Education Commons^™

An Autoethnography Journey: Social And Emotional Learning In A Post-Covid Classroom, April Edwards

Masters Theses

In this autoethnography journey, we explore the question, "What resources are available for teachers to use to guide SEL instruction, and how effective are those resources post-pandemic?" Post-COVID-19 pandemic, we noticed that our students needed more social interaction time in the classroom. Student behaviors increased alongside teacher frustration. Districts immediately began to see this struggle in the school systems and the growing concern from parents and teachers. Our children were not taught how to respectfully express their social and emotional needs due to the lack of opportunity to practice with others. During this study, we found that teachers …

Development Of S.T.E.A.M. Daises In Formal And Informal Environments For Educating Primary I Learners, Frances Neville

Masters Theses

The federal government has made education a competition among ourselves. Learning is not a rivalry to be imposed on our physical and cognitive development as humans. Escalating beliefs recognize education is more encompassing than CCSS, assessments and the grade level time frames in which standards are to be taught. On the precipice of anti-intellect, low expectations, and what has been termed “The Dumbing of America” an investigation into what it would take to close the achievement gap and increase student learning is overdue.

The goal for my Michigan based project, S.T.E.A.M. Daises, was to develop a program focusing on the …

Social And Cultural Identities Of Mentors And Their Impact On Mentorship Experiences, Temvelo Rejoice Matsebula

Masters Theses

The relationship between social and cultural identities and experiences and how we interpret encounters is vital when looking at mentorship. Early childhood education values the combination of classroom education and field experience for pre-service educators. The ability to be a successful mentor relies on one's ability to reflect on their identity, beliefs, practices, values, and skills. This study sought to explore early childhood mentors' views of their social and cultural identities in relation to their experiences with mentorship by engaging with mentors (n=4) in an interview and through reflective journaling about their experiences. Interviews and journals were transcribed …

Implementing Social Emotional Activities Into The English Language Arts Curriculum, Allison M. Sherbel

Masters Theses

Over the last decade social emotional learning has revealed itself to be an important element in students' academic growth. Social emotional learning requires students to learn the skills necessary to effectively communicate with others as well as maintaining a positive classroom environment, where all students feel supported, safe and heard. When students become more connected to their own emotions, they are developing an essential skill that will help them inside and outside of the classroom. Research shows that implementation of social emotional lessons can improve both immediate and long-term social-emotional ability as well as academic growth. Despite this research, teachers …

Kole, Isaiah Aladejobi

Masters Theses

This project focuses on the development of building blocks influenced by the architecture and design styles of Yoruba culture and Washington DC. These building blocks aim to provide an educational and culturally enriching experience for individuals of all ages, with a particular focus on youth.

By combining the traditional design elements of Yoruba architecture with the modern urban aesthetic of Washington DC, the building blocks offer a unique blend of cultural influences for children and adults to explore. Through hands-on building activities, users can engage with the cultural heritage of these two regions, while also developing important skills such as …

Making Pla(Y)Ces: Softening The City Through Play, Shivani Pinapotu

Masters Theses

Cities that grow naturally over time integrate spaces of gathering that allow for serendipitous happenstance. However, the cities we design today instruct and codify through intentional planning and design; they assign use, hardening specific function to place. Such strategies lead to spaces devoid of spirit, inculcating in city-dwellers to a sense of disconnect from the city.

In contrast to this, the places we make as children, express our intuitive, direct, and unselfconscious relationships with space and one other. These spaces embody softness through their malleability and adaptability, borrowing from the world around them and imbuing the ordinary with imagination. …

Assessing The Reliability Of The Five-In-20 Classroom Observation Tool, Danielle Buechlein

Masters Theses

Effective classroom management practices are crucial to fostering a positive learning environment, student achievement, and student social-emotional development, as well as teacher job satisfaction. The Five-in-20 Classroom Observation Tool (FCOT) was developed from the 21 evidence-based strategies identified by Simonsen and colleagues (2008) to assess and support teachers’ classroom management; however, its psychometric properties are unknown. The present study looks at the interobserver agreement of the FCOT, specifically at how consistent observers’ ratings are with each other and how consistent observers’ ratings are with a standard coded copy of the FCOT. Forty-four participants, using the FCOT, rated the same 20-minute …

Developing Coping Strategies For Early Elementary Students In Relation To Anxiety, Kayle M. Ogrodzinski

Masters Theses

There has been a growing concern about the number of students exhibiting anxiety in schools. Research shows that implementing interventions can help reduce the amount anxiety in students. School counselors can implement small group lessons with a focus on a theoretical approach using cognitive behavioral therapy to help address this concern. This method allows the student to be in control of their feeling and learn to cope with what is making them anxious. This project acts as a guide for school counselors to implement small group lessons. It provides an outline of seven weekly sessions for students in early elementary …

