Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Grade-Level Switching In The Elementary School Setting, Christine Priester

Dissertations

Teaching a new grade level in elementary school requires developing extensive grade- level-specific knowledge. In many school districts, the support for teachers who move grade levels within a district is glaringly absent. In this study, the frequency and impact of teacher grade switching in a school district were examined through a mixed-methods study that included surveys with teachers, interviews with teachers, and student data. The research question was: What is the impact of grade-level teacher movement on instruction? The findings of this study show how students are affected by teachers switching grade levels in elementary school. Results shed light on …

A Study On The Smarts Executive Functioning Curriculum: Explicitly Teaching Executive Functioning Skills In A Fourth-Grade Classroom, Rebekah Curry

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

The SMARTS executive functioning curriculum explicitly teaches executive functioning skills to students within a classroom setting. The purpose of this study was to explore what happened when the SMARTS executive functioning curriculum was implemented into a single fourth-grade classroom. This study specifically investigated perceptions of the SMARTS executive functioning curriculum. The participants of this study included 20 fourth-grade students, the classroom teacher, and the elementary school principal. The researcher used a survey, observations, and interviews to compile data. The qualitative data was analyzed using the constant comparative method, and the quantitative data from the student survey was analyzed using descriptive …

Evaluating The Need For Professional Learning That Highlights Proficient Teaching Strategies For Students With Autism In The Elementary Environment, Allison Norman

Dissertations

There is an increase in the identification of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout the country. There is also an emphasis on inclusion within the classrooms in the country. This qualitative study addresses the need for teachers to grasp more knowledge about Autism so that they can help children with autism have better access to the general education curriculum and increase support for success in the classroom. Through an action research project, this study aimed to gauge elementary school teachers' existing knowledge about Autism and identify areas where they desired further education. The study involved surveying teachers to understand …

Implementing Music To Increase Elementary Student Focus, Kathryn Garceau

Master's Theses

This action research project used a mixed methods design to address the effect of different types of music on student focus while performing an independent task. Despite its success with memorization, does music work equally as well on student focus? Data was collected over a period of three weeks for 30 minutes each morning for 5 days each week. The music played while students completed the task changed each week. This included lyrical songs during week one, classical music during week two, and instrumental versions of songs students knew the lyrics to during week three. Four behavior markers were observed …

Developing An Artistic Self In Preservice Elementary Teachers: A Studio Art Curriculum To Promote Art Integration, Karilee D. Park

Theses and Dissertations

With the continual use of standardized testing, teaching art in schools, particularly elementary schools, often falls to generalist teachers with little to no experience in art. While art can be integrated into daily curriculum for deeper and lasting learning, without the proper training or support, generalist teachers are left to implement art as they encountered it in the past, if at all. Artistic anxiety and culturally misappropriated artistic experiences result in the arts being used inefficiently or avoided completely. Creating a curriculum for preservice elementary generalist teachers, I explored art integration through developing artistic confidence, skill, and identity for 16 …

Educators’ Perspectives Of How To Support Mathematics Achievement Of Grade 3 Through Grade 5 At-Risk Students, Shanerron Fordham-Knox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that teachers are struggling to support the instructional needs of at-risk students Grades 3–5 in mathematics in a Southern state. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of Grades 3–5 teachers of the instructional supports, approaches, and recommendations to support the mathematics achievement of at-risk students in Grades 3–5. Bruner’s theory on the stages of representation informed this study. The research questions focused on Elementary teachers' perspectives and recommendations of instructional supports and approaches to support the mathematics achievement of at-risk students in Grades 3–5. Data were collected …

Exploring The Teacher Perceptions Of The Overrepresentation Disciplinary Actions Against African American Male Elementary School Students, Amber Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership, teachers, and parents have observed significantly disproportionate discipline of African American students at urban elementary schools located in Ohio, despite the implementation of positive behavior intervention supports (PBIS). This basic qualitative study explored teacher perceptions of the overrepresentation of disciplinary actions amongst African American male elementary students in a regional school system in Ohio. The conceptual framework for this study was derived from Ladson-Billings’ theory of culturally relevant pedagogy and Skinner’s operant conditioning, which supports the PBIS framework. The research questions focused on the teachers’ perceptions and recommendations about training, resources, and support they need to address the overrepresentation …

