Education Commons^™

(Re)Developing Habits Of Gratitude And Kindness In An Elementary Classroom Post-Pandemic, Michaela Callahan

Education | Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand how elementary school students learn to be kind to one another and what role teachers might play in creating an environment for this learning, particularly following a pandemic during which most students spent learning in online, asynchronous and hybrid formats. To achieve this goal, this study integrated a theoretical framework inclusive of CASEL’s practices for Social Emotional Learning, models for Teaching Kindness and, finally, the Responsive Classroom approach. The researcher conducted qualitative research, through the use of daily gratitude journaling and various lessons in social emotional learning with students from a low …

Student Perspective On The Efficacy Of Blended Learning In An Ap English Classroom While Transitioning Through A Pandemic, Laura Hass

Education | Master's Theses

Returning from an online and hybridized learning experience, in the wake of a global pandemic, offers opportunities to integrate new strategies for student engagement and meeting academic standards. This research uses a theoretical framework that includes critical pedagogy (Freire, 2000), Universal Design Learning (Novak & Tucker 2021) and a constructivist approach (Bada & Olusegun, 2015) to blended learning. Tucker (2020) has shown that blended learning shifts classroom workflow, encourages grading practices that are sustainable, fosters partnerships between the teacher and student, and encourages students to take an active role in tracking, assessing, and reflecting on their own learning. This qualitative …

Impacts On Elementary School Students Related To Covid-19 And The Role Of Social-Emotional Learning In Children’S Mental Health, Amanda Davis

Education | Master's Theses

Research has shown that schools provide an ideal universal location for preventing behavioral issues and supporting students’ mental health (Ball et al., 2016; Daunic, et al., 2021; Maras et al., 2015). A large body of research has also connected students’ social-emotional skills and their attainment of academic success (Cook et al., 2018; Durlak et al., 2011). With this research and the gaining popularity of SEL, more SEL programs are being created, implemented, and evaluated. The purpose of this study was to understand some of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young students' mental health and how teachers have responded …

Fostering Students' Critical Consciousness As Decolonizing Practice Within An Ethnic Studies Framework, Fatima Hansia

Education | Master's Theses

This research explored how teachers were teaching critical consciousness as decolonizing pedagogy within Tolteka R. Cuauhtin’s Ethnic Studies Framework (Cuauhtin, 2019b) at an alternative education high school. Critical consciousness—an expansive term developed by Paolo Freire in the 1960s—advocates for a problem-posing approach to education that includes essential elements of praxis (reflection and action), development of holistic humanity, critical examination of the processes of violence and power, and social-justice oriented self-empowerment among students that leads to actionable community change (Freire, 2005). Even though the conceptualization of Ethnic Studies as a theoretical framework is strong, there is a lack of existing studies …

Critically Teaching Social Studies Using An Ethnic Studies Framework: Native American Representation In The Elementary School Curriculum, Erich Schottstaedt

Education | Master's Theses

The research problem this qualitative study addresses is how Native American history, and European settler colonialism, can be critically taught in a developmentally appropriate manner, avoiding eurocentrism and whitewashing. Most research on Ethnic Studies and teacher preparation is focused on the high school level. Traditional elementary education tends to both romanticize and decontextualize Native American history, focusing on Native Americans as people who only lived in the distant past. Colonialism is often sanitized in Social Studies curriculum, with the perspectives of European settlers as the dominant frame of reference, where Native Americans are seen as secondary actors (Styres, 2019; Valdez, …

Understanding Mentorship For Underserved Undergraduate Students: A Case For Holistic Mentorship, Effective Messaging And The Removal Of Silos, Jennifer Lewton Labovich

Education | Master's Theses

Mentorship for historically underserved undergraduate students at their institutions of higher education is a much-studied area of research (Crisp et al., 2017). Existing research has explored how students’ individual aspects of identity impact their access to mentoring (Crisp, 2009; Lund et al., 2019). However, there is a lack of research that studies access to mentoring for the whole student, particularly at small liberal arts schools like TU. Intersectionality has been recognized as an important concept (Crenshaw, 1991) which this study drew on to understand how identity impacts mentorship (Bass, 2012).

I conducted a transformative mixed methods case study, which involved …

The Impact Of Counselor On First Generation Student Access To Higher Education, Marianne Hill

Education | Master's Theses

There have been many studies around the struggles that first generation students face in their quest to access college. A college going culture can encourage students and families to seek the information they need to access higher education, but it is not enough (Martinez, Lewis, & Marquez, 2020). There is a lack of understanding about how counselors can address the need for more culturally aware practices and provide students with relevant information, strong networks and realistic goal setting (Crawley, Cheuk, Mansoor, Perez, & Park, 2019).