The Impact Of Healthy Living Education On Parents When Selecting Snacks For Their Children, Daphnea Lou Sutherland

Masters Theses

The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity has become a major health concern in the United States and other countries. Obese children are now acquiring what is considered adult diseases, at a young age. This will have detrimental effects on their health as a child and even more so as an adult, resulting in poor quality of life and a shorter lifespan. An obese child also faces delays and shortages in meeting developmental standards, such as physical development, psychosocial, emotional development, cognitive, and so forth. When obese, children will have a harder time concentrating on learning materials and will struggle in …

Examining Gender Differences In Play Choice In Kindergarten, Danielle Bily

Masters Theses

This study explored the gender differences in play choice in a kindergarten classroom in rural Illinois. Kindergarten expectations support free choice time to enhance classroom behavior, interactions with peers, and conflict resolution. Participants were 12 male students and 11 female students in one general education classroom. Students were given an individual survey to label various pictures of toys as being for males, females, or both males and females. Parent questionnaires were sent home to measure what children play with outside of school hours. Results suggested that (a) it may be important to display images that include both males and females …

An Examination Into The Instruction Of The Alphabet During Preschool Years, Amanda Titus

Masters Theses

Instruction of the letters of the alphabet is a controversial topic among early childhood educators. Not only is it debated whether letter instruction is developmentally appropriate but there is then the discussion concerning how the letters are best taught once a program deems it is developmentally appropriate. In this study, 87 children were assessed at two separate times during the school year to determine a method of instruction that proved most effective. The study took place over three consecutive school years. The first year, 27 students were exposed to alphabetic instruction through a combination of music and mnemonic device assisted …

Predictors Of Bullying Role Behavior In Preschool, Kristen Kocher

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Adult Modeling On Literacy Behaviors Of Head Start Preschoolers, Stephanie L. Kerbel

Masters Theses

This project explored the uses of literacy artifacts in the dramatic play of preschool children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds who live in poverty in Kalamazoo County. The purpose of this 9-week study was to determine the impact of adult modeling on the frequency and quality of use of literacy artifacts during the dramatic play of at-risk preschoolers. Two Head Start classrooms received different types of intervention: (a) a literacy-enriched dramatic play area with adult modeling for 5 minutes at the start of each play period ( once per week); and (b) a literacy-enriched dramatic play area without adult …

Analogical Processing Skills In Three Modalities In Fifth, Eighth, And Eleventh Graders, Amy Sirrae Cashen

Masters Theses

This study examined the ability of fifth, eighth, and eleventh graders to complete multiple modality analogy tasks. Three groups, for a total of 201 subjects--68 fifth graders, 66 eighth graders, and 77 eleventh graders--solved word, picture, and figure analogies. A significant difference was found in the performance of the three groups, indicating that analogical processing skills increase with age. No significant difference was found between males and females on the combined analogy tasks. A significant difference was found for modality, indicating that the three sets of analogies were different in difficulty. The grade-by-modality interaction also was found to be significant, …

The Effect Of Early Childhood Special Education Teaching Theories On Their Classroom Environments, Cheryl L. Mortimer

Masters Theses

With passage of P.L. 99-457 educators in the United States are going to need to take a very close look at early childhood special education. There will be many new programs beginning in areas where teachers and administrators may be poorly informed. Early childhood special education is effective,but an examination of what part of these programs make it effective needs to be addressed. This study examined how a teachers theoretical orientation toward teaching can affect their preschool special education classroom environment. The environment was evaluated by a section on a survey in which points were accumulated for different environmental factors …

The Effects Of Self-Evaluation Procedures On The Numbers And Accuracy Of Alphabet Letter Writing Behavior Of Preschool Children, Kevin R. Coleman

Masters Theses

This study assessed the effects of self-evaluation procedures on the rate and accuracy of alphabet letter writing. Three preschoolers served as subjects. During Phase I, students were given instructions, and the experimenter modeled accurate letter writing. During Phase II, instructions and modeling were again presented. Additionally, the students were given a rule statement that instructed them to use a stamper and a stamp pad to stamp their paper after first writing each of a row of four letters. The results indicated that the introduction of self-evaluation procedures was associated with immediate increases in frequency of attempts, but a decrease in …

The Effects Of Do-Say And Phase Sequencing On Correspondence Behaviors Of Preschool Children, Catherine M. Mcmanus

Masters Theses

This study assessed the effects of a do-say procedure and phase sequencing on the correspondence behaviors of seven preschoolers. Three subjects received correspondence-content (Group A) phase sequencing training and four subjects received content-correspondence (Group B) phase sequencing training. During the Content Phase, subjects received reinforcerrent (socials, stickers, snack, etc.) for verbalizations about engaging in a pre-determined non-preferred activity. During the Correspondence Phase, subjects received reinforcement for verbalizations about the non-preferred activity only when they had actually engaged in play with that specific non-preferred activity. The results indicated that in most instances, reinforcement of verbalizations alone results in increases in those …

