Education Commons^™

Interdisciplinary Studies In General Music Education: Enhancing Learning Across Content Areas, Tara Kathleen Roof Stradley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Some perspectives of educators and community members in small rural school districts fail to see the academic benefits of music education and the importance of integrated forms of study, despite the many clear connections that can be seen between the general music curriculum and other content areas such as math and language arts. Interdisciplinary studies in general music education are essential for student growth across content areas. This study reveals the importance of music integration and interdisciplinary music studies in small rural elementary schools. It gives example lessons of mathematics and language arts in the elementary music curricula. Guided by …

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Volume 2, Edition 6, July 2023, Bailey Feit, Tammy Mittelstet

CASNR L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter

Contents

K-12 Curriculum & Resources & Upcoming Events

Career Exploration pathways for students who like Technology

Teacher & Student Opportunities

Upcoming Events 2023 & 2024

East Campus Discovery Days and Farmers Market

Entrepreneurial Designers Careers Spotlight

PGA Management Program

Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program

UNL-CASNR-BSE Department Ag Systems Technology $2,500 Scholarship Opportunity

Summer Therapy And Coaching Resource Notebook, Kelli J. Pease

IPS/BAS 495 Undergraduate Capstone Projects

This project aims to fulfill the need for an easily accessible and well-organized resource notebook for summer Educational Therapy and Academic Coaching that our organization has talked about doing for some time now but has always lacked the manpower to make happen. I desire to have this be a stepping stone towards offering a valuable, well-defined service for our administration to offer to our students and families in the future.

This approach will address the frustration of having data and information scattered between our three schools, departments, and people. It will also take current resources, information, and opinions from other …

The Moderating Role Of Socioeconomic Status For The Link Between Parent-Teacher Communication And Children's Academic Achievement, Haley Withuhn

Honors Theses

Parent-teacher communication plays a vital role in children’s educational success and has been positively linked to academic achievement. Family socioeconomic status has been shown to play a significant role in how we understand parent-teacher communication. The purpose of the current study is to explore the role of socioeconomic status for the link between parent-teacher communication and children’s academic achievement. A socioeconomically diverse sample of approximately 174 early elementary school students was used to explore links between parent- teacher communication, academic achievement, and household socioeconomic status (SES). Teachers report on students’ reading and mathematics achievement according to the Nebraska State Standards. …

Engaging Students With High-Stakes Problems, Deepak Basyal

Mathematics and Statistics

Engaging students in meaningful mathematics problem-solving is the intention of many education stakeholders around the world. Research suggests that the implementation of high-stakes problems in mathematics teaching is one way to strengthen students’ conceptual understanding. Many carefully crafted open-ended problems constitute high-stakes problems, and proper use of such problems in teaching and learning not only encourages learners’ flexible thinking but also helps detect their misconceptions. However, what is less practiced and understood is: how exactly one should aim to implement such problems in a classroom setting. Teaching pre-service middle school teachers for a few years using high-stakes (mostly open-ended problems) …

Exploring The Path That Has Led To A Fragmented Curriculum, Driven By High Stakes Testing, Sidelining Science, Emily L. Flaherty

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This paper explores the current state of science instruction in classrooms, particularly concerning the fragmented curriculum resulting from high-stakes testing and the subsequent side-lining of science education. The study examines the historical context, starting with the implementation of standardized tests such as MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) in 1998 and the subsequent impact of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. These reforms led to a punitive system for underachieving schools and a narrowing of instructional time for subjects other than math and English Language Arts (ELA). The focus on improving test scores resulted in limited time allocated for …

Neurodiversity In The Classroom: Reframing General Educators’ Thoughts On Neurodiversity And Inclusion, Ivy Madden

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

This synthesis is designed to teach general education teachers about neurodiversity and the importance of recognizing neurodivergent students to better assist them in class. This includes exploring different ways to teach, perform lessons, and provide choices for students to choose how to do their assignments in order to express their knowledge. Specifically for general educators, the ideas presented are encouraged for teachers to research and implement for both neurodivergent and neurotypical students in their classrooms.

