Education Commons^™

Depersonalizing Troubles In Institutional Interaction: Routinizing In Parent-Teacher Conferences, Danielle M. Pillet-Shore

Faculty Publications

This article advances our understanding of institutional interaction by showing when and how it can be advantageous for professionals to treat addressed-recipients as non-unique. Examining how teachers talk about children-as-students during parent-teacher conferences, this investigation illuminates several specific interactional methods that teachers use to depersonalize the focal student’s trouble, delineating as among these the novel practice of “routinizing”—citing firsthand experience with other similar cases. Analysis demonstrates how teachers use routinizing to enact their expertise, both responsively as a vehicle for attenuating and credentialing their advice-giving to parents/caregivers, and proactively to preempt parent/caregiver resistance to their student-assessments/evaluations. This research …

Hands-On Stem: Chemistry, Physics, And Other Science Resources For K-12 Education, Lisa Ahlberg, G. Brendan Cross

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Addressing The Climate Change Consensus Gap Among Preservice Teachers: A Four-Faceted Approach, Grinell Smith, Colette Rabin

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we report an estimate of the magnitude of the “consensus gap” – the gap between what scientists know about climate change and what the general public thinks they know – about anthropomorphic climate change among K-8 pre-service teachers. We also report qualitative findings about the utility of a four-faceted approach to teaching about climate change designed explicitly to mitigate inductive reasoning errors and to reduce in-group favoritism, attribution bias, inter-group conflict, and confirmation bias. We found that learning about the scientific consensus spurred student exploration about climate change and the careful use of deliberation toward commonly-held positions …

We Would If We Could: Examining Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy In A Middle School Mathematics Methods Course, Jamaal R. Young, Jemimah L. Young, Brandon L. Fox, Earl R. Levingston Jr., Alana Tholen

Faculty Publications

Despite mounting evidence of the pedagogical importance of culturally responsive teaching, many teachers do not implement culturally responsive practices in their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service mathematics teachers’ culturally responsive teaching and outcome expectancy in order to inform teacher preparation in mathematics methods courses. Participants completed the Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-efficacy Scale (CRTSE) and the Culturally Response Teaching Outcome Expectancy (CRTOE) Scale. Results suggest that middle school mathematics teachers were only moderately efficacious in their ability to implement culturally responsive teaching practices, despite strong beliefs in the instructional utility of culturally responsive teaching practices.

An Investigation Of Engineering Design Cognition And Achievement In Primary School, Greg J. Strimel, Scott R. Bartholomew, Eunhye Kim, Liwei Zhang

Faculty Publications

This study examined the design cognition and achievement results of both kindergarten and fourth grade students engaged in engineering design-based instructional activities. Relationships between design cognition and student grade level, as well as quality of student work, were investigated. 30 concurrent think-aloud protocols were collected from individual primary students as they worked in groups to design and make a solution to a design task. The concurrent think-aloud protocols were examined and coded to determine the duration of time the participants devoted to a pre-established set of mental processes for technological problem solving. Significant differences between kindergarten and fourth grade participants …

Considering Ells When Planning Lessons, Jim Ewing

Faculty Publications

Teachers typically prepare lesson plans for non-ELLs and then attempt to “retrofit” lesson plans for ELLs. This article offers suggestions for planning mathematics lessons that meet ELLs’ needs.

Collaboration And Connections: Investigating The Use Of Teacher Candidate-Created Protocols To Connect Research To Classroom Practice In An Educator Preparation Program, Jannah Walters Nerren, Tracey Covington Hasbun

Faculty Publications

This study investigated the effects of using teacher candidate-created observation protocols based on current research on classroom practices to connect research to practice. The study examined the extent to which mentor teachers modeled current research-based practices as measured by the protocols and explored the frequency with which the practices were observed. Findings indicated that teacher candidates had a positive experience applying research to practice, that utilization of the protocols created an awareness of best practices being used, and the importance of individualizing the practices to meet student needs. Individualization of utilization based on mentor teacher personalities was also observed and …

Engaging Children In Engineering Design Through The World Of Quadcopters, Greg J. Strimel, Scott R. Bartholomew, Eunhye Kim

