Education Commons^™

Demystifying Artificial Intelligence (Ai) For Early Childhood And Elementary Education: A Case Study Of Perceptions Of Ai Of State Of Missouri Educators, Kathryn Arnone, James Hutson, Karen Woodruff

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society have received a great deal of attention in the past five years since the first Stanford AI100 report. AI already globally impacts individuals in critical and personal ways, and many industries will continue to experience disruptions as the full algorithmic effects are understood. However, with regard to education, adopting in disciplines remains limited largely to Computer Science and Information Technology in postsecondary education. Recent advances with technology are especially promising for their potential to create and scale personalized learning for students, to optimize strategies for learning outcomes, and to increase access to …

Comparing Time Allocation For Teaching Science As Inquiry In Two Educator Preparation Science Methods Courses, Lori A. Dira

Faculty Journal Articles

How much time an institution allocates to content can indicate its overall importance and intended value to the educator preparation program. For decades there have been calls to integrate more authentic science inquiry experiences into not only undergraduate elementary science courses, but into all elementary educator preparation courses. Many elementary educators do not receive training on effective methods for teaching science, they will not feel comfortable and will likely have low self-efficacy. This study investigated the amount of time allocated to teaching science as inquiry and the knowledge participants had prior to and after taking an elementary teaching science methods …

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

Graduate Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Engaging Children With Animals Increases Their Awareness Of Their Footprint On Earth, Brett Foster

Honors Theses

Teachers should reserve time in their classrooms to connect curriculum to animals and environmental topics. Connecting core subjects like writing, reading, or even math to animals builds student investment in learning as they can connect the topics of animals to their lives. Animals are all around us and are a topic that students naturally spend a lot of time with and can easily identify in the world around them. There are several benefits of incorporating animals into the curriculum, including an increased sense of empathy, an awareness of their environmental impact, and an investment in their community.

I have focused …

Black History In The Early Childhood And Elementary Classrooms: Teacher Beliefs And Practices, Shannon Mccormack

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Educators across the United States have struggled with meaningfully yet appropriately addressing race within History and Social Studies lessons at the Early Childhood and Elementary level. Previous research has revealed the importance of these conversations and the benefits that learning accurate history has for students of all racial backgrounds. The literature has also revealed the discomfort and apprehensiveness that educators may feel while confronting and teaching about our nation’s complex and often grim history. The purpose of this research was to analyze teachers’ beliefs and comfortability regarding addressing race in the classroom and how that translates to their teaching practices. …

Oral History: A Tool For The Elementary And Middle Classroom, Jessica Keiser

Senior Honors Theses

Modern historical instruction requires educators to cover broad expanses of history and prepare students for standardized testing. In the push to meet state standards and cover the vast curriculum in short periods of time, many educators have begun to teach to the textbook. Much to the detriment of students, this educational practice has favored periodization and content quantity over the development of crucial historical skills. Rather than adhering to popular education trends, teachers can consider implementing oral history projects within their elementary and middle school classrooms. Oral history is a methodology that employs first-hand accounts to teach about key historical …

Esperanza Rising And Identity: Exploring Literature And Self In Upper Elementary School, Emma Fuller

Honors Theses

Upper elementary students benefit from exposure to windows and mirrors in literature. The term “mirrors” refers to when students can relate to characters and situations, and see their own lives valued in an academic context. Mirrors are important for representation in schools because it allows students to reflect on their own learning. “Windows” allow students to see a perspective into other people’s lives. They are important because they encourage reflection on different ideas and empathy among students. One of many literary works with strong “windows” and “mirrors” is Pam Munoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising. In this Senior Project, I focused on …

Montessori Approach In Public Schools, Sara Ronen

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

In June 2020, amidst the COVID-19 crisis, Just Schools Fund, a non-profit organization supporting educational justice, held a seminar with all of the leading organizations in the field of education equity (Global education justice... 2020). The guest speakers agreed that traditional forms of education do not work for all students and that it was beneficial to focus on schools trying innovative approaches. The world needs schools that are progressive, inclusive, and fully supported by the community. These ideas echo an education revolutionary from a much earlier time, Dr. Maria Montessori. Dr. Montessori led an educational movement that pushed for children’s …

Supporting English Learners In Stem, Alyssa Richardson

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In my teacher preparation courses at Bridgewater State University, I studied how to meet the needs of students with diverse backgrounds, readiness levels, and learning styles. During the Fall 2019 semester in particular, I had the opportunity to spend time in a grade 1 Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) classroom. In this classroom, all 25 students were English Learners (ELs). During my time in this classroom, I observed the teacher employ strategies to not only help the students achieve academic goals, but also to help build their confidence and learn American social practices. For example, every morning the class began with …

Bridging The Gaps In Elementary Life Science Lessons, Kaitlin Cook

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The United States is experiencing a rise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers while facing a shortage of STEM workers. This could partly be due to a decline in the amount of time allowed for science in elementary schools or possibly because many life science lessons in elementary school lack originality and may not stimulate an interest in science. Lack of captivating STEM education prior to college may be contributing to the decline of students graduating with STEM based degrees. My thesis focuses on getting out of the routine of using monotonous life science lesson plans. I identify …

Dominant And Critical Mathematics: A Multi-Case Study Examining Mathematics Teachers’ Equitable Teaching Practices, Laura Zamudio

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the field of mathematics education, it is common for studies to use test scores to examine racial and socio-economic achievement gaps. The results of such studies have influenced mathematics teachers to address issues of equitable access and achievement as part of closing existing gaps (Gutiérrez & Ezekiel Dixon-Román, 2011). However, closing achievement gaps does not mean that equity has been addressed if marginalized students continue to express a cultural disconnect from the field of mathematics (Lubienski & Gutiérrez, 2008).

