, content focused on the planning, instruction, and assessment of high-leverage practices. The overarching question of this study …

Music Isn’T Just A Special: Amplifying Music's Power In Fostering Social-Emotional Skills In Students, Angelina Davis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For this Capstone Project, the researcher investigated how Dream Academy and Little Foot Elementary educators view music's impacts on social-emotional learning and what they thought could be done to improve it. Based on an analysis of the data and the relevant research literature, the researcher used what they have learned to formulate an action that responds to the impact of music on social-emotional learning in a way that inspires, informs, or involves a particular audience. This is an important issue for students and teachers because music education allows educators to teach social-emotional skills. It is argued that music fosters social-emotional …

Comparing Time Allocation For Teaching Science As Inquiry In Two Educator Preparation Science Methods Courses, Lori A. Dira

Faculty Journal Articles

How much time an institution allocates to content can indicate its overall importance and intended value to the educator preparation program. For decades there have been calls to integrate more authentic science inquiry experiences into not only undergraduate elementary science courses, but into all elementary educator preparation courses. Many elementary educators do not receive training on effective methods for teaching science, they will not feel comfortable and will likely have low self-efficacy. This study investigated the amount of time allocated to teaching science as inquiry and the knowledge participants had prior to and after taking an elementary teaching science methods …

Challenge-Based Learning & Steam Curriculum, Diana Lockwood

The STEAM Journal

STEAM education is being integrated into elementary schools as a way to engage more students in creativity, hands-on learning, and problem-based learning also referred to as Challenge-Based-Learning (CBL). This article focuses on elementary educators’ curriculum design for STEAM and presenting students with open-ended questions phrased as a challenge as a way to raise student interest and achievement (DeJarnette, 2018; Hunter-Doniger, 2018). When students received challenges to solve, they felt more open to sharing their ideas since there was more than one potential right answer (DeJarnette, 2018; Drake, 2012). When implementing CBL, teachers act as facilitators using a constructivist approach as …

A Survey Of Elementary Educators' Self-Efficacy Related To Stem Education, Elizabeth Mckenzie Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

While the call for STEM and engineering design has increased since the release of the Next Generation Science Standards, the implementation of STEM in elementary grades has been slow. A variety of factors play a role in why educators, schools, or districts make the informed decisions they do regarding curriculum and instruction. Identifying strengths and challenges elementary educators face in implementing STEM into the curriculum can guide schools and districts in creating supports for increasing STEM in the elementary grades. This study sought to create and test a survey instrument for use with elementary educators in a large urban district …

Controversy In The Early Elementary Classroom: A Case Study Of The 2020 Presidential Election, Zachary W. Stumbo

Doctoral Dissertations

This single case study with embedded units of analysis examines how three early elementary teachers in Kentucky public schools taught the 2020 Presidential Election in grades one, two, and three using Scholastic News resources as instructional tools. The research questions focused on how teachers used the materials and the pedagogical strengths of the instructional resources. The three research participants were purposefully selected as early-career, mid-career, and late-career teacher leaders in grades one, two, and three. Data collected included semi-structured interviews, qualitative data analysis of the Scholastic News instructional materials, multi-level policies, and news reports concerning the election. The analysis focused …

Instructional Coaches And Teachers: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Professional Relationship, Julia Alberg-Burbank

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study was to examine the professional relationship between instructional coaches and teachers in an elementary school setting. This examination is necessary due to the expansion of personnel serving as instructional coaches in US public schools. Utilizing constructivist grounded theory, the researcher gathered electronic journals from 19 participants, 11 teachers and eight coaches. Additionally, interviews were conducted with all 19 participants. The initial codes from electronic journals were applied to interview transcripts in a line-by-line analysis and subsequently affirmed using qualitative software analysis. Analyzing codes led to memo writing and the emergence of theoretical …

Effectiveness Of Growth Mindset Intervention On Elementary Students’ Academic Performance: A Systematic Review, Salma Yeasmin

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The lack of academic success of the U.S. adolescents and wide achievement gap have become a persistent problem of the United States. Therefore, several educational reforms have been made to increase U.S. students’ academic performance as well as close achievement gap. However, despite the various reforms and efforts that have been enacted in educational sectors, U.S. students’ academic performance seemed not enough. Therefore, psychological factors were considered in the educational reform strategy, in which promoting growth mindset among students has become a way to accelerate students’ academic performance as well as reduce the achievement gap. Since then, numerous growth mindset …