Faculty Publications

The interest in engineering education for K-12 students has been rising (Carr, Bennett IV, & Strobel, 2012; Strimel, Grubbs, & Wells, 2016), and the importance of engineering education is discussed as early as the elementary school level (Hegedus, 2014). Petroski (2003) claims that children are ready to learn engineering because their play activities are similar to engineering and design activities, such as making, moving, and rearranging things. Studies have examined how elementary school students perceive engineering or engineers (Cunningham, Lachapelle, & Lindgren-Streicher 2005) and found that elementary-aged students associated engineering with repairing, installing, driving, constructing, and improving machines and devices. …

Integrated Stem Through Tumblewing Gliders, Scott R. Bartholomew

Faculty Publications

Teachers have the opportunity to use technology and engineering design problems to engage students in integrated STEM education. “Tumblewing” gliders are easy-to-make paper gliders that can challenge, excite, and engage students. As students emphasize the practices of science and engineering while completing a tumblewing design challenge, they will engage in both scientific inquiry and the engineering design process.

Ready To Learn: The Impact Of The Morning Blast Physical Activity Intervention On Elementary School Students, Tingting Xu, Erik Jon Byker, Monica Rae Gonzales

Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a physical activity intervention programme, named “Morning Blast”, on elementary school students’ math learning and daily physical activity. The Morning Blast intervention programme was a 16-week cardiovascular endurance emphasized physical activity program that students voluntarily participated in before the school day. Participants that volunteered, did so for the duration of the program. Methods: This mixed-methods study included seven educators and 83 students (n=90). The students were all children who were enrolled in Grades 3, 4, and 5 in a semi-rural elementary school in the United States. …

Using Wireless Pedometers To Measure Children’S Physical Activity: How Reliable Is The Fitbit Zip?, Tingting Xu, Erik Jon Byker, Monica Rae Gonzales

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to examine the reliability of wireless pedometers in measuring elementary school children’s physical activity. Activity measurement using a wireless pedometer Fitbit Zip^TM was compared to activity measurement using Yamax Digi-Walker^TM SW701 for a group of randomly selected 25 children in Grades 3, 4, and 5. Fitbit Zip^TM wireless pedometers were found to have an appropriate degree (Nunnally & Bernstein, 1994) of accuracy and reliability compared to the Yamax Digi-Walker^TM SW701 pedometer. The Fitbit Zip^TM wireless pedometer collected more step counts than the Yamax Digi-Walker^TM SW701 pedometer; however, the …

Creating A Christ-Centered Climate For Educational Excellence: Philosophical, Instructional, Relational, Assessment And Counseling Dimensions, Elvin Gabriel, Carole Woolford-Hunt, Esther M. Hooley

Faculty Publications

Interest is peaking among educators in North America, and around the world, on issues relating to school climate. A primary reason for this strong interest is research confirmation that school climate may have a positive or negative effect on educational processes. A Christ-Centered school climate provides the best opportunities for stakeholders to work collaboratively to achieve four primary educational outcomes. These are: (1) creating and sustaining bias free learning environments where relationships are nurtured by love, respect, tolerance, and kindness; (2) establishing faith-based instructional and service learning programs which cater to the needs of students; and (3) utilizing quality assessment …

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Mathematics Through Drawings, Adam Akerson

Faculty Publications

Research indicates that mathematics anxiety is particularly high in pre-service teachers (Bekdemir, 2010; Gresham, 2007; Hembree, 1990). These future teachers will soon be entering classrooms of their own, responsible for teaching mathematics to young children, who need strong teachers. A 2013 report from The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), found that 42% fourth-graders performed at or above the proficient level in math (NCES, 2013. The purpose of this study was to examine elementary pre-service teacher candidates (PSTCs) perceptions of mathematics, through drawings. Drawings were analyzed before and after a semester-long field experience in a constructivist mathematics environment. The participants …

Linguistic Cohesion In Middle-School Texts: A Comparison Of Logical Connectives Usage In Science And Social Studies Textbooks, Diego Román, Allison Briceño, Hannah Rhode, Stephanie Hironka

Faculty Publications

Learning from textbooks is challenging because students must understand novel concepts while also comprehending the language used to convey those concepts. In the domain of science, one posited reason for the perceived difficulty in the reading comprehension of science texts is the low frequency of logical connectives (words that signal relationships between sentences and ideas). To test this claim and discuss its potential effects on the reading comprehension of texts used at the middle school level, this study measured whether the usage of logical connectives (e.g., therefore, so) differed between science and social studies textbooks. Our findings from a large …

