Education Commons^™

Enhancing Culturally Responsive Practices: A Phenomenological Study On How Elementary School Leaders Demonstrate Cultural Proficiency In Teacher Development, Dana Synora Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In education, a lack of culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) may mute the success of students of color. A lack of culturally responsive pedagogy practices can drastically alter students’ educational outcomes and their outlook on the value of education. This hermeneutic phenomenology explored the experiences of elementary school leaders on their mission to implement culturally responsive practices through teacher professional development. The theory guiding this study is Khalifa’s theory on Culturally Responsive School Leadership which was developed to make teaching and the entire school environment responsive to the schooling needs of all demographics of children. This phenomenological study focused on teachers’ …

A Phenomenological Study Examining The Experiences Of Public School Teachers Who Provide Support For Chronically Absent Students At The Elementary School Level, Robert Lenn Ralston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of public schoolteachers who provided support for chronically absent students at the elementary school level. The theory guiding this study is Ryan and Deci's (1980) self-determination theory (SDT). The SDT explains extrinsic and intrinsic motivation sources and their roles in social development through three general constructs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. A screening survey was used to identify 12 elementary teachers from different schools in the southeastern United States who have taught children who were chronically absent. Data was collected through individual interviews, four focus groups, and an e-mailed …

A Case Study Analysis Of Alternative Out-Of-School Suspension Strategies Used In Title I Elementary Schools In A Large Urban School District, Jonathan Brooks

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compile or detail alternative out-of-school suspension (OSS) strategies using a qualitative method. Within this study, I evaluated the overall thoughts and perceptions of stakeholders, including teachers, school staff, and administrators as it relates to the strategies being used in Title I elementary schools in a large urban district. The following terms or word combinations were searched: alternative, elementary school, decreasing, reducing, attendance, restorative practices, principal, assistant principal, perceptions, stakeholders, teachers, strategies, out-of-school suspension (OSS), elementary, urban school, multi-tiered system of support, restorative practices, positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), and zero tolerance. After …

Black Parents Matter, Too: Identifying And Overcoming The Barriers To School Participation For African American Parents, Alycia Benson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine how African American parents of school age children identify and describe the factors that need to be present for African American parents to become engaged in their children’s’ local school and in their children’s education.

Methodology: This qualitative study identified and interviewed 12 African American parents from four school districts in Riverside County in Southern California in order to determine their barriers to school participation. Respondents were chosen using purposeful, convenience and snowball sampling based on specific criteria. The researcher collected data and determined themes in order to report findings …

A National Crisis In Our Classrooms, Laura Ann Gomez-Green

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

There is a growing need for social-emotional learning that is evident everywhere in our world. The research explores the importance of a program that can have on our youth; however, there is little research on examines the support and professional development for teachers are lacking.

This study draws on teacher’s perceptions of their level of support provided for children when dealing with social-emotional learning in their elementary classrooms. Chapter one states the problem of lack of Social Emotional Learning and support for elementary school teachers when dealing with a crisis in the classroom. Chapter two consists of a literature review …

Differences In Leadership Behaviors Of Principals And Success In The School Turnaround Processes, Annette Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine leadership behaviors of principals associated with public elementary schools that were either in the school turnaround process or had already transitioned out of school academic turnaround from 2011 through 2016. Transformational leadership guided the study to determine whether leadership behaviors differed among leaders of schools associated with academic failure. School accountability data were initially gathered through the Louisiana Department of Education website. Academically unsuccessful schools (AUS) were identified. Schools that were deemed failing at least one time during the 2012-2016 timeframe were grouped as follows: (a) Group A consisted of two schools …

The Relationship Between Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports In Elementary Schools And Mathematics Achievement., Robert Larry Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This causal-comparative study examined the relationship between Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and academic achievement in elementary school mathematics. Research has shown that PBIS may help establish a positive school climate, which supports the conditions for effective teaching and learning (Bradshaw, Koth, Bevans, Ialongo, & Leaf, 2008; Horner, Sugai, & Vincent, 2005; Hoy, Tarter, & Bliss, 1990). Accordingly, this study examined variables of particular interest, which were mathematical performance, including mathematical performance by male academic achievement, female academic achievement, and socioeconomic status, based on PBIS implementationThe data used were school-level, 5th grade mathematics achievement scores. Elementary schools, which participated …

The Perceptions Of Father Involvement In Elementary Schools, Myles J. Hebrard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of father involvement in elementary schools. The focus of the study was to allow the researcher to develop a greater understanding of perceptions of father involvement, from both a father and teacher perspective. Data was collected from teachers and fathers through surveys and interviews. Specific content areas of the father survey included communication, activities fathers engaged in, training opportunities provided at the school, parent conferences, when events were offered, availability, and suggestions for school staff. Specific content areas of the teacher survey included communication, activities fathers engaged in, training …

Enhancing The Culture Of Professional Learning In A High Performing School, Ann Elizabeth Ingram

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

Essential transformations within a school culture that ensure organizational learning take place at the individual, group, and organizational levels. With the recent implementation of the Teacher Professional Growth and Effectiveness System, Kentucky teachers have experienced change in their organization, but may have not yet changed their professional practice. This recently revised framework for teacher evaluation requires teachers to reflect on their practice, create professional growth plans, seek opportunities for professional development, set goals for student academic growth, analyze student progress, and participate in observations conducted by a peer and their principal. The framework for teachers centers on the belief that …