Technology As A Tool For Support: Classroom Teachers And Resource Specialists In Collaboration And Communication Practices, Mackenzie Jones

Education | Master's Theses

Classroom teachers and resource specialists face hectic schedules that include supporting students and meeting the core curriculum standards. In order to support students with disabilities in the classroom, collaboration between classroom teachers and resource specialists is essential. With busy schedules and increasing demands that teachers face, there is an urgent need to support teachers with effective systems of collaboration. This research focuses on the problem of unorganized and ineffective systems of support, which teachers face when trying to collaborate and communicate with their colleagues. While many prior studies address the significance of providing time for educators to collaborate in the …

Problem Centered Teaching By Tomorrow, Cassandra Armstrong

Publications & Research

Problem Centered Instruction is a great way to engage students, integrate content, and inspire learning. However, true problem centered instruction requires a major shift in both teaching and learning, requiring the one thing teachers don't have: time. In today's session, we will look at some simple strategies that teachers can put to immediate use within the classroom to help start the shift towards a student-led, problem centered learning environment.

Early Childhood Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities, Andress Devon Carter-Sims

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers are struggling to transfer newly acquired knowledge and skills from professional learning experiences into their classrooms. This study aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of how professional learning communities (PLCs) enhance elementary teachers' instructional practices based on interviews with teachers in a rural school district. Olivier and Huffman's theory of utilizing PLC to their fullest potential was used as a conceptual framework for the study. This framework highlighted five dimensions of meaningful collaborative learning to increase teaching and learning in schools. This was a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews of 10 certified elementary teachers who engaged in PLC. Interview transcripts …

Educators’ Perspectives On Strategies To Close The Achievement Gap For African American Elementary Students In Mathematics And English Language Arts, Keamber Denise Booker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a persistent academic achievement gap between African American and European American elementary students in mathematics and English language arts. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore third through fifth-grade elementary educators’ perspectives on strategies used to narrow the gap in achievement for African American students in mathematics and English language arts from a school located in the southeastern region of the United States; consequently, the research question was developed to focus on these perspectives. The conceptual framework for this study was Ladson-Billings’s culturally relevant pedagogy. Purposeful sampling and snowball sampling were used to select study …

The Classroom As A Catalyst For Change: Promoting Anti-Racist Pedagogy Through Tolerance In The Elementary Classroom, Madison Setchell

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing research on anti-racist education and synthesize that information to develop lesson plans that teachers can use to promote tolerance in their classrooms. Review of the literature in this area reveals gaps in current curriculum and teaching practices. The literature on teaching tough topics concludes that difficult subjects should be used as a guide for discussion within the low stakes environment of a classroom. Three tolerance-centered lesson plans were developed using the Inquiry Design Model (Grant, 2017). This model highlights key ideas of a topic, presents three supporting questions related to …

Title I Schools And Strategies That Work, Michelle Manriquez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the strategies principals of Title I schools perceived as most effective in improving English language arts (ELA) scores by at least 10 points, through the lens of WestEd’s Four Domains of Rapid School Improvement.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative methodology to gather data via the California Dashboard and semi-structured interviews of 11 principals from 11 different sites in northern California that showed at least 10-point growth on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) standardized test. The interview questions were based on the Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: …

Dominant And Critical Mathematics: A Multi-Case Study Examining Mathematics Teachers’ Equitable Teaching Practices, Laura Zamudio

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the field of mathematics education, it is common for studies to use test scores to examine racial and socio-economic achievement gaps. The results of such studies have influenced mathematics teachers to address issues of equitable access and achievement as part of closing existing gaps (Gutiérrez & Ezekiel Dixon-Román, 2011). However, closing achievement gaps does not mean that equity has been addressed if marginalized students continue to express a cultural disconnect from the field of mathematics (Lubienski & Gutiérrez, 2008).