Leaping The Language Gap: Strategies For Preschool And Head Start Teachers, Carolyn D. Abel, Jannah Walters Nerren, Hope Elizabeth Wilson

Faculty Publications

Strategies that promote the development of language skills are recognized as important in early childhood education. For early childhood centers and care providers, there are also additional concerns that interventions which meet these developmental needs are both time and cost effective. This pilot study investigates the effect of indirect language stimulation (ILS) techniques on the receptive and expressive oral language of 4-year-olds, using techniques that can be easily taught to teachers and implemented in the classroom. Two preschool teachers in a southwest rural community in the United States were randomly assigned for instruction over a 6-month period on effective ways …

Ict Oriented Toward Nyaya: Community Computing In India’S Slums, Erik J. Byker

Faculty Publications

In many schools across India, access to information and communication technology (ICT) is still a rare privilege. While the Annual Status of Education Report in India (2013) showed a marginal uptick in the amount of computers, the opportunities for children to use those computers have remained stagnant. The lack of access to ICT is especially common in India’s urban slum areas, which is privy to the “Matthew Effect” (Merton, 1968) where the poor become poorer based in part on the scarcity of high-tech resources. This article’s purpose is to describe and report on ICT program interventions that target young people …

Sociotechnical Narratives In Rural, High-Poverty Elementary Schools: Comparative Findings From East Texas And South India, Erik J. Byker

Faculty Publications

The article’s purpose is to compare case studies of computer technology use at two rural elementary schools across two international settings. This study uses the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) theory to guide this comparative investigation of how elementary school teachers and students in East Texas and South India construct meaning for computer technology. Building off of SCOT theory, the article also introduces the term, “sociotechnical narratives” as part of the analysis of the meaningful descriptions of ways that social groups use tools in relationship to their wider social context. The article found that even though the two settings, East …

A 5-Year Review Of Aahperd Poster Presentations In The Area Of Sport Education, David C. Barney, Brad Strand

Faculty Publications

One desired outcome of k-12 physical education is that all students will have positive experiences during their classes. If students have positive experiences in physical education, they will physically likely be physically active throughout their lives (Barney & Strand, 2008). Unfortunately, for some students the physical education experience has been boring, unnecessary, a waste of time, or just not cool (Rice, 1988). One tool physical educators can manipulate to ensure that student's have positive experiences in physical education, is the curriculum. Barney and Deutsch (2009) found that the curriculum used in a middle school program played a major role in …

The Transformative Potential Of Boundary Spanners: A Narrative Inquiry Into Preservice Teacher Education And Professional Development In An Nclb-Impacted Context, David Whitenack, Patricia Swanson

Faculty Publications

This narrative inquiry uses pedagogic discourse theory and organization theory to frame pre-service teacher education and in-service professional development initiatives in a school district facing tensions related to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Implications for similar future initiatives are considered.

Student Teaching Field Experience Guide 2012-2013, Judith Schierling, David Whitenack

Faculty Publications

San José State University (SJSU) has been in the forefront of innovation in education for over 100 years and has a long history of meeting challenges that require changes in society and in schools. Preparing teachers for California's schools since 1857, SJSU was established as the first public normal school west of the Mississippi River. The oldest public institution of higher education in the state of California, San José State University is located in an area of rapidly increasing cultural diversity and technological complexity. One of the largest universities of the 20-campus California State University system, San José State University …

Dialogic Conversations In An Embedded Literacy Assessment Field Experience, Lucy Spence, Amy Donnally, Amy Johnson Lachuk, Marcie Ellerbe

Faculty Publications

Preservice teachers often come into teacher education programs with a positivist view of assessment, which may have developed during their own schooling experiences. For this reason, purposefully constructed course work and field experiences must be offered to enable them reframe their conceptions of literacy assessment and to complicate the assessment practices that have become most familiar to them. This paper examines a course in which, the aim is to intentionally counter the positivist testing culture and invest in helping preservice teachers understand assessment as a multi-faceted, dynamic process of inquiry.