The Action Research method of problem solving inspired this synthesis and guided it to its completion. It is dedicated to my constituents (my colleagues), and …

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’ …

Educators’ Perceptions Of Implementing The Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence: A Multiple-Case Study, Terra Elizabeth Brown Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to describe educators’ perceptions concerning the implementation of the Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence (SPIRE) as an intervention to help students meet state proficiency standards at a large suburban school district in Utah. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory served as the theoretical framework to guide an inquiry into educators’ beliefs and how well they executed the SPIRE intervention to answer the central research question, “How do educators explain their perceptions of the use of SPIRE in the classroom?” This study utilized a multiple-case study design that captured the perception of 12 educators who …

Parental Perspectives On The Role Of Music As A Core Subject, Justine M. Hansen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the designation of music as a core subject by federal and many state education policies, instructional time for elementary music classes is disproportionately less than that allocated to other core subjects. The perceptions held by parents of elementary school children may indicate the extent to which elementary general music education is valued by the public, affecting the allocation of instructional time. At present, no research exists examining the views held by parents concerning the designation of music as a core subject and its role in a well-rounded education. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions held …

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Teachers' Attitudes Toward Science Teaching Based On Biological Sex, Teaching Experience, And An Instructional Resource In An Urban Elementary School Setting, Melissa Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, causal-comparative research study analyzed the difference in teachers’ attitudes toward science teaching in an urban elementary school setting based on biological sex, teaching experience, and the use of a science instructional unit of study. The study was significant because it revealed that teaching experience influenced elementary teachers’ attitudes toward science teaching, contributing to the body of knowledge about elementary teachers in an urban setting and related to science education. A convenience sample of 120 study participants in the Georgia urban area was selected. The teacher participants completed the online ten-minute Dimensions of Attitude Toward Science instrument that measured …

Read This Book!: Defending Multicultural Literature From Recent Censorship, Chloe Devine

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The aim of this research is to highlight the importance of multicultural children’s literature in the field of education as it relates to the call for a more multicultural approach to education, as well as through the consideration of the recent uptick in book censorship across the country. Specifically, I will turn my attention towards children’s literature that features Black characters and experiences, which are often featured within the multicultural realm. Despite the fact that research has consistently shown that multicultural children’s literature has benefits for Black children as well as creating an engaging reading experience for all readers, efforts …

The Effects Of Personalized Learning On Student Achievement, Keile Phillips

Dissertations

Although many studies have been conducted on personalized learning strategies, teacher attitudes and perceptions, and student engagement, few studies have focused on personalized learning and its impact on student achievement when compared to the traditional classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine if personalized learning increased student achievement in three school districts by analyzing student assessments for three consecutive school years. The study utilized data from three school districts located in Western Kentucky for the 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 school years. The data were collected from Renaissance Learning for math and reading. In addition to examining the students’ …

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Volume 2, Edition 5, May 2023, Bailey Feit, Tammy Mittelstet

CASNR L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter

The purpose of this L.I.N.K.S. newsletter is to provide a monthly update of opportunities and resources for K-12 schools to connect with the University of Nebraska's CASNR Food, Energy, Water, and Societal Systems (FEWS²) programs and partners.

Contents

K-12 Curriculum & Resources

Career Exploration pathways for students who like animals and insects

Teacher & Student Opportunities

East Campus Discovery Days and Farmers Market

ALEC Department

PGA Management Program

Environmental Studies Program

CandidCareer.com: Career Exploration

Community Leaders Careers Spotlight

Haskell Ag Lab

NCE Conference 2023

A Systematic Review Of The Relation Of Restorative Justice Principles & Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports In K-12 Schools, Katherine Richardson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Alternatives to punitive punishment and discipline have gained popularity as research has supported the advances towards safer and more positive school communities. This includes multi-tiered service models, such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Additionally, a restorative justice (RJ) approach can offer non-punitive, relationship-centered practices for avoiding and addressing harm, responding to violations of legal and human rights, and collaboratively solving problems. However, limited research has been conducted looking at the connection between RJ practices and frameworks such as PBIS, which are already implemented in a many schools. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to review the …

I Grew Up Indoctrinated, Consuelo Ferschweiler

Whittier Scholars Program

My capstone project is looking at homeschooling as an educational path. I started with researching homeschooling and studies done to show the affects, outcomes, and comparisons of homeschooling with other methods commonly used such as Public or Private schools. I then read a few books and material that fall into the memoir and researched memoir genre, such as Educated, to understand how the voice and gain familiarity of memoir writing and the process of researching into your own life and history.

