The Developing Independence Of Toddlers, Maggie Harbaugh

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was driven by the researcher’s interest in whether three-year-old children exhibited more negative behaviors then two-year-old children. The researcher used two different types of surveys for mothers and teachers to answer. This survey took 5-10 minutes to complete, and they had two weeks to complete it. The research was conducted to see which age of children displayed worse behaviors. The researcher is an assistant director in her 10th year of teaching early childhood students. The findings showed that two-year-olds have more behavior problems then three-year-olds have.

Promoting Computational Thinking To Impact The Implementation Of Computer Science, Mikayla Westhoff

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The researchers drove this action research project to integrate Computer Science into the classroom and the effect it can have on computational thinking. The researcher, a fifth-grade teacher in her third year of teaching, utilized Computer Science activities in a science class of 24 students for two weeks while monitoring their progress through Code.org. The study analyzed the correlation between Computer Science and computational thinking. The findings revealed no correlation between the two variables among students with or without a Computer Science background. This project conducted this research to impact the future classroom practices that may implement Computer Science into …

The Benefits Of Parent-Teacher Collaboration On Achievement In The Preschool Classroom, Samantha Frye

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was conducted to identify a correlation between parent-teacher collaboration and student achievement in the preschool classroom. Baseline data was gathered from the preschool student’s using fall Individual Development and Growth Indicators (IDGI) benchmark scores. Opportunities for parent-teacher collaboration began with monthly newsletters sent out on the classroom webpage, parent-teacher conferences, and signed homework assignments. Parent-teacher engagement was tracked through a tally system. A spreadsheet kept track of the number of communications that parents engaged in, as well as the type of communication. All students were progress monitored within each two week session using the IDGI’s progress …

Preschool Number Of The Day, Christine Shepard

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was completed by a researcher was interested in the preschool math curriculum. More specifically, in the numbers and how their relationships including one to one counting and producing the amount when given a number in preschool. This researcher has taught preschool for 7 years. The students were able to participate in the study. One class of students did not receive the number of the day lessons, while the other students received the lessons throughout the entire school year. The study was part of our learning standards aligning to the Iowa Early Learning Standards and Gold Teaching …

The Impact Of Station Rotations In 2nd Grade Reading, Rebecca Draayer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Selecting a classroom approach which engages students and prepares them for success can be challenging for teachers. Educators have to take into account resources available for instruction as well as the demographics of their classroom. This action research study followed second grade students over a four-month period in a reading classroom that utilized the station rotation approach of blended learning. The reason for selecting the station rotation model of blended learning was to improve students' reading scores. It was a goal of this action research to see if a more active approach to teaching would help improve student reading skills. …

Musical Group Participation And Reading Fluency: Is There A Connection?, Kimberly Breamer

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if there is a connection between reading fluency and sight-reading music in a music performance group. Students were given a sight-reading test during their first and second years in band. They also took the Minnesota Comprehension Assessment test in reading during their 5^th and 6^th grade years. Data collection was obtained using the test scores from students who participated in a musical group (band, choir, orchestra) and students who did not participate in a musical group. Findings indicated that students who participate in a musical group (band, choir, orchestra) …

Influence Of Phonics Instruction On Reading Fluency And Accuracy, Shelby Bolkema

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research study investigated the impact that an explicit phonics curriculum had on second grade readers. Blast Phonics was implemented in first grade during the 2018-2019 school year. Thus, data from 2018-2019 second graders provided baseline data from students who did not receive Blast Phonics. Data from 2019-2020 second graders provided data from students who did receive Blast Phonics. The FAST CBM Reading assessment provides data on fluency (WPM) and accuracy (%). The Press Decoding Inventory provided data on accuracy of targeted phonics skills. Comparing data from the two groups pointed to the impact that the phonics instruction had …

Gamification Of The Classroom: Seeking To Improve Student Learning And Engagement, Kyle Iverson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find how gamification of the classroom would affect middle school students in a northern suburban school district in Minnesota. This work was designed to find if student proficiency would increase because of gamification and if students would become engaged with the classroom material due to its implementation. Using three classes taught in this new setting and two classes taught in the standard of past years, test scores were measured and studied to find significant changes along with a survey to the gamified classes about their experience regarding engagement. The study found that …

Growth Mindset In Physical Education, Kyle Herber

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Growth mindset continues to be a popular topic of conversation in the field of education. The purpose of this study was to observe and analyze the impact growth mindset intervention can have on student’s performance as well as their self-efficacy in physical education. This study took place in an elementary school in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, using four different 4^th grade classes. For this study, the author collected data in the form of pre- and post- Likert scale surveys as well as pre- and post- presidential fitness tests. Classes were randomly selected to receive growth mindset intervention or …

The Impact Of Physical Activity Breaks In The Classroom, Ryan Iverson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the relationship between physical activity breaks and their impact on student achievement and behavior. The participants included 30, eleven and twelve-year-old students, who attended a public school in the north suburbs of MN. Students participated in 5-10-minute physical active breaks in health class during a 6-week trial period. Data was collected through the use of summative assessments, student surveys, and an observational behavior chart. The study found that implementing physical activity breaks in the classroom can have a positive impact on students’ academic achievement and behavior. The researcher recommends further …

