Education Commons^™

Examining The Impact Of One-To-One Digital Technology Integration On Student Engagement And Academic Achievement In Elementary Education, Mark Loeffler

Education | Master's Theses

Advances in computer technology have rapidly changed the face of elementary education as we know it. These changes were exacerbated in 2020, when elementary education was forced into Emergency Remote Teaching due to the Covid 19 pandemic, and students across the globe were attending and participating in school using only computers. These developments in computers and learning technology have provided countless benefits for educators, however these changes have continued to progress at such a rapid pace, that parents, educators, and school administrators have struggled to keep up (van de Werfhorst, Kessenich, Geven, 2022).

The purpose of this thesis was to …

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 …

The Utilization Of Recorded Read Alouds By Teachers In Kindergarten Through Sixth Grade, Kira Hart

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

In March of 2020, schools in the United States turned to virtual instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recorded read alouds flooded the internet during this time (Shedrow & Stoetzel, 2021). Now that school is back in person, the internet remains full of these recorded read alouds. The purpose of this study is to examine the utilization of recorded read alouds as an instructional practice by kindergarten through sixth grade teachers within in-person classrooms. This study also determines whether the use of a recorded read aloud by teachers has changed following COVID-19 and the purposes recorded read alouds serve. Research …

The Benefits Of Dual Immersion Programs On Elementary School Students, Allison E. Williams

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone aims to share the benefits of Dual Immersion Programs at the Elementary school years. Understanding what a Dual Immersion Program is and knowing that there are different models within the program allow for parents to select which program is best suited for their students. A key point in clarification is that a Dual Immersion program does not aim to replace an English, or standard, education program, but add a target language to enhance the learning of the students. This study looks at the short- and long-term academic and social benefits students can gain from kindergarten through fifth grade …

Music As A Form Of Therapy In The K-4 Special Education Classroom: A Phenomenological Study, Roger Hattaway

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the perceptions of elementary K-4th grade teachers on the effects of music therapy as it pertains to academics and behavioral incidents in the special education classroom (Gooding, 2010).

Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological design to ascertain the perception of the teachers on the impact of music therapy regarding academics of students in the K-4 grade special education classroom. The data were collected using the descriptive narrative to ascertain the perception of the changes in academics and behavior gathered from the interview questions.

Findings: Analysis of the …

A Program Evaluation Of Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of Technology Integration At The K-6 Level In The Seneca Valley School District And The Impact Of Covid-19, Bria Koch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education and learning were upended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries were impacted by the pandemic with 90 percent of countries adopting digital or remote learning policies (United States Department of Education, 2021). This program evaluation of teachers’ and administrators’ perspectives examined how well technology integration was taking place in K-6 grade classrooms in the Seneca Valley School District. Due to the interruption of traditional learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an opportune time to examine both teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions about the district’s level of success at …

Boys Of Color And Literacy In The Elementary Classroom, Alexandria Sledge-Tollerson

Honors College Theses

It is widely known that there is a gap in literacy scores between boys of color and their white peers. There are many factors such as lack of adequate resources, representation in text, societal and cultural influences, and the school to prison pipeline that create this achievement gap. These factors impact boys of color and their literacy as they navigate in the elementary classroom. A case study was conducted to see what current literacy teachers are doing in elementary classrooms to close this gap. This research will inform both novice and experienced literacy teachers on strategies and methods they can …

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 …

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: …

Peer To Peer Mentoring: A Multiple-Case Study Evaluating The Links Peer Support Program, Petra Owusu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research assessed a pilot implementation of START’s (STatewide Autism Resources and Training) peer-to-peer support program (LINKS) that occurred in three elementary schools (N = 36 participants). The purpose of the study was to teach social skills to students who have difficulty with social interactions and to enhance their social participation in inclusive classrooms. Mentors involved in this study had problem behaviours, and mentees involved had experienced social exclusion. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews determined the progress of students and the effectiveness of the overall program. Results revealed that mentors and mentees across the three schools displayed positive changes in …

Adding It Up: The Effects Of Math Curriculum On Third And Fourth Grade Act Aspire Math Scores In Arkansas, Rebecca Cook

Theses and Dissertations from 2020

Over the last 62 years, mathematics reform has occurred due to a political push after results from a major survey or report were released stating that the United States scored lower than other countries. With each reform effort, teaching methods were changed to match the new initiative. Math curriculum was a key point in each of these reform efforts. In 2015, Arkansas adopted ACT Aspire as the statewide assessment, and in 2017 Arkansas adopted Arkansas State Standards. Although Arkansas adopted ACT Aspire and Arkansas State Standards, Arkansas does not require school districts to adopt a curriculum. The purpose of this …

Design Of A Deep Flow Technique Hydroponic System And An Elementary Education Module For Tri Cycle Farms, Cady Rosenbaum

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hydroponics is an agricultural technique in which plants are grown without soil and are instead grown in water systems that include nutrients and other growth-supporting media. Hydroponic systems typically reside inside, so that the system can be fully controlled by the grower by manipulating the temperature and amount of light the plants receive. The benefits of growing plants using hydroponics include: the amount of water used is reduced, it is less labor to grow organic produce with an indoor system, less space used, and it allows for growing food anywhere. Tri Cycle Farms is planning for the construction of a …

The Efficacy Of Educational Robotics In An Integrated Stem Elementary Curriculum, Colleen Marie Cannon-Ruffo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

While there has never been a greater demand for STEM education, the U.S. is still struggling to define and implement this type of instruction. Identifying innovative and effective ways of improving STEM education in the K-12 environment is vital to the U.S. to remain economically viable on a global level. The multidisciplinary aspect of educational robotics facilitates an integrated approach to STEM learning which espouses the educational theories of Constructionism and Computational Thinking. The purpose of this study was to compare the cognitive and affective out-comes of participation in an integrated STEM curriculum based on educational robotics. The integrated STEM …