I have been looking back on my education of growing up homeschooled and writing scenes from those memories, …

The Evolution Of The Child Character With Learning Differences, Mary Viera

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In this paper, I will analyze the various representations of learning disabilities in selected children’s literature from the early twentieth century to recent literature published in the last decade. In the typical American classroom specific learning disabilities account for about 20% of students. It is the largest classified group to receive services in special education, and also the broadest: “Learning disabilities are disorders that affect the ability to understand or use spoken or written language, do mathematical calculations, coordinate movements or direct attention” (NIH, 2022). I will use the term “learning differences” as it encompasses all children who learn differently …

How International Student Teaching Benefits A Classroom, Kasey Donahue

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In this day and age, more students are considering whether or not they should student teach abroad. International student teaching is not a program that all universities offer. However, at the universities that have the program, student teachers are noticing the effect that the experience has on them in the long run. Interviews with five different teachers who considered completing their student teaching abroad and followed through with it have reflected positive outcomes. The makeup of our classrooms are rapidly changing with many different cultures and nationalities being represented. In order to provide an equitable and inclusive classroom environment, teachers …

Science Club, Danielle Gibson, Krista Andersen

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

Honors After School program for elementary age children to engage with scientific principles. Students performed hands-on experiments to explore various STEM fields. Each weekly lesson consisted of a different concept to be learned or explored by early elementary aged students.

Development Of The Emirati Child Adaptation Scale (Ecas) For Assessing The Behavioral Adaptation Skills Of Children With And Without Disabilities In The Uae., Ousha Almuhairy, Efthymia Efthymiou, Hala Elhoweris, Mahmoud Alshathly, Abdelaziz Sartawi

All Works

Behavioral problems cause limitations in the social skills of children without disabilities and affect the functionality of children with disabilities. The Emirati child adaptation scale (ECAS) was developed in the UAE to provide reliable and valid information on the behavioral adaptation skills in children with and without intellectual disability (ID). The scale’s item pool consists of 651 items that identify behavioral adaptation deficits across the 10 domain–skill areas of communication, pre-academic, listening, social, self-care, self-orientation, motor skills, operational society, life, and health and safety. The scale was administered to 1542 children with disabilities and 920 children without disabilities. The scale …

Student Behavior Ratings And Response To Tier 1 Reading Intervention: Which Students Do Not Benefit?, Wilhelmina Van Dijk, Christopher Schatschneider, Stephanie Al Otaiba, Sara A. Hart

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Core reading instruction and interventions have differential effects based on student characteristics such as cognitive ability and pre-intervention skill level. Evidence for differential effect based on affective characteristics is scant and ambiguous; however, students with problem behavior are more often non-responsive to core reading instruction and intensive reading interventions. In this study, we estimated the range of students' behavior ratings in which a core reading instruction intervention was effective using a data set including 3,024 students in K-3. Data came from seven independent studies evaluating the individualized Student Instruction (ISI) Tier 1 reading intervention and were pooled using integrative data …

Occupational Stress And Burnout In K-2 Educators Postpandemic: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Jennifer M. Hart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe occupational stress and burnout as experienced by K–2 elementary educators in central Pennsylvania postpandemic. The theories guiding this study were Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping and Lazarus’s cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion, which provided a framework for understanding how educators process occupational stress. The central research question guiding this qualitative phenomenological study was: What is the lived experience of K–2 elementary school educators postpandemic? The sample consisted of 12 to 15 K–2 educators from across three school districts in central Pennsylvania. Data were collected using journal entries, …

Out With The Old, In With The New: Digital Interactive Journals In An Elementary Language Arts Methods Course, Kathleen M. Crawford, Heather M. Huling