This qualitative multi-case study seeks to attend to these issues by exploring the understandings of equity and equitable teaching practices …

Teacher Perspectives On Student Behavior And Aces In Elementary Education, Bridget Mudd

Education | Master's Theses

Since 1998, substantial evidence has demonstrated rates of prevalence for different types of adverse or potentially traumatizing experiences that can happen during childhood, commonly referred to as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). In response, many studies have demonstrated the benefits of trauma-informed practices in mental health. Despite supporting evidence, policymakers have been slow to implement these practices in schools. Teachers are on the front lines of this issue. They are in a position to be most effective in supporting children and most impacted by student behavior yet their voice is notably absent from the literature. The purpose of this study is …

I Wish School Was Like This: One Teacher's Journey Towards Creating A Student-Led Learning Space, Angela Dawn Abbott

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to use the principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach to change how children in a high poverty school in West Virginia are educated. Specifically, this study was an exploration of the learning space as a third teacher, teachers as researchers, and giving students agency in their learning. A philosophy supporting emergent and participatory inquiry was developed and carried out for this project. Data were collected using several qualitative methods such as participant observation, discussion, interviews, photo elicitation, and student work. Conclusions from this project include: that there is potential of using space as a …

Examining General Educators' Instructional Practices Teaching Mathematics To K-8 Students With Disabilities, Kendra Michelle Cumberland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A disparity in the mathematics performance between students with disabilities (SWDs) and students without disabilities in K-8 grades in international schools may lead to a lack of opportunities for SWDs to take advanced mathematics classes and enter mathematics-related college programs and careers. This problem may be increased if K-8 teachers of SWDs do not use social-constructivist-based practices needed for effective mathematics teaching. The purpose of this bounded qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the constructivist-based practices teachers applied in the mathematics K-8 classrooms for SWDs. Vygotsky's social-constructivism theory was used to guide this study. The research question addressed which …

Black Male Teachers: Retention And Importance In New Jersey, Charles Anthony Ozuna

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of Black male teachers in the K-8 teaching profession in Atlantic and Essex counties in New Jersey and their recommendations to increase hiring and retention in the teaching profession. This study implemented a qualitative approach by interviewing 12 participants from Essex and Atlantic Counties in New Jersey who identified as Black male teachers. Teacher success depends on a variety of factors that can have both a positive and negative influence on a teacher's ability to stay motivated and succeed in the profession. Knowing the motives and experiences that influenced Black …

Family–School Partnerships And The Missing Voice Of Parents, Laura R. Stein

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Educators, researchers, advocates, and others agree that effective family-school partnership is an important component in best supporting the academic outcomes and future success of students. However, schools and educators struggle in forming constructive partnerships with racially and economically marginalized and oppressed parents and families, particularly low-income Black parents and families. This compromises support for low-income Black students that are already served in underfunded and under-resourced schools compared to their White middleclass counterparts. Further, this phenomenon exacerbates a widely understood academic achievement gap between low-income Black students and White middleclass students. In seeking to unearth and better understand effective strategies and …

Converting Agricultural Lesson Plans To Be Common Core Compliant For Grades 3-5, Hattie Kaymarie Jameson, Brittany Rose Withnell

Agricultural Education and Communication

There are few Common Core approved lesson plans for teachers to incorporate into traditional science programs in California. The Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom (AITC) program provides K-12 educators lesson plans with an agricultural focus. Only 13 out of 45 of the lesson plans that the California AITC website offers are Common Core approved (Learn About Ag, 2017).

Agricultural literacy is valuable to consumers, can lead to careers in agriculture, and can create a greater understanding of the world and of science for students. The agricultural lessons give students a real life relationship with what they are learning and …

Developing Confidence In Steam: Exploring The Challenges That Novice Elementary Teachers Face, Aaron S. Zimmerman

The STEAM Journal

This essay explores the challenges that novice elementary teachers may face as they attempt to enact the practices of STEAM education. Specifically, I will explore research that suggests that novice elementary teachers lack confidence in their ability to lead lessons rooted in either scientific inquiry or arts-integration. This has, I argue, clear implications for the development of STEAM education. Advocates of STEAM education must ensure that novice elementary teachers are provided with the necessary scaffolds and supports that will empower them to engage in authentic and ambitious STEAM practices.