Comparing The Use Of Book Clubs And Repeated Reading In Terms Of Gains In Fluency And Reading Attitudes In 5th Grade Struggling Readers, Erin Gaul

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This classroom action research project compares the impact of repeated reading fluency intervention and book clubs, using partner reading and listen while reading intervention strategies, to build fluency in Tier 2 5^th grade Response to Intervention (RTI) groups. The project also looks at the impact of these two reading fluency intervention strategies on the reading attitudes of 5^th grade students using McKenna and Kear’s Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) created in 1990. While scores varied drastically between individual students, the action research project shows that the repeated reading intervention led to greater gains in fluency as compared to …

Preschool Students Learning From Play Based Learning And Small Group Instruction, Molly Nicholson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to use two different types or learning and see which one is more effective for preschool students. It seeks to answer this question: Do preschool students learn more effectively from small group instruction or from play-based learning? Preschool is where learning really begins, it is important to have a solid foundation for an educational career, this foundation is built in the preschool setting. Students learn in a variety of ways, hopefully this study helps determine the most effective way for the majority of the students to learn. Play-based learning is a relatively newer concept …

Impacts Of Parental Involvement On Early Literacy Skills, Sara Harlan

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was conducted to identify a correlation in high literacy skills with parental involvement and support. Baseline data was gathered from kindergarten student's winter FAST screener scores. Parental involvement began by sending homework for my students to work on with an adult in their home. A spreadsheet was kept tracking which students returned their parent signature sheet weekly and which students did not. All students were progress monitored on letter sounds weekly. The spring FAST screener data was then used to gather ending data. Growth was compared from the winter to spring data with the amount of parental …

The Effectiveness Of Student-Centered Technology Use During Early Elementary Small Group Math Instruction, Brenna Lind

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to determine whether students would show more growth when using paper and pencil activities or technology during small group instruction in mathematics, specifically on the skill of telling time. Data was collected from ten second-grade students over a five-week period. The two intervention groups involved in the study met for equal amounts of time and were given the same tests for data collection purposes. The test questions were randomized pictures of clocks that required students to tell time to the nearest five minutes. One intervention group practiced the skill of telling time …

Social Stories And Student Behavior In A Kindergarten Classroom, Amy Smith

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine the impact of a whole group social story on the practice and development of self-regulatory skills of kindergarten students. The research setting was a small, rural public school in the Midwest. The participants were 16 five and six-year old students in a general education kindergarten classroom. Qualitative and quantitative data focusing on self-regulatory behaviors was collected through observation during pre and post-intervention times. Kindergarten students participated in four weeks of a whole group social story intervention that occurred between the data collection weeks. This social story focused on positive and appropriate …

The Use Of Nonsense Words In The Early Elementary, Susan M. Stover

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Heterogeneous Or Homogeneous Grouping On Improving Early Elementary Students’ Fluency Scores, Margaret Hora

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine the effect of the type of groups used on students’ fluency scores. The participants of the study were 18 2^nd grade students. Data was collected over a 16-week period of time using running records. The first eight weeks of the research students worked with a homogeneous partner and used strategies to work on improving their fluency scores. The second eight weeks students worked with a heterogeneous partner but used the same strategies to work on reading fluency. The data was then analyzed to determine if working with a homogeneous partner …

The Effects Of Goal Setting And Data Tracking On Student Performance, Vesta Watkins

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if student goal setting and data tracking would have an effect on student achievement. Data was collected over a twelve-week period in a first-grade classroom. Fourteen students took part in the action research. Students were assessed using the FAST weekly progress monitoring assessment. Quantitative data was collected weekly throughout three data collection periods, including baseline data, individual data and whole group data. Each data collection period was four weeks long. Students were asked to set a new goal each week and track their weekly scores to look for progress.

Impact Of A Coaching Cycle On Teacher Self-Efficacy, Amanda Becker

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine the correlation between teacher self-efficacy and engaging in a student-centered coaching cycle with an instructional coach. Data was collected through qualitative responses via an electronic self-efficacy survey from a sample group of four middle school teachers. Analysis of the data collected suggested that engaging with an instructional coach in a coaching cycle increases a teacher’s overall self-efficacy.

The Effects Of The Implementation Of Peer-Mediated Strategies On Student Social-Emotional Growth In Fully Inclusive Preschools, Holland Eggert

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was conducted to explore the effects of peer-mediation on social-emotional development and self-regulation in students aged three to five. Throughout the process, the teacher received professional coaching from a LEAP coach from the University of Denver as well as coaching from AEA staff members with background in autism and early intervention. Peer mediated strategies were introduced initially in October of 2018; during the research, the teacher focused solely on one strategy. Prior to the research, two strategies had been implemented and coached to fidelity. Quantitative data was collected from tracking and monitoring logs and researcher behavior …

Does Goal Setting Make A Better Reader?, Elayna Bierle

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project looked at the relationship between goal setting and an increase in reading levels in six public school students in 4th and 5th grade with learning disabilities in reading. Data was collected through Individualized Education Plan progress reports and individual goals written by the students in connection with the Developmental Reading Assessment test over the fall 2018 semester. The data was compared to the 2018 spring semester IEP goal data from the previous school year when the students had not written goals.

