Education Commons^™

Supporting Student Connectedness And Social Satisfaction During Recess, Elizabeth Teasdale Wells

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This project examines the effects of how recess preparation and reflection can be focused on providing students an opportunity to connect socially and strengthen overall happiness. By investigating the role social satisfaction plays in a child’s life during recess, educators may gain knowledge about how to foster social connectedness for every child. While most studies about recess focus on a child’s level of physical activity or negative behaviors, researchers have yet to investigate recess as a place to improve a child’s well-being and social satisfaction. This study was conducted at a public elementary school through qualitative interviews and observations. Teachers, …

Evaluating The Correlations Between Teacher–Student Relationships, Friendship, And Reading And Writing Achievement, Jessica Ridder

MSU Graduate Theses

The purpose of this correlational study is to assess the extent to which teacher–student relationships, children’s friendship, writing scores and reading scores are related to one another among young children. Understanding the correlations between these variables could further assist teachers and students when working towards successful school experiences. Measures used with kindergarten and first grade teachers and students (n=83) include the validated short form of the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale, a whole group oral survey adapted from the Friendship Features Interview for Young Children, and reading and writing scores. Relationship areas studied include teacher–student closeness and conflict, as well as friendship …

Differences In Leadership Behaviors Of Principals And Success In The School Turnaround Processes, Annette Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine leadership behaviors of principals associated with public elementary schools that were either in the school turnaround process or had already transitioned out of school academic turnaround from 2011 through 2016. Transformational leadership guided the study to determine whether leadership behaviors differed among leaders of schools associated with academic failure. School accountability data were initially gathered through the Louisiana Department of Education website. Academically unsuccessful schools (AUS) were identified. Schools that were deemed failing at least one time during the 2012-2016 timeframe were grouped as follows: (a) Group A consisted of two schools …

The Impact Of Life Skills Students On General Education Elementary Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education, Kim Bayer

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Numerous general education teachers are including students with disabilities in the classroom. The range of academic, emotional, and behavioral needs of students grows with more inclusion occurring classrooms. This qualitative single case study addressed two questions. First, how does the inclusion of life skills students (students with severe disabilities) impact teachers’ views on inclusive education? That question also included sub questions of how do (primary, intermediate, and specialist) teachers describe their attitude toward, and experience with, inclusive education? Secondly, how do elementary teachers describe successful supports and resources that enable them to successfully practice inclusive education in a school that …

Parents With Criminal Record History And Their Experiences Navigating Parental Involvement In An Urban Elementary School: A Case Study, Stephanie White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This dissertation examined the experiences of parents with criminal record history who want to participate in their child’s education. A convergent mixed methods design aided the researcher to quantitatively measure levels of involvement within a high poverty, urban elementary school with the Parent Survey of Family and Community Involvement in the Elementary and Middle Grades (Sheldon & Epstein, 2007) and qualitatively with an embedded case study (Yin, 2014) with parents (n=3) as embedded units of analysis. Participants in the case study had to navigate around a rejected volunteer background check and restrictive school district policy to be involved in the …

Authentic Learning Environments: Designing A New Standard For Public Education, Stephanie Griffith, Stephanie J. Griffith

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The intention of this thesis is to explore the architectural problems of public primary school learning environments and propose possible solutions. This thesis draws from various public blog and public web article accounts and experiences of those working in or studying the institutions of primary education and the problems they are struggling to address. The architectural focus brings to light that while most educators argue that teaching can happen anywhere, this body of research will propose an optimal learning environment in which a set of ideal values are defined as authentic learning and is used to encourage and support a …

Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions Of Book In A Bag As A Social Skills Instruction Program, Kathryn Ruth Smith

Theses and Dissertations

While schools are focused on academic success, many lack the resources and instruction needed to help students grow in their social emotional learning. However, research has shown that social emotional learning not only helps students build character but also helps them achieve academic goals. Furthermore, studies have shown that bibliotherapy helps children learn social skills and how to apply them into their own lives. The goal of this study was to determine if Book in a Bag, a social skills bibliotherapy program, implemented over the course of an entire school year was perceived by teachers as an acceptable method to …