This qualitative multi-case study seeks to attend to these issues by exploring the understandings of equity and equitable teaching practices …

How Are Social Studies Teachers Using Technology In The Classroom?, Stephanie Delgado

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

So that students are equipped with the skills needed to compete a in a global economy, schools are being given resources intended to increase equity, opportunity, and to close the digital divide. Digital equitability exists when all students have access to both advanced technologies and the learning opportunities the technologies provide (Solomon, Allen, & Resta, 2003). The U.S. Department of Education notes that although students are graduating high school at high rates, performance gaps among students from low socioeconomic and various cultural backgrounds still exist. My study followed a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine how seven teachers in Miami-Dade …

The Effectiveness Of Mathematical Manipulatives In One-On-One Intervention For Third And Fourth Grade Students, Jenifer Lantz, Caitlyn Miller

Honors Projects

The use of manipulatives in elementary schools is one beneficial method that has been utilized to help students grasp abstract mathematical concepts. To examine the effectiveness of implementing mathematical manipulatives, researchers designed a seven week intervention for ten low-achieving third and fourth graders. Topics focused on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics number and operations strand. Data was collected based on observation with the use of a Likert scale measuring each student’s achievement with the chosen and designed manipulatives. Success is defined as students being able to complete assessments using the manipulatives without aid and with little to no …

Comparing Science/Technology/Engineering Mcas Scores To Math And English Language Arts In Different Demographics, Kiley Camara

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In the United States, standardized tests are used to ensure that students are provided with the same essential knowledge their peers are getting. Standardized tests not only show children’s academic performance, but also demonstrate how the teachers are performing in comparison to other schools. The No Child Left Behind Act was created to help schools provide adequate resources for both the teachers and students in higher need schools. Massachusetts’ standardized tests are called the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System). The MCAS allows the Commonwealth to evaluate each school’s and district’s results in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science/Engineering/Technology in the …

Testing In Today's Education: Meeting Standards Or Falling Short?, Paige E. Mangione

Senior Honors Projects

“It’s time for the test,” is something that students throughout the nation hear quite often in school. Whether it’s a test for the classroom, the school, the district, or the whole nation, our students are frequently being tested on the information they’re learning. Since the No Child Left Behind Act was initiated in 2002, it has been a requirement that schools across the nation test their students in reading and math during grades 3-8 and high school. Each state was required to establish its own academic standards as well as a state testing system that met federal requirements. By the …

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.

A Study Of Changes In Students' Science Attitudes, Awareness And Achievement Across Three Years As A Function Of The Level Of Implementation Of Interactive-Constructivist Teaching Strategies Promoted In A Local Systemic Reform Effort., James Shymansky, Larry Yore, John Anderson

Educator Preparation & Leadership Faculty Works

This study explored the cumulative effect of three years of exposure to teaching strategies being promoted in a local school district's systemic reform on elementary students' attitudes towards school science, awareness of science careers, and science achievement. The reform effort, referred to as the "Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature" (Science PALs) program focused on incorporating children's literature and parent partners using an interactive-constructivist epistemology as its base. Individual teachers were rated by the school district's science coordinator on their use of specific Science PALs strategies. Student attitudes and awareness were assessed with a paper and pencil survey developed for this …

A Study Of The Impact Of A Long-Term Local Systemic Reform On The Perceptions, Attitudes, And Achievement Of Grade 3/4 Students., James Shymansky, Larry Yore, John Anderson

Educator Preparation & Leadership Faculty Works

This study reports on the effects of a major reform initiative which was implemented in the Iowa City Community Schools District. The Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature (Science PALs) Project was launched in 1994 to reform the district's elementary science program. It was designed to increase teacher effectiveness by providing a comprehensive professional development program for improving science content knowledge and science content-pedagogical knowledge, to enrich the cross-curricular connections of the science units, and to promote meaningful parental involvement in science learning. Another goal of Science PALs was to move teachers towards an interactive-constructive model of teaching and learning that …

Students' Perceptions And Supervisors' Rating As Assessments Of Interactive-Constructivist Science Teaching In Elementary School., James Shymansky, Larry Yore, Laura Henriques, John Dunkhase, Jean Bancroft