My goal was to seek to understand the experiences of my participants by conducting in-depth …

Supporting English Learners In Elementary Classrooms: How Teacher Preparation Affects El Achievement, Jordan Whitman

Education | Master's Theses

Due to an increasing number of English learning children entering the U.S. public school system (Tinkler., Tinkler, Reyes, & Elkin, 2019), there is a need for teachers to be prepared and feel confident in providing adequate English language instruction and academic content to support these young learners. There is also limited research on the effectiveness of instructional strategies that elementary teachers use to engage and instruct English learning students, including technology as a strategy (Chang & Hung, 2019). This study uses qualitative data analysis to examine instructional strategies and practices, as well as teacher’]s’ own perceptions and experiences that support …

The Role Of Science In Elementary Education, Emily Moran

Education | Master's Theses

The role of Science in education has evolved over the years. Although it is currently considered an important subject, there is a gap in knowledge involving the level at which Science is incorporated in elementary education and how teachers view the subject. Since the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards, there has been a shift towards creating more equitable learning opportunities that include inquiry based and three-dimensional instruction (Britton, Iveland, Schneider, Tyler, & Valcarcel, 2016). Recent studies show that many teachers struggle to incorporate science standards and concepts and lack confidence in cohesively integrating science into their lessons (Nadelson …

The Effect Of Note Taking On The Recall Of Information, Emily Lichty

Education | Master's Theses

A large body of research shows that note taking style can influence how much information we remember, as well as whether notes should be taken on paper or a computer (Igo & Kiewra, 2007; Kobayashi, 2005; Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014; Urry et al., 2021). Little research, however, investigates what students think about the note taking process. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to determine (1) students’ perception of the note taking process, (2) whether the explicit teaching of a note taking strategy improved students’ recall scores on learned information, and (3) whether physical note taking was more beneficial for …

Beyond Burnout: How Elementary Teachers Cope And Flourish In A Pandemic-Era School, Valerie Cherbero

Education | Master's Theses

Many studies describe the pervasiveness of burnout in underserved schools and the factors that lead to burnout, but those studies rarely utilize the voices and lived experiences of teachers (Camacho et al., 2021). Many studies also describe reasons why teachers leave the field, but few explore why teachers remain in the field and what coping strategies they use to persevere through burnout (Turner & Theilking, 2019). These gaps in the literature are particularly pressing as rates of teacher burnout and attrition have reached alarming levels (Kamenetz, 2022).

Through in-depth interviews with four teachers at an underserved school in the Bay …

Lessons Learned: Kinesthetic Learning And Engaging Students With Adhd (In The Time Of Covid), Claudia Freedman

Education | Master's Theses

While many studies have examined the benefits of movement and kinesthetic learning on the engagement of all elementary school-aged children, especially those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or children with common characteristics or behaviors of ADHD (undiagnosed ADHD), less research exists on how the COVID-19 pandemic and hybrid learning affected and continues to impact the engagement of children, especially those with ADHD or undiagnosed ADHD. The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers engage students, particularly those with ADHD or undiagnosed ADHD, in an elementary classroom using practices from movement, music, dance, and theater, especially during COVID-19. …

Student Perspectives On Interdisciplinary Skill Building, Equity And Empowerment Through Arts Education And Technology During A Pandemic, Joanne Osterberg

Education | Master's Theses

This qualitative research examined how the arts extend to serve as a tool for equity in supporting students of all backgrounds, language skills, and learning levels toward access and development of acumen for learning in all subjects and disciplines. This research is situated in a theoretical framework encompassing theories of learning styles (Dunn, 2000), art education and equity (Kalin, 2012), and pedagogical approaches to the use of technology (Strycker, 2020). Sixteen students participated in a peer focus group in which they developed, reflected upon, and then co-critiqued an art project that evolved through a six-phase process, and two faculty members …

Social And Emotional Learning In A Pandemic: Lack Of Cultural Relevancy For Bay Area Elementary Students, Patricia Lopez-Chavez

Education | Master's Theses

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a pedagogical approach that aims to support the whole student’s academic, social, and emotional growth. CASEL (2020) purports that SEL addresses inequity and empowers youth. While combating inequity is the ideal, the vast majority of SEL programs are not designed in accordance with the teaching practices of Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT) and Trauma Informed Pedagogy (TIP). Consequently, SEL programs perpetuate inequity for marginalized and minoritized students when lacking cultural and trauma considerations (Boldt, et al., 2020). This study explored if and how teachers differentiate and integrate Social and Emotional Learning, Culturally Relevant Teaching, and …

Meditation And The Inner Life Of Today’S Educator, Summer Nicklasson

Education | Master's Theses

This project stemmed from the researcher’s feeling stress as a new teacher and the need for self-care. The study is contextualized and the theoretical frameworks include meditation and mindfulness. (Venditti et al., 2020). Teaching is a stressful profession and many teachers experience daily stresses that can often lead to teacher burnout. When teachers are stressed, their ability to effectively teach and connect with students is diminished. This is further exacerbated by the fact that educators are teaching through the unprecedented times of COVID-19. Meditation and mindfulness are universal and free tools that educators can use to decrease stress and increase …