Department of Elementary and Special Education Faculty Publications

In this article, two elementary literacy teacher educators provide elementary language arts content and methods by implementing digital interactive journals in a face-to-face classroom setting. The authors present how this practice evolved from traditional interactive journals pre-COVID to an innovative and engaging learning experience post-COVID. Interactive journals provide students with opportunities to explore and apply content and methods, while also learning a teaching strategy that pre-service teachers can implement in their own elementary classrooms. The authors describe the design and development of digital interactive journals along with student work samples and instructional steps to transfer and implement this strategy across …

Building Classroom Community In Elementary Literacy Methods Courses, Kathleen M. Crawford, Heather M. Huling

Department of Elementary and Special Education Faculty Publications

In this article, two elementary teacher educators provide a novel approach to building relationships and classroom community in their face to face elementary literacy methods courses. The authors present their classroom practice entitled “Tell Me Time” (TMT), mirroring morning meetings in K–12 settings, as the staple of building classroom community in their courses. They describe how TMT has been used to build student relationships with each other and with instructors through providing unique, personalized opportunities to socialize and connect through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Threaded throughout, the authors detail specific feedback from students and highlight how TMT has helped …

Geometry And Coding: Introducing An Interactive And Integrated Mathematics-Computer Science Unit, Kimberly Beck, Jessica F. Shumway

Publications

As part of a collaborative project between Utah State University, the Cache County School District, and Stanford, instructional units were designed for fifth-grade students. These units integrated math concepts of geometrical shapes and computer science concepts of sequences, conditionals, and loops. One component of the unit was implemented in math classrooms by math teachers, and the other component was implemented in computer labs. This presentation will focus on the math unit as presented at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM-V).

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Volume 2, Edition 4, April 2023, Bailey Feit, Tammy Mittelstet

CASNR L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter

Contents

K-12 curriculum and resources

Career exploration: pathways for students who like animals and insects

CASNR six interest areas: analytical investigators, health systems innovators, food systems futurists, environmental stewards, entrepreneurial designers, community leaders

Analytical investigators careers spotlight: UNL statistics, forensic science, agricultural economics

Teacher and student opportunities: applied science program for flexible schooling, student summer opportunities, young Nebraska scientists summer camps

Classroom Learning For English Language Learners In Elementary Schools Of West Virginia, Wenjuan Mo

Graduate Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Teachers’ Beliefs Towards Learners’ Heritage Languages Inside Schools In A Multilingual Setting, Ivian Boruchowski Phd

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study adds to the conversation about the increasing language diversity in U.S. schools (Paris & Alim, 2014). In the South Florida district discussed here, ELLs represent 16.9% of the total student enrollment (Miami Dade, 2020), and there is a popular narrative about the value of bilingualism in this community. Despite that, Valencia and Lynch (2019), Mackinney (2016), and Lanier (2014) indicated: even though the bilingual political and economic value in South Florida is noticeable, HLs are relegated to a secondary place and with no prestige inside local school settings.

As Garcia and Wei (2014) observed: "language practices cannot be …

The Usage And Impact Of Act 1240 Teacher Licensure Waivers In Arkansas, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Policy Briefs

Act 1240 of 2015 allows Arkansas school districts to petition for waivers allowing for the employment of teachers who are not licensed under the standard procedures of the state. Since the program’s inception in the 2016-17 school year, the number of teachers employed under Act 1240 waivers has increased, with the Arkansas Department of Education reporting 836 teachers hired using Act 1240 waivers in 69 districts during the 2021-22 school year. This represents approximately one quarter of the districts within the state, but only approximately 2 percent of the nearly 40,000 teachers employed last year.

Using publicly available data from …

Public School Teachers' Experiences With High-Stakes Testing: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Lamorris Nakita Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine how public school elementary teachers perceive high-stakes testing situations as it relates to the impact of test anxiety on young children. Bandura’s (1997) social cognitive theory guided this study as it sought to explain the role of human self-belief in cognition, motivation, and behavior. Eleven teachers who are elementary teachers within a North Carolina public school system, have been teaching at least three years, and have administered high-stakes testing over the course of their teaching careers shared their lived experiences of high-stakes testing through their answers to the following: How …