Utilizing A School-Based Treatment To Address Socially Anxious Elementary School Students, Mckell Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Despite the availability of promising clinic-based programs, youth exhibiting socially anxious behaviors rarely receive the treatment they may need. Those that do get treatment, often do so in the school setting. Thus, the demand for effective interventions to address those needs in the school-setting is growing. The present study investigated the effects of a modified CBT intervention, delivered in the school setting, on positive peer interactions and self-rating social anxiety. Results showed that the treatment package provided an increase in positive peer interactions across all four participants, as well as a decrease in self-rated anxiety behaviors.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Empathy Skills Training In Reducing Schadenfreude Of Students With Bullying Tendencies: A Single Case Research Design, Maria Cecilia Montenegro

Theses and Dissertations

Main researcher implemented a small series (N=3) single-case research design to assess the effectiveness of a five-session empathy skills training for elementary-aged children. An analysis of participants’ scores on schadenfreude and empathy levels using the percentage of data points exceeding the median (PEM) yielded non-conclusive results concerning the training’s effectiveness. The present study makes the argument that these results might be a consequence of self-reporting errors concerning social desirability and limited training sessions, and then it presents other possible forms of measurement for schadenfreude and empathy.

The Arts And Technology: How Educational Technology Can Bring Humanities Further Into Elementary And Primary School Systems, Coleman D. Alameda

Senior Theses

As the world becomes more inclined to implement technology in nearly every aspect of society, the United States Department of Education must find a way to incorporate new styles of modern and high-tech teaching without pushing out certain subjects from its curriculum. I believe technology can be used to bring the Humanities further into the classroom. In today’s society American education programs are desperately trying to make up for subpar primary school scores in mathematics and science. According to the government accredited international education forum (the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) the United States was found to be below …

A Pilot Study On The Correlation Of Reading Improvement Using Colored Overlay Paper In Elementary Age Students With Reading Challenges, Tim Salyers

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

This study examined the use of colored overlay on reading abilities of students with reading deficits in the 5th grade at Lebanon Elementary School during the 2013-2014 school year. This study was guided by the previous research of which has shown that the use of colored overlay increases the reading abilities of students challenged by their reading deficits. The study was a quasi-experimental quantitative pilot research that compared the reading level before and after colored overlay paper was placed over reading passages in a sample size of six 5th grade students. These students were between nine and eleven years of …

Classroom Support And Students’ Subjective Well-Being: A Mixed-Methods Investigation, Emily J. Wingate

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In line with the positive psychology movement and the dual factor model of mental health, professionals are increasingly compelled to consider not only mechanisms through which mental distress can be alleviated, but also pathways through which students’ wellness can be fostered. While research in this area has primarily focused on positive indicators of adults’ and adolescents’ mental health, there is a need to address those factors that contribute to the wellness of elementary-aged youth. Participants in the current study included 179 fourth and fifth grade students from an elementary school located in a southeastern state. For this secondary analysis, a …

“From School Of Crisis To Distinguished”: How One School Continues To Defeat The Odds, Ben Crawford

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

Despite conditions that would work against a small rural school in an impoverish area of rural Kentucky, Fairway Elementary School has managed to excel in its accountability measures. This study used a mixed-methods approach with data collected through interviews and MAP student growth scores in reading and mathematics. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data regarding school success: (1) a well-organized intervention system, (2) a focus on and overall enjoyment of the discipline of mathematics, (3) involvement of parents in school functions, (4) transparency of needs and organization of resources, and (5) an overall school culture that is competitive, impactful, …

A Comparison Study Of Constant Time Delay And Progressive Time Delay In The Acquisition Of Academic Content For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Melissa M. Zinck

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Constant time delay (CTD) and progressive time delay (PTD) are both evidence-based practices used to teach students with intellectual disability (ID). The prompt delay strategies have been used for instruction with academics, social, vocational, and communication skills. There is limited research regarding the differential effectiveness of the time delay variations for teaching academic content to students with ID. The present study compares the effects of CTD and PTD in the acquisition of academic content with four students with ID. An adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of the two procedures. Generalization was assessed across …

Deciding On Classroom Composition: Factors Related To Principals' Grouping Practices, Brigid M. Nesmith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the factors that may influence elementary and middle school principals’ choice of heterogeneous, homogeneous, or within-class ability grouping in Southeast Georgia. This study employed a quantitative, methodological research design along with descriptive analyses of four research questions using a convenience sample. Data from 64 elementary and middle school principals were received during the spring of 2018 and analyzed to determine the factors that influence their grouping practices.

This study focused on one overarching research question: What factors may be related to principals’ grouping practices in utilizing heterogeneous, homogeneous, or within-class ability …