Reduction Of Aggressive Behavior Of A Preschool Child Using Extinction And Teacher Attention Procedures, Greg Randle

Masters Theses

The subject was a 2 and a half-year-old male who engaged in a high rate of aggressive behavior that appeared to be maintained by teacher reprimands and physical contact. An extinction procedure in which all aggressive behavior directed toward peers was ignored was used in conjunction with teacher attention directed to the victim. Teacher attention was also used to positively reinforce the subject for interaction with peers. These procedures reduced the subject's aggressive behavior to a much lower rate. Although the subject's undesirable behavior was modified, a questionnaire responded to by the teachers indicated the need for open communication between …

Verbal And Non-Verbal Curricula For Teaching Color Names To Preschool Children, Cynthia A. Wagner

Masters Theses

This study examined the effects of curriculum type on the acquisition and retention of color names. Ten 2 to 3 year old subjects were divided into two experimental groups of five each; subjects were of both sexes and approximately equal language ability . In a modified multiple -baseline design, one experimental group received the verbal curriculum and the other experimental group received the non-verbal curriculum. Data were gathered through regular testing of all subjects. Results indicated that the curricula were equally efficient in teaching color names in their respective modalities; there was no significant difference in the mean number of …

A Study Of The Varying Degrees Of Creativity Manifested By Kindergarten Children From Open Or Traditional Classrooms, Susan Spelman Lewis

Masters Theses

Visual and verbal techniques derived from Wallach and Kogan’s test of creative thinking abilities (1965) were administered to fifty-seven Title I kindergarten children from four different kindergarten settings in an attempt to assess the impact of open versus non-open situations on children's creativity. Classroom populations were similar socioeconomically, racially, and with regard to the student-teacher ratio. Kindergartens were chosen in order to test young children not influenced by other school situations. The degree of classroom openness was determined using Evans' Classroom Rating Scale (1971).

Creativity scores varied positively with the degree of classroom openness. Differences among the mean scores of …

Teaching Self-Protective Behaviors To Preschool Children Using A Videotape Training Program, Paul James Yoder

Masters Theses

This study investigated the effectiveness of a videotape training program to teach self-protective skills to preschool children. Children were taught to say, "I have to ask my teacher/parent," and to run to their teacher/parent when presented with one of two lures commonly used by child molesters. The videotape incorporated the direct instructional techniques of active pupil responding; the model, lead, and test format; and use of minimally different stimuli to teach children to discriminate between correct and incorrect responses. The results showed that although none of the subjects showed any improvement in responding after only one viewing, five of the …

The Effects Of Two-Day Vs. Seven-Day Prompts On Attendance At A Preschool Screening, Susan Simonds Savage

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Structured Versus Unstructured Instruction On The Generalization Of Language Concepts In The Preschool Child, Cheryl A. Milford

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Prompting And Stimulus Novelty On The Frequency Of Play With Toys, Gloria J. Gasparotto

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Classroom And Home-Based Reinforcement To Increase Verbal Responses To Questions In Preschool Children, Katherine Anne Muir

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

"Project Dial": An Early Childhood Screening Program, Lewis S. Sarff

Masters Theses

This field study addressed the problem of "actively seeking" out and identifying children (ages 3 to 5 years) likely to develop late learning problems upon school enrollment. The procedures developed and reported in this paper deal with initial public relations, facilities, personnel, an evaluation instrument Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL), hearing and vision testing, and reporting of results to parents and school personnel.

The paper also includes means and standard deviations for DIAL subtest scores by one year age groups and by sex, as well as simple and multiple r's for each of the DIAL variables individually …

An Assessment-Diagnostic Center For Pre-School Public School Handicapped Children In Illinois: The Rend Lake Project, John Powell

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Efficacy Of Reinforcement In An Observational Paradigm, Charles M. Krizic

Masters Theses

Study investigated the effectiveness of reinforcement in an observational paradigm where the dependent variable was indicated by increased morphological resemblance of an observer (O) after viewing a model (M). The stimulus was a series of novel responses recorded on videotape with each child viewing the tape individually. The subjects were 32 Head Start males divided into four groups. The first group was administered verbal praise prior to the modeling session. The second served as the vicarious reinforcement condition and observed an adult praise the model. The third group received direct reinforcement during the test for acquisition. The control group received …

Development And Improvement Of Services Of The Charleston Community Day Care Center, Marilyn Samsa Buxton

Masters Theses

No abstract provided by author.

Relationship Of Chronological Age To Kindergarten Admission, Basil E. Johnson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.