Benefits Of Modifications And Accommodations Training, Brandie J. Malm

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine the relationship between modifications and accommodations training for school staff and the academic experience of special education students. Participants were three special education students in a public, inclusive, elementary school setting. Data was collected through I-Ready reading and math testing in August and December of this school year and compared to the same data from the previous year. The research question guiding this study was, would special education student’s educational experience improve when the special education teacher provides a comprehensive modifications and accommodations training for general education teachers and paraprofessionals? …

The Impact Of Technology On Handwriting Instruction In Kindergarten Students, Tricia Van Regenmorter

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to study the outcome of computer-assisted instruction on handwriting quality. Quality handwriting includes legibility, orientation, formation, size, and placement on a base line. The participants were fourteen Kindergarten students in a preschool through eighth grade private school in a suburban setting. The fourteen participants were placed into two instructional groups through random grouping. One group of participants received computer-assisted instruction while the other group received teacher-assisted direct instruction. Participants participated in their assigned instructional approach for 10 minutes 3-4 times a week for four weeks. Data was collected quantitatively. At the conclusion …

Using Guided Play To Acquire Literacy Skills, Kimberly Farrell

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine if exclusively using guided-play based learning strategies with kindergarten students who have individualized education plan (IEP) literacy goals in letter sound identification assists these students in acquiring this skill. Students were provided instruction with the inclusion of technology and worksheets between the Fall and Winter FAST assessment screenings. Students were then provided guided play-based instruction to identify letter sounds between the Winter and Spring FAST assessment screenings. Data collection was obtained through bi-weekly IEP progress monitoring procedures and through the FAST assessment. Analysis of the data shows that students made overall …

The Effects Of Felt Piece Manipulative Integration On Preschoolers’ Abilities To Retell Stories, Megan Alexander

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine the effect of felt piece manipulative integration on preschoolers’ abilities to retell stories. A preschool class was taught retelling skills and story grammar elements. The class was exposed to a fairy tale five times and then each student was assessed on retelling abilities and the number of story grammar elements recalled without the integration of manipulatives. The class was then exposed five times to another fairy tale by the same author and was assessed on the same skills while having access to felt piece manipulatives that represented the story grammar …

The Impact Of Within-Class Grouping Vs. Within-Grade Grouping, Johannah Bloemendaal

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to compare two types of ability grouping and if one type had more of an impact than the other in a primary classroom. In this study, one type of ability grouping, known as within class ability grouping was implemented in one second grade classroom in 2017-2018. Another type of ability grouping was implemented the next year where all three of second grade classrooms were grouped according to ability, which is considered to be within grade ability grouping. Students were assessed with the AddVantage+MR (AVMR) assessment to determine placement. Then they were placed …

Peer Learning Strategies Versus Computer-Based Fact Programs Of Basic Subtraction Facts At The Second Grade Level, Katie Kregel

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine if peer-learning strategies increases students’ subtraction fact fluency at the second grade level more than computer-based fact programs. Students were split into two research groups, one utilizing peer-learning strategies and games, and the other utilizing a computer-based fact program. Quantitative data consisting of pre- and post-test data as well as weekly progress monitoring data was collected over four weeks. Data examined digits correct per minute, as well as accuracy of subtraction facts. After the four weeks of intervention, the computer-based group increased in more digits correct per minute.

Kagan Strategies In The Preschool Classroom And Their Effectiveness With Engagement And Academic Response, Megan Smith

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine the impact of Kagan cooperative learning practices on academic growth in a preschool classroom. Participants were four and five year olds in a half-day preschool program in an urban setting. Students were a mix of household incomes as well as students who are English language learners. Quantitative data was collected using the Get Set for School assessment. Data was collected after ten small group sessions for 50 sessions. For each group of sessions, a different Kagan engagement strategy was utilized and the Get Set for School assessment was given to track …

Video Self-Modeling, Reading Aloud, Or Silent Reading: Effects Of Strategies On Fluency, Rebekah J. Vande Kamp

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research is to explore the most effective strategy for children to engage in during Read to Self to increase their fluency. Fluency is the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and expression; and is an important aspect of being a successful reader. In this study, three 2nd grade classes will engage in different Read to Self strategies. One class will be doing silent reading. Another class will be reading their books aloud to themselves. A third class will be using video self-modeling, which is recording themselves reading their books out loud on Chromebooks and watching …

Relationship Between Movement And Student Behaviors, Amy L. Ackerman

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine the relationship between movement opportunities and student behaviors, specifically off-task behaviors. Participants were twenty-five, four and five-year-olds in a public, inclusive, half-day preschool setting. Data was collected through observation during a ten-minute end of the day large group meeting for six weeks. Various movement opportunities were provided ranging from no breaks, ten-minute in-classroom brain breaks, and fifteen-minute gross-motor recess breaks. Any reminders given to attend to the large group meeting were recorded and later analyzed to suggest that movement opportunities affect student behaviors in a positive manner.