An Exploration Of Communication Perceptions Between Elementary School Staff And The Parents Of The Children They Serve, Cynthia Gardner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to explore the perceived school communication between elementary school staff and the parents of the children they serve. Staff members and parents, from a central Florida public school district, in both Title I and Non-Title I schools completed an online survey regarding (1) timely school communication, (2) school's website being informative and easy to use, and (3) staff members knowing what is going on in schools. Researchers have long explored the importance of family involvement in children's academic success, communication between home and school is an important link in the process. The …

Perceptions Of Elementary School Teachers, Counselors, And Principalsabout Bullying At Two School Sites In Utah And Mexico, Bernardo Villar

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a serious issue that exists not only in the United States but in other countries as well. There are significant, and often devastating, implications for both the bully and the victim. This research focused on the perspectives of teachers, principals, and counselors related to bullying in two elementary schools in Utah and Mexico. Through semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions and archival records, this qualitative study explored different perspectives on bullying found in two schools exhibiting approximately the same student and teacher demographics. Interviews with teachers, counselors and principals allowed for comparison of differences and similarities between both locations. …

Sheltered English Immersion Vs. Two-Way Bilingual Education: A Case Study Comparison Of Parental Attitudes And Hispanic Students' Perceived Self-Efficacy, Edith A. Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

Two common forms of teaching English to English-language learners are bilingual education and sheltered English immersion. While both programs claim successful second language acquisition, other effects of the programs need to be considered. This research examines one of those effects: self-efficacy, or students' perception that they will be successful or unsuccessful in doing a specific task or acquiring a specific skill. Using archival records and semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, this qualitative study draws on the work of Bandura (1977, 1986, 1997) to explore differences in self-efficacy between students who have participated for 5 years in a two-way Spanish-English bilingual …

The Impact Of Focused Tutoring And Science Lab Instruction Strategies For An Elementary School In South Texas, Annabelle Paloma

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect that focused tutoring and science lab methodologies have on 5th-grade student performance in science. The study examined how focused tutoring and science lab methodologies affect performance of 5th-grade students in science as measured by Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAKS). The problem is that far too many young Americans emerge from the nations elementary and secondary schools with an inadequate grounding in science. In correlation with this problem, if adequate instructional interventions are implemented, then students may be better prepared when tested with the science Texas Assessment of Knowledge and …

An Analysis Of Key Leadership Behaviors Of The Principal In A High -Performing Elementary School Serving Mexican American Children In South Texas, Alda T. Benavides

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study is based on the theoretical framework that defines leadership as an influence process, one that depends on the extent to which people eventually perceive leadership as a quality someone possesses and as a result of that perception, consent to be led (Greenfield, 1998). Leadership is the process of being perceived as a leader (Lord and Maher, 1993). Doing good work at one's school and being seen to do such work is likely to be the most powerful strategy for positively influencing teachers' perceptions of one's leadership. This study expands on the theory that it is what you do …

A Study Of Parental Involvement At A Blue Ribbon Elementary School On The Texas-Mexico Border, Jay Scott Hollinger

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The involvement of parents in their children's education influences student achievement. In 1995, researchers identified mechanisms necessary for effective parent involvement. Although substantial research has been done on parent and family involvement, few studies have described the phenomenon among low socioeconomic Mexican-American families. In 1996, one case study was conducted at a high school and another was conducted at a middle school on the Texas-Mexico border. These studies described strategies and tactics used by the principal, teachers, and support staff to influence parents to become more involved in their children's education. The present study expands on these works by investigating …

A Study Of The Sequence Of The Professional Education Program For Elementary School Teachers At Utah State University, Christopher Lee Colston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Education, like any other profession, is responsible for constant improvement. The professional teacher education institutions are constantly looking for ways of improving professional teacher education programs. The course sequence of the teacher education program is an area for continual improvement. Every teacher educator has a theory as to what is the best teacher education program and what is the best sequence for this theory program. The literature has revealed very little in the area of a sequence for the teacher education program.

A Critical Survey Of Elementary School Playgrounds In Cache And Box Elder Counties, Thomas Cracas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One of the fundamental needs of elementary school children is to develop their motor systems by means of physical activities adequately suited to their representative age groups. In so doing, opportunities are provided for sociological and psychological requirements essential in developing a healthy, confident individual capable and willing to accept social and family obligations and responsibilities. This infers that an essential function of the school is to provide appropriate areas, facilities, and equipment for such activities. It also suggests that the playground be an integral element of a modern school.

The purpose of this study was: (1) to construct check …

The Status Of The Elementary School Principalship In Utah, Sherman Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The aim of this study is to record the status of the elementary school principalship in the State of Utah during the 1951-1952 school year.

The problem arose from a situation in which the writer, as President of the Utah Elementary School Principal's Association, was continually asked questions pertaining to the status of this group, and because there was a scarcity of current information available upon which to base reliable answers to these requests.

This situation led to the formulation of the study herein presented--a survey of conditions as they existed in Utah during the 1951-1952 school year. It should …