Exploring Arts Integration In Language Arts Instruction For Elementary Education, Mary A. Dehner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to provide insight on how arts integration in English language arts education increases engagement and achievement in students and teachers alike. Throughout my analysis of literature, local field research in two Central Florida public elementary schools, and my creation of a five-day arts-integrated writing unit, I found that arts integration, especially when utilizing Leonard Bernstein’s Artful Learning Method was observed to show a positive impact on students. Arts integration allowed for a child’s natural curiosity and instinct to create to take over, which created authentic learning experiences for the students. The research also demonstrated …

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 …

A Comparison Of Complex Thinking Required By The Elementary New Jersey Student Learning Standards And Past New Jersey Curriculum Standards, Gerald Fitzhugh Ii

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Academic learning standards define the necessary skills and knowledge that students need to master in order to become college and career ready. The best 21st century learning standards are those that provide the opportunity to develop complex thinking skills including creativity, strategic thinking, and critical thinking. The learning standards that provide an insight into complex thinking are identified as critical thinking, creativity in practice, and strategic thinking. This dissertation’s intent was to examine the language of complex thinking of the newly adopted New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) in Grades 4 & 5 Mathematics as compared to the language of …

Dysgraphia, Madeline Brown

Classical Conversations

Envision a kindergarten student sitting in school with an assignment to copy. As she sits down, she already knows the challenge writing presents for her but does not speak up or say anything because this time probably will not be any different than when she requested help before. She has been labeled as a lazy writer and has never had the most readable handwriting. All of the other children around her finish the assignment and she inevitably she remains unable to complete the first sentence. This scene does not have to play out this way. Students in schools across the …

Best Practices For Addressing The Achievement Gap For Hispanic Elementary Students, Megan C. Greene

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify and describe effective instructional strategies for English language arts and mathematics perceived by expert fourth and fifth grade elementary teachers in southern California to reduce the achievement gap in high poverty and high English language learner (ELL) elementary schools.

Methodology: The researcher selected a qualitative research design to describe the instructional strategies used by teachers in three southern California school districts. Through in-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews, the researcher provided an examination of the instructional strategies used to address the needs of high poverty and high ELL elementary schools. Teachers …

Champs In A Second-Grade Classroom, Amanda Ford

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Classroom management can be a big struggle for some teachers, to the point that some school districts have begun initiatives for the implementation of specific behavior management programs. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of the behavior management program of CHAMPS. The author collected data through student surveys, classroom observations, and teacher and student interviews. After analyzing the data by using a constant comparative method, the author found five major themes. The first theme was the continual reference to CHAMPS expectations within the classroom. The author then found the theme of the …

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 …

Catholic School Teachers' Perceptions Of Factors Related To Low Mathematics Achievement: A Qualitative Case Study, Andrzej Robert Piotrowski

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored Catholic school teachers' perceptions of factors related to low mathematics achievement in second through fifth grade at three Catholic elementary schools in the Eastern United States. The three schools that participated in this study have varying degrees of ethnic diversity and vary in school enrollment. In 2015, all schools in the archdiocese produced standardized test results well above the national average in reading in second through fifth grades. In the same academic year, the gap between the national average and the district's second through fifth grade mathematics scores was significantly narrower. This study identifies the …

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 …

The Effects Of Students' Ability To Recall Information Based On Teacher Methods, Keanna Marie Ross

Theses and Dissertations

Technology runs the modern day world. Children whom are born in this generation are highly dependent and easily soothed by the electronics and television. Statistics show that children from ages 6 to 11 spend around 28 hours a week watching television. 71% of adolescents 8-11 have a television in their bedroom. (Television TV and Children: Your Child, n.d). Is it possible that this dependency on electronics have infiltrated our children's awareness in the classroom? Smartboards are very popular in schools today. In some schools, they are used throughout the entire day. Smartboards are used for basic instruction, interactive classroom games, …

Cross-Curricular Teaching And Children's Literature: Dixie And Burt Hear A "Quack!", Brittany Skiba

Honors Projects

Motivated by research in the field and subject of elementary education, children’s literature, and cross-curricular teaching with the use of children’s literature, this project involved creating a children’s book with interrelated lesson plans in order to encourage teachers to use lessons that are more meaningful, to enhance learning experiences, and also to provide a quick-and-ready resource tool for teachers to use when preparing lessons. I conducted my research on elements that comprise a good children’s book, creating effective lesson plans, and the benefits of cross-curricular learning. According to an article, “Integrated Learning: Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts,” by …

Proposal For An Elemenatry Science Curriculum Outline To Help K-4 Teachers Prepare Students To Take The 5th Grade Science Wasl, Cindy D. Williams

All Graduate Projects

With a statewide pilot of the 5th grade science Washington Assessment of Student Leaming (WASL) in the spring of 2003, all elementary schools were tiying to prepare their students to meet the standards. At this time, the only resources schools had for preparation was a glimpse of the first criterion-referenced assessment, the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs), Grade level Expectations (GLEs) and a "release booklet" of sample items distributed to 5th grade science teachers. Educators knew that the best curriculum built on the previous year's knowledge which spiraled throughout the curriculum. At this time there were no curriculums designed starting …

Parent And Community Involvement: A Plan For Monthly Family Reading Nights, Lee Ann Fletcher

All Graduate Projects

Parent and community involvement in early reading education are crucial for the success of young children. Children are greatly affected by their parents' beliefs and reading practices. Parents need to know what they can and should do to foster reading development and success. It is essential that parents, teachers, and community members work together to provide quality, meaningful literacy experiences and activities for young children. This project outlines the development and implementation of monthly Family Reading Nights at North Omak Elementary School in Omak, Washington.