Imagine If All Schools Had This! Fostering Inclusive Family Engagement Through Human-Centered Design Thinking, Tamara R. York

Education Dissertations

This ethnographic study explores the crucial role of family engagement in educational systems and the impact a human-centered design team has on students' success at an elementary school. The research addresses the historical impact of racism and colonization on student outcomes alongside the ongoing challenge of narrowing the opportunity gap. Current interventions and support services, though significant, often adopt a remedial stance and are grounded in deficit thinking rather than embracing an asset-based approach. The research proposes a shift from traditional school-initiated family engagement to a human-centered design (HCD) approach to address these challenges. The purpose of the study is …

A Case Study To Determine The Literacy Needs Within Remediation Practices For Students In Grades 1-3, Miranda M. Gillis

Doctor of Education Dissertations

In order to effectively teach reading, it is not enough for a teacher to possess knowledge and skills alone. It is equally important to use evidence-based instructional approaches and interventions, especially when working with at-risk or struggling students. Without appropriate instructional materials and contexts, even the most competent teacher may fail to teach essential literacy skills, such as phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, spelling, and writing processes. As the importance of teacher quality gains attention at the state and federal levels, lesson structure and allocation of lesson time for literacy-related activities have become a focus. The emergence of structured literacy underscores …

Are Elementary Teachers Prepared To Teach A Stem Focused Curriculum: A Needs Assessment Of An Inner-City Elementary School, Erica Willie

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Power Or Words: Increasing Student Vocabulary Acquisition, Kelly M. Tiers

Culminating Experience Projects

A lack of vocabulary knowledge may have an influence on student reading comprehension. Reading comprehension, a fundamental, skill, hinges on understanding unknown vocabulary. The research highlights the significant correlation between reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge, stressing its increasing importance as students encounter more complex text. This project explores the importance vocabulary plays in reading comprehension and its link to overall academic success. It further explores strategies to effectively increase student vocabulary and comprehension. The project is designed for elementary classrooms (K-6) to be integrated into existing lessons and routines. An in-service session, part of a district-wide professional development day, will …

Paraprofessional Training Materials, Program Implementation & Review, Breann Brewer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

If ever you enter a special education classroom, you may encounter a few events. You may witness a classroom of impressive, almost automatic interactions, delivered in a way so eloquent that the students and staff seem to be in an effortless dance with one another. Or, you may witness a classroom that feels heavy with needs; needs of more staff, more help, more hands, and more time. This visual exercise demonstrates how the structure of a special education classroom sets the tone for student growth and success.

One pivotal part of a special education classroom is the paraeducators. Paraeducators, also …

Homework Perpetuating Inequalities For Low-Income Families In Education, Eileen Boyd

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project delves into the persistent issue of homework perpetuating inequalities among low-income families. Drawing on insights from North American public school teachers who have shared their perspectives and experiences, this research employs a combination of literature reviews, teacher interviews, and anonymous surveys. The collective evidence underscores the unsettling fact that homework drives educational disparities. Consequently, it calls for a broader acknowledgment among educators and schools that homework often hinders rather than enhances a student's academic achievements.

Polybenzimidazole Membranes For Electrochemical Applications With Harsh Operating Conditions, Kris Likit-Anurak

Theses and Dissertations

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes are high temperature proton exchange membranes (PEMs) which have advantages such as being able to operate in high temperatures, strong acid environments, and have no need for external humidity during operation. PBI membranes have been demonstrated to work effectively in multiple electrochemical devices, including fuel cells, hydrogen separation pumps, redox flow batteries, and a hybrid sulfur electrolyzer. In this work, para-PBI and densified para-PBI membrane have been used to improve electrochemical performance in harsh operating conditions that are both high temperature (≥120 ̊C) and high acid concentration (≥ 5M). First, we demonstrated the use of para-PBI membranes …

Decentering The White Gaze: The Effects Of Involving African-American Students In Curricular Decision-Making In An Independent School Library, Michelle Efird Rosen

Theses and Dissertations

Many Black students at independent schools across the nation spend most of their educational lives with few classmates or teachers who look like them. This isolation is exacerbated by a curriculum that historically has taught to a White standard of excellence. Long the bastion of wealthy, White families, independent schools have generally failed to make headway in their efforts to recruit Black families to their campuses. This has left Black students with the burden of finding their own methods of adapting to a predominantly White school environment. This study sought to determine how involving four African-American fourth-grade students in a …