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Elementary Classroom Teachers Use Of Physical Education Time For Planning, David Barney

Faculty Publications

An elementary classroom teacher (ECT) has a busy day. The teachers teach their class, prepare class materials, and may supervise the lunchroom or the playground at recess time (Daily Physical Activity in School, 2005), attend meetings with parents and perform a number of other responsibilities. For this reason planning time is a very important component for the ECT. Planning time for the ECT is usually taken when students are in elementary physical education. This study investigated how elementary physical education can assist the ECT in their planning time. In this study 219 ECT from three states and 18 different schools …

Developing And Assessing Stem Curriculum With The Intent Of Promoting Technological Literacy, Scott Bartholomew, Geoff Wright, Ron Terry

Faculty Publications

Developing and Assessing STEM Curriculum with the Intent of Promoting Technological Literacy Technological literacy is a key component of President Barack Obama’s $260 Million STEM educational initiative (Office of the Press Secretary, 2009). Central to his plan is STEM teacher training and curriculum development. Both of these issues were addressed and are currently being measured by the research outlined in this paper. Spring2010 a collection of technology and engineering education graduate students developed with mentoring from two technology and engineering education professors 20 lesson unit and lesson plans promoting technological literacy. The lesson plans are currently being used and assessed …

Making Connections Between Science And Equity: A Motivation To Teach Science In Elementary Grades, Grinell Smith, Colette Rabin

Faculty Publications

Teacher quality is among the strongest correlates of student outcomes. However, only about a quarter of the nation’s elementary teachers consider themselves qualified to teach science. In this descriptive and exploratory study, we investigated whether helping pre-service teacher candidates explore connections between science and issues of equity, particularly around sustainability issues, could help them see the importance of teaching science to their students more often. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 59 students enrolled in revised science methods courses at a large public university. Our findings suggest that positioning science instruction thusly was perceived as a strong motivator to …

Choice Theory: An Effective Approach To Classroom Discipline And Management, Elvin Gabriel, Lionel Matthews

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Boys Like Action And The Girls Like Emotion, Timothy Lintner

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Oklahoma Elementary Classroom Teachers' Attitudes And Perspectives Of Elementary Physical Education, David C. Barney, Sarah Ehrlich

Faculty Publications

Physical education is an academic discipline that has not been given the respect it deserves both in the school setting and among the general public. As a result of the lack of respect physical education has in the educational community, it is one of the first content areas to be eliminated.

Physical educators need to gain support so they can demonstrate to administrators and parents the value of physical education on a student's overall education. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to obtain and better understand Oklahoma elementary classroom teachers' attitudes and perceptions towards elementary physical education, and thus …

Classroom Influences On First-Grade Students’ Oral Narratives, Judy A. Abbott, Sarah J. Mccarthey

Faculty Publications

As apart of a longitudinal project examining first-grade reading instruction in 4 districts across the state of Texas, this study explored the nature of students' oral narratives and the connections between teachers' instructional practices and students' narratives. Using an adaptation of Hudson & Shapiro's (1991) narrative categories, we examined 166 narratives generated by firstgrade students, categorizing each as an event-script, a less-developed narrative, a well-developed narrative, or an "other" An exemplar narrative from each of the 4 categories and 2 other narratives that represented the diversity of student responses and the complexity of the relationships between student performance and teacher …

The Benedum Collaborative Model Of Teacher Education Student Handbook, Jason Cartwright, Ann Nutter, Judy A. Abbott, Sarah Steel

Faculty Publications

The College of Human Resources & Education welcomes you as students in the Five-Year Teacher Education Program. You will find that your experiences in the Benedum Collaborative will prepare you well as you begin your work in the teaching profession. Our partnership with the professional development schools in the Collaborative provides the setting for clinical experiences that build on your course work at West Virginia University.

Literature-Based Reading Instruction: Problems, Possibilities & Polemics In The Struggle To Change, James V. Hoffman, Sarah J. Mccarthy, Judy A. Abbott, Debra Bayles, Bonnie Elliott, Angela Ferree, Debra Price

Faculty Publications

Concerns are being raised in both professional literature as well as in the popular press regarding certain aspects of the literature-based movement. Here we report on findings from a longitudinal study of a group of first -grade teachers who have been attempting (with varying degrees of success)to introduce literature-based teaching strategies into their classrooms. We inspect the experiences of these teachers in relation to four areas of concern that have been raised regarding literature-based teaching: 1. skills instruction; 2.guided reading strategies; 3. literature selection;and 4. thematic teaching (or curriculum integration). We describe classroom practices and the 9 problems and possibilities …