Educator Preparation & Leadership Faculty Works

This study took place within the context of a four-year local systemic reform effort collaboratively undertaken by the Science Education Center at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Community School District. The goal of the project was to move teachers towards an interactive-constructivist model of teaching and learning that assumes a middle-of-the-road interpretation of constructivism, where hands-on activities are used selectively and purposefully to challenge students' ideas, promote deep processing, and achieve conceptual change. The research focus of this study was to verify the use of students' perceptions and attitudes and the supervisor's ratings as measures of teachers' …

Do Students Really Notice? A Study Of The Impact Of A Local Systemic Reform., James Shymansky, Larry Yore, John Dunkhase, Brian Hand

Educator Preparation & Leadership Faculty Works

This paper describes a major reform effort of an elementary science curriculum called the Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature (Science PALs) Project. The goal of the project was to move teachers towards an interactive-constructivist model of teaching and learning that assumes a middle-of-the-road interpretation of constructivism where hands-on activities are used selectively and purposefully to challenge students' ideas, promote deep processing, and achieve conceptual change. The program also enriches the cross-curricular connections of the science units and promotes meaningful parental involvement. A broad question was raised as to whether or not students really notice. This study explored elementary school students' …

Students' Perceptions Of Science Teaching And Attitudes Toward Science Learning And Teachers' Self-Report Of Using Children's Ideas, Applications Of Science, And Use Of Print Resources As Indicators Of Interactive-Constructivist Teaching In Elementary Schools., Larry Yore, James Shymansky, Laura Henriques, Brian Hand, John Dunkhase, Joanne Lewis

Educator Preparation & Leadership Faculty Works

This paper describes a study that took place within the context of the Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature (Science PALs) project. Particularly, the study sought to determine answers to the following questions: (1) What are the internal consistencies and substantive, external, and structural validities of students' perceptions, teachers' self-reports, evaluations of videotaped classroom science teaching, and expert ratings? and (2) Can students' perceptions and attitudes and teachers' self-reports be used as acceptable surrogate measures for videotaped interactive constructivist science teaching? Findings suggest that instruments based on social constructivism do not completely and accurately document science teaching based on interactive-constructivist assumptions.

The Effect Of A Teacher Enhancement Project Designed To Promote Interactive-Constructivist Teaching Strategies In Elementary School Science On Students' Perceptions And Attitudes., John Dunkhase, Brian Hand, James Shymansky, Larry Yore

Educator Preparation & Leadership Faculty Works

This study takes place within the context of the Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature (Science PALS) project and examines elementary school students' reactions to instruction implemented by teachers participating in this special problem-centered professional development program. The study focuses on student perceptions of their science instruction and student attitudes toward science learning as a function of their exposure to interactive, constructivist teaching strategies designed to focus on student ideas, utilization of literature connections, and incorporation of parents as partners. Using student perceptions and attitudes as dependent variables, teacher participation as the main independent variable, and grade levels and student gender …

A Study Using The Initial Teaching Alphabet As A Remedial Technique For Ninth Grade Students With Learning Disabilities, Jeanette Conner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The reading achievement of two groups of ninth grade students with learning disabilities was compared using the standard scores on the Reading subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) as the pre- and posttest measurement to determine gain in reading achievement. The experimental group used only curriculum materials written in the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA). The control group used curriculum materials written in traditional orthography provided for students with learning disabilities by a rural Kentucky School District. At the end of an 80-day period, the standard scores on the Reading subtest of the WRAT were compared using a t-test, …

Valuing Science Content: Science Is A Basic Skill For Everyone, James Shymansky, D. Wayne Green

Educator Preparation & Leadership Faculty Works

The intent of this yearbook is to provide a positive posture for nurturing desirable changes in the status of science teaching. It is written for elementary school teachers and all who are involved or concerned with curriculum and instruction in the elementary school. The yearbook provides the basis for continued professional growth of teachers by stressing ways to logically and realistically infuse science and science-related instructions into schools and to assure that science will remain valued as new patterns of schooling evolve. As a means of promoting science relevancy and literacy, interfaces between science teaching and other areas of human …

The Effects Of An Individualized Instruction Workshop And Its Related Follow-Up Program On The Attitudes And Behavior Of Selected Elementary Teachers And Their Students: Final Report, Helen Dell, Warren Kallenbach

Faculty Publications

The effects of an individualized instruction workshop and its related follow-up program on the attitudes and behavior of selected elementary teachers and their students were discussed in this report. Participants were teachers in a four-day workshop on individualizing instruction. The workshop included training in classroom procedures, managing physical facilities, utilizing human resources, and developing techniques for encouraging students to be self-managing. Evaluation methods, questionnaires and observation indicated a favorable change in teacher behavior. The effects of the inservice program for teachers indicated little or no affect on student attitude and independent work habits. (Appendixes of related program material and a …

Functional Education For Teachers And Pupils, Robert E. Mcconnell

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

The new elementary school of the Central Washington College of Education, at Ellensburg, which was completed in September, 1939, is a foremost example of the new type of structure which is replacing the old and inadequate formal training school. It was designed to house a modern and functional elementary school and to be an integral part of a progressive teacher-education program. The curriculum is based upon contemporary life and individual student needs. It provides facilities for enabling teachers in training to secure the necessary experiences essential to the administration of the modern elementary school.