Creating Counternarratives On Trauma Informed Care Through Student Podcasting, Christopher Low

Education | Master's Theses

This research explored how participatory action research (PAR) specifically youth participatory action research (YPAR) could be utilized to help inform and bring change to an alternative high school’s trauma-informed care. The study was informed by critical race theory (Yosso, 2005), trauma-informed care (Day et al, 2017), and youth participatory action research (Halliday, 2019; Goessling, 2020). The YPAR project was conducted at an urban/suburban alternative education high school in Marin county California with nine 11th and 12th graders who engaged in a series of subject-themed forums and then created a podcast informed by an interview they conducted with a community member. …

Impressions Of School Discipline Efficacy: Contributing Factors To Staff Decision Making Through The Process, Aumrey Moland

Education | Master's Theses

Research conducted over decades in the field of education has shown overwhelmingly that student removal from schools has a long lasting negative impact on students’ outcomes. This research overlaid with studies showing that students with special needs are at higher risk of experiencing exclusionary practices and are more likely to be subjected to repeated removal, makes this problem of significant importance. In the face of these dire findings, current research, however, also suggests that the use of alternatives to removal are showing promising results in effectively addressing behavioral needs in the classroom. The purpose of this research project was to …

Technology As A Tool For Support: Classroom Teachers And Resource Specialists In Collaboration And Communication Practices, Mackenzie Jones

Education | Master's Theses

Classroom teachers and resource specialists face hectic schedules that include supporting students and meeting the core curriculum standards. In order to support students with disabilities in the classroom, collaboration between classroom teachers and resource specialists is essential. With busy schedules and increasing demands that teachers face, there is an urgent need to support teachers with effective systems of collaboration. This research focuses on the problem of unorganized and ineffective systems of support, which teachers face when trying to collaborate and communicate with their colleagues. While many prior studies address the significance of providing time for educators to collaborate in the …

Incorporating Social Media Into The Classroom: A Case Study On How Tiktok Can Be Immersed Into Classroom Pedagogy, Sara Solomon

Education | Master's Theses

My research project focuses on the use of TikTok embedded within classroom pedagogy and how it can be used as a tool to support academic and social emotional wellbeing. There is a lack of research investigating how social media can be incorporated into the classroom to make up for potential academic losses, including the inevitable social/emotional needs of adolescents that need to be addressed due to the ramifications of COVID-19. In my research, I question ways in which students see this tool as supporting their wellbeing, in what ways parents see this tool as supporting their child's wellbeing, and why …

Overcoming The Void: Obstacles To Authentic Culturally Relevant Teaching, Lindsay Rowe

Education | Master's Theses

This study explored how teacher perceptions of professional development (PD) on culturally relevant teaching (CRT) and a lack of student voice impede authentic implementation of CRT. Culturally relevant teaching involves utilizing student backgrounds and voices to shape curriculum and pedagogy. However, a review of the literature revealed that student voice is largely missing in CRT research. Additionally, teacher responses to PD were not frequently discussed in studies exploring implementation of CRT. The purpose of the study was to better understand student desires for education and teacher responses to PD on CRT. Research was conducted at a 7-12 public school in …

Linguistic Inclusion And Language Acquisition: An Analysis Of A Spanish Reading Group, Daisy Barragan

Education | Master's Theses

This research explored the impacts of a linguistically inclusive Spanish reading group on student learning outcomes. This research took place at an elementary school in Marin, which consists of a large Spanish speaking and rural community of third and fourth graders. The research takes into consideration grouping methods (Oakes, 2005), Critical Race Theory (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002), and Schema Theory (Rumelhart, 2017) with regard to a Spanish classroom, in order to reimagine educational structures and instructional approaches. Through Spanish reading group sessions, interviews with adult stakeholders, and a student participant focus group, it is evident that all groups believe that …

Learnings From The Impact Of Online Learning On Elementary Students' Mental And Social-Emotional Well-Being Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nadeen Hamzeh

Education | Master's Theses

This research examined practices that might foster students’ mental and emotional well-being, quality relationships among students and staff and safe and inclusive school climates through online platforms, especially during times of crisis such as during the COVID 19 pandemic. In order to achieve that goal, this study sought to identify the kinds of protective and risk factors that help or hinder students’ ability to cope and thrive, through a scholarly framework of Critical Race Theory (Yosso, 2005), Online Learning (Hughes, 2004) and Social-emotional Learning (Durlak et al., 2011). The researcher conducted personal interviews with a variety of educators serving at …