Channel Morphology Of A Leaky Coastal Plain River: The Congaree River, Sc 1884-2022, William Nicholas Logan

Theses and Dissertations

Downstream changes in river planform can be associated with changes in geologic controls and often signal changes in channel geometry, bed slope, or bed material grain size. While previous studies documented downstream trends in channel geometry and planform for a variety of rivers, there is a gap in the literature on spatial and temporal trends in channel geometry on the fluvial part of Coastal Plain rivers, i.e., the not-tidally influenced part. The literature highlights the existence of crevasse splays in natural levees that allow floodplain inundation below bankfull conditions as unique feature of channels and floodplains in the Coastal Plain. …

The Effect Of Instructionally Embedded Cognitive Reframing On Students’ Self-Beliefs Of Their Mathematical Competence, Kelly Eyre Frazee

Theses and Dissertations

Many students lack the ability to maintain positive perceptions of their mathematical self-belief, resulting in undesirable social, emotional, and academic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a cognitive reframing strategy on third and fourth grade math intervention students’ perceptions of their mathematical competence. This study sought to understand the impact of this emotional regulation strategy on students’ ability to autonomously regulate their negative or irrational thoughts related to their mathematics abilities, as well as the impact on their self-beliefs. Data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with students, student reflections, and researcher …

Supporting Optimal Recess In Early Childhood Settings, Kristen Spoelman

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has revealed that US elementary school recess has declined significantly over the past 50 years, including Coopersville Area Public Schools. The major factors that have contributed to this decline include federal policies, adminstrative perspectives, lack of funding and trained staff, and growing concern over safety and behaviors, such as bullying. Scientific investigations have more recently been conducted in response to the recess cuts or eliminations, in order to provide data that demonstrates the crucial need to provide recess to children. These studies, along with growing social organization efforts, have identified that children experience whole child benefit from recess, which …

Evidence-Based Practices For Tiered Math Interventions For Elementary Students, James Schyma

Culminating Projects in Special Education

Abstract is not required for a Starred Paper.

Academic Impacts Of Intergenerational Trauma: Assessing The Relationship Between Ace Scores Of Parents And The Language And Literacy Development Of Their Elementary-Aged Children, Paige Lee Banaszak

Theses and Dissertations

This paper contributes to the current literature by investigating factors that may contribute to language and literacy difficulty among children, to support the future development of effective intervention techniques. The data analyzed in this paper was collected from children and families participating in Reach Every Reader, a research study currently being conducted to improve literacy outcomes in the U.S. by developing a computer-adaptive screening assessment tool to identify children at risk for language and literacy difficulties early in their educational development. Children enrolled in kindergarten through third grade completed tasks that target language and literacy skills, and their parent(s) completed …

Multicultural Mentor Texts In 2nd Grade Writer’S Workshop, Ellen R. Carbonaro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the utilization of relevant multicultural mentor texts during writer’s workshop instruction in the second-grade classroom. The specific aim is to understand how students relate these diverse texts to their development of literacy skills. This study is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of culturally relevant education and reader response theory. Upon data triangulation analysis, the following themes were identified: 1. Multicultural Literature Promoted Engagement with Literacy, 2. Multicultural Mentor Texts as a Guide for Writing, and 3. Writing as a Social Practice within the Writer’s Workshop Model. Implications regarding the …

Connection Before Correction: The Impact Of Restorative Practices On Students With Disabilities, Katrina Shirley

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

As an alternative to zero tolerance discipline policies that focus on punitive, exclusionary, and often predetermined consequences for a disruptive behavior, many educators in schools across the United States have started implementing restorative practices (RP) in their classrooms. RP focus on building relationships and classroom community. Educators implement RP as a preventative behavioral strategy for community building, but also as a responsive strategy to handle conflict in order to repair harm and restore relationships. Current research on RP include quantitative studies, many resulting in a reduction of exclusionary discipline, or qualitative studies with participants in middle and high school. This …

