Education Commons^™

Familial Regulation Of Young Children's Tv Viewing In Ghana, Clara Puni-Nyamesem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined familial regulation of young children's TV viewing in Ghana. Participants were families with young children four through eight years enrolled at a school in the south of Ghana. An online survey of TV regulation practices of families (restrictive, coviewing, and instructive), TV viewing hours of young children, and families' perception of TV influence on their children was completed by 158 family members (mostly parents). Results showed that restrictive regulation is the most predominately used strategy in Ghana, although all 3 regulation styles were used. College educated families were significantly more likely to use restrictive regulation than families …

Student Collaboration: Early Childhood Teachers' Roles And Perspectives, Kimberly Ballantyne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early childhood environments can offer valuable opportunities for student collaboration. Social interactions allow students to practice listening to each other and learn how to work together. This study focused on the roles and perspectives of early childhood educators related to student collaboration in the classroom. Six educators from one elementary school in New Hampshire participated in two focus group discussions, the first of which included a presentation on student collaboration with first graders. Participants also completed four concept maps highlighting their perspectives about student collaboration and one written reflection comparing their perspectives before and after engaging in the focus group …

Literacy Abilities Of Children And Adolescents With Williams Syndrome., Caroline Greiner De Magalhaes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I report findings from two studies of the literacy abilities of children with Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder associated with intellectual disability. I had two overarching goals: 1) evaluate the applicability of theories of reading and spelling acquisition developed based on typically developing children to children with WS; and 2) provide results that would inform the development of targeted assessments and interventions. In Study 1, individual differences in phonological awareness, visual spatial perception, vocabulary, overall intellectual abilities, and reading instruction approach (systematic phonics vs. other approaches) for sixty-nine 6 – 7-year-olds (most of whom were in …

A Quantitative Study Of Mathematics Anxiety In First-Generation Pre-Service Teachers, Wendi Malenfant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many pre-service teachers suffer from mathematics anxiety which can lead to mathematics avoidance, poor mathematics performance, and the potential to pass on mathematics anxiety to their future students. More and more first-generation college students, who also suffer from math anxiety, are attending four-year universities and studying to be teachers. School leaders, educators, and researchers must recognize the serious nature of mathematics anxiety, how it negatively impacts learners, and how the cycle is perpetuated if the root causes of mathematics anxiety are not mitigated, especially in elementary teachers.

This quantitative study, which utilized an anonymous mathematics anxiety survey, examined the prevalence …

The Impact Of Natural Playscapes On Toddler Play, Laura J. Pearce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A distinct lack of data