“Fixed Mindsets” And The Deprecation Of Youth Voice, Brenham Cozine

Education | Master's Theses

This research explored reflective writing as a tool for understanding critical consciousness, with 10th and 11th-grade history students as a form of engaged research toward understanding self-efficacy and civic agency. It was situated in a framework of Critical Race Theory (Bryant et. al., 2015) critical consciousness (Furman, 2012; Shih, 2018), and Participatory Action Research (Maguire, 1987). Through in-depth interviews, focus groups and reflective writing prompts with 9 students and a faculty member, the findings showed that the deprecation of youth’s voice by adults affects youth’s sense of self-efficacy and perceived abilities to create meaningful change. It was further found that …

Implementation Of Culturally Relevant Teaching In Namibian Classrooms: Understanding Impediments And Identifying Assets, Fransisko Constantino

Education | Master's Theses

Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) is a teaching approach that can be utilized to improve academic outcomes among diverse student populations. Currently, however, there is a lack of research examining why some teachers struggle to implement CRP, particularly in educational contexts beyond the U.S. This study examined why there is a lack of implementation of CRP within combined schools in the Kavango East region of Namibia. More specifically, this study assessed the role of CRP within Namibian English Second Language (ESL) classrooms and examined how the experiences of ESL teachers affected their ability to implement CRP. In addition, this study explored …

The Fear Of Missing Out Phenomenon And Belongingness In Secondary Students, Minnie Mcbride

Education | Master's Theses

In the networks of student lives and the pervasive presence of social media in their lives, there is an increasingly important need to understand the dynamics that affect students’ well being and availability to being present with learning. This qualitative study sought to understand how FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), defined as “a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent” (Przybylski et. al, 2013, p. 1841), impacts students of color at one independent secondary school in Northern California and has been documented as having an impact on learning, health, and safety. The researcher …

The Relationship Of Social-Emotional Learning And Self-Advocacy For Students With Disabilities, Chloe Tagawa

Education | Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to understand how teachers’ knowledge and practice of social-emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom correlates to feelings of empowerment and “participation” in school settings for students with disabilities. Research has shown that SEL interventions for students has correlated with positive school outcomes including social acceptance, problem solving skills, stress management, and academic success (Feuerborn & Tyre, 2009); and that emotional support and instructional management are both very important aspects of creating a positive classroom environment for students (Hughes & Koplan, 2018). This study included interviews with a sample of six participants, composed of four …

The Impact Of Teacher Identity On Curriculum Design, Willow Regnery

Education | Master's Theses

The iterative process of identity building that educators experience in the broader expanse of their lives directly impacts their pedagogical decisions and preferences. In addition, educators' relationship to place can be a significant factor in curriculum design in how they make connections between the classroom and the spaces their lives inhabit. A review of the literature looks at limits to the current educational system, transformative practices being implemented, as well as how natural and human systems function in an educational context. Qualitative research was conducted using phenomenological interviews to better understand the multiple factors that influence teacher identity. Teacher identities …

Midline Movement: The Positive Effects On Student Behavior In A Kindergarten Classroom, Ashley Ludlow

Education | Master's Theses

Educators are realizing the unrealistic expectations on students to be quiet and sit still for extended periods of their day (Donnelly & Lambourne, 2011). Some educational advocates have been reintroducing movement into the school day in response to research that indicates the importance of extracurricular activities on developing the whole child (Hannaford, 1995). Movement, connection, touch, play, and creative endeavors have been shown to be critical components to teaching students to be well-rounded individuals (Hannaford, 1995). This study explores how movements and activities that cross the midline affect a student's focus and ability to learn in the classroom. Cultivating an …

Community Building In The Classroom To Support Students Dealing With Trauma, Kelcey Scannell

Education | Master's Theses

Unfortunately, many students enter school each day carrying the effects of traumatic experiences with them and many times teachers are the ones given the daunting task of supporting these students. Some schools lack the ability to provide counseling to students, but many schools have been able to adopt special programs to help students with their social emotional needs. Other schools do not have counselors, and do not have the ability to implement these programs for reasons, such as cost. Through this study, the researcher hoped to understand what teachers can independently do in their classrooms to help support their students’ …

Through The Lens Of Trauma: Building Resilient Learning Communities, Kristen Wimpee

Education | Master's Theses

Children's brains develop within the context of their earliest environments and experiences. Their neural and social development can be affected as consequences of complex trauma, disorganized attachment, maltreatment, and abuse. During early childhood, children's nervous systems are in their most vulnerable period of maturation and organizational development. Early life traumas and stresses can lead to structural and physiological differences, having long-term consequences on emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social development. Children with adverse childhood experiences, including complex trauma, are more likely to be suspended, expelled, or have lower academic achievement. This puts students with early trauma histories at greater risk of …