Closing The Reading Gap, Bria Lundy

South Florida Education Research Conference

Changes in federal regulations regarding phonics instruction show that there is an ongoing problem concerning early reading difficulties. This research looks at how the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons reading program can benefit phonics skills and phonemic awareness of first graders who are not yet reading.

Will It Change Their Reflection? A Culturally Responsive Reaction To Literacy Failures, Idalis J. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This teacher research study was conducted in a second grade classroom. The teacher set out to find out: What happens when students who are faced with repeated literacy failures receive culturally responsive instruction in place of basic skills instruction? Children that struggle with reading often receive basic skills support as a form of intervention; yet still struggle in reading and other areas of literacy. Students often develop a negative identify of themselves as a reader and this leads to diminish and sometimes a lack of self-efficacy. The students in this study are at risk for falling below grade level in …

Implementing Growth Mindset Principles For Girls In Stem Elementary Classrooms Through The Creation Of A Children's Book, Jessica Van Westering

Honors Undergraduate Theses

With an emphasis on STEM education in schools, young girls begin to have an idea that math and science skills are based on one’s natural ability. A fixed mindset is the belief that one possesses an ability that comes naturally. Many girls, starting at the elementary level tend to interpret a lack of skill for being dumb, and therefore, give up on difficult subjects like math and science. On the other hand, a fluid theory of intelligence, or growth mindset is when a student values effort and understands that these “abilities” come from hard work and taking on new challenges. …

The Effects Of Problem-Based Learning On Mathematics Achievement Of Elementary Students Across Time, Brittany Marie Crowley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study specifically evaluated the long-term effects of problem-based learning (PBL) instruction on the mathematics achievement of students who demonstrated higher ability in the subject area than their comparable peers. Subjects included 65 students from six south-central Kentucky elementary schools who participated in Project Gifted Education in Math and Science (Project GEMS), a grant partially funded through the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program. The students were assigned to one of three conditions – PBL-Plus, PBL, or Control – based upon school of attendance. The participants were then administered baseline testing in the fall of the …

Rural Nebraska Elementary Students' Aspirations To Attend Institutions Of Higher Education, Brock T. Rezny

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Numerous studies exist on college and career readiness in the middle and high school grades, but these studies often exclude the elementary grades. Even less research has been done regarding this topic in rural education. With more research indicating a need for college readiness beginning in elementary school, this study adds to the literature by seeing if rural elementary students in Nebraska have aspirations for continued education and who influences those aspirations. The sample population of this quantitative study were fourth graders in five rural schools in an athletic conference in Nebraska. The survey was created with collaboration from two …

The Environmental Health Of The Autistic Student In The Public School Classroom, Antonia Klein

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professionals have found autism to be an enigmatic condition. While necessary

biomedical research continues, a gap exists in the inclusion of parental opinions,

knowledge, and experiences in educational planning for their autistic children. The

purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify the factors that the parents felt

contributed to the academic success of their autistic child in the public school classroom

environment and ways in which their ideas might contribute to overall educational

planning and classroom design in structure, curriculum development, and intervention

strategies which might lead to reduced stress. Parental input was explored through

semistructured personal interviews …

Designing Professional Development For Elementary School Teachers, Simon F. Quattlebaum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Within a Northeast urban school, there is little empirical evidence to indicate the effectiveness of the district professional development (PD) program. Elementary teachers at the study site reported that they encountered problems accessing professional development programs applicable to their needs. The purpose of this case study was to examine teacher perceptions of district PD programs and to discover teacher perceptions of PD best practices. Knowles' adult learning theory provided a frame of reference for this study. The research questions assessed teachers' perceptions of the format, content, and process of professional development programs and examined how teachers applied new knowledge, concepts, …

New Literacies Integration By Student Teacher/Cooperating Teacher Dyads In Elementary Schools: A Collective Case Study, Laurie A. Friedrich

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Situated in Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and collaborative inquiry, this collective case study examines new literacies integration by student teacher/cooperating teacher (ST/CT) dyads supported by a coach in elementary schools. The study took place at a large Midwestern public school district where many STs from a large Midwestern public university complete their student teaching experience. Through detailed vignettes of five ST/CT dyads, this study provides an explicit view of varieties of dyad collaboration when a new literacies emphasis is included in the student teaching semester. Research questions prompt the examination of dyad new literacies integration through (a) enacting professional …