Mental Health Literacy Training For Elementary Educators, Anna Joyce

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Young school children struggle with mental illness at a high rate, but often do not receive treatment or referral to mental health resources (Paula et al., 2014). Because of their age, their support systems are the first line of defense toward recognizing and reporting concerning symptoms of mental illness. Educators act as one of these support systems, but research shows mental health education for teachers is lacking in comprehension and adequacy (Dix et al., 2019). This literature review and training focuses on Mental Health Literacy (MHL), which promotes positive mental health education and literacy through encouraging help-seeking, recognition of mental …

Marxist Analysis Of Social And Economic Narratives In Childrens' Cartoons, Shane Mcgregor

Theses and Dissertations

Using a Marxist framework with a grounding in critical literacy, this study employs a content analysis methodology to analyze 25 episodes of five of the most popular children’s television cartoons in order to understand how these cartoons portray economic and social systems, as well as how the messages these cartoons express would tend to support these systems. In so doing, this research hopes to provide a conceptual framework that educators and parents can use as a guide for demonstration of a critical approach to understanding the curriculum of children’s media inside or outside of the classroom. Educators can modify this …

The Effectiveness Of Using Behavior Specific Praise Versus General Praise For One Elementary-Aged Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Angie Slusar

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to look at the effectiveness of general praise (GP) versus behavior specific praise (BSP) on increasing on-task behavior and decreasing the behavior of hitting in an elementary-age child with autism spectrum disorder. The researcher conducted a single function functional analysis to confirm that hitting was maintained by access to adult attention. The researcher used an alternating treatment design to compare GP and BSP as behavior change interventions. The researcher observed an educator working one-on-one with an elementary-aged child with autism. In each condition, the educator gave the praise that corresponded with the condition, to …

Utilizing Edtpa As A Student Teaching Tool To Ensure Future Teaching Success, Matthew Aspinwall

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) is an educator preparatory program that students complete at the end of their pre-professional experience. This assessment is often met with fear and apprehension for pre-service teachers leading up to its completion. With edTPA being completed during the student teaching experience, it can become a large burden on the student. This thesis will outline how changing your perspective of the edTPA process from an extensive assessment into using edTPA to make student teaching a more meaningful experience that expands your impact on your school and community. With that, the research question asks: How can student …

Exploring Evidence Based Practices For Elementary Writing Instruction And For Teacher Development: A Review Of The Literature, Ericka Walz

Culminating Projects in Teacher Development

Abstract not required for a Starred Paper.

Educational Environments And Children's Physical Activity And Sedentary Behaviors, Nathan R. Tokarek

Theses and Dissertations

Children and adolescents spend the majority of their day engaged in sedentary behaviors (SB), while also not meeting physical activity (PA) recommendations. The failure to develop and maintain health enhancing behaviors from a young age may impact an individual throughout their life. With children and adolescents spending a large proportion of their waking hours in a school setting, the educational environment presents an opportunity in which children and adolescents’ PA and SB can be positively influenced. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to explore how children and adolescent’s school time PA and SB are associated with the educational setting, …

Teachers' Conceptions And Enactment Of Disciplinary Literacy In Elementary Science Instruction: A Comparative Case Study, Melissa P. Mendenhall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This case study explores elementary teachers’ conceptions and enactment of disciplinary literacy in elementary science instruction and the interaction between the two. Specifically, the purpose of this research was to describe how four fifth-grade teachers view literacy appropriate to science. Participants for this research were invited to participate by responding to an online survey and were selected based on criteria. Data sources include interviews, teacher artifacts, and observation. Qualitative data were coded, the codes compared to ideas in the field (overall themes), and global themes were generated as sense making tools to describe trends found in each case, case comparisons, …

Impacts Of Makerspaces And Design Thinking On Creativity In Third-Grade Students, Renae Mcgauvran

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research aimed to determine the impacts of makerspaces and design thinking on student perceptions of creativity. The study occurred in a rural North Dakota third-grade classroom during science instruction. There were two sections of 17 and 18 students, respectively. Students participated in makerspace activities, including designing and constructing their own paper house or school. Data was collected through pre- and post-surveys, an adjective checklist, and teacher observations of student behavior. Pre-assessment findings suggest students had a relatively positive view of creativity before the intervention. Findings suggest student perceptions of creativity improved following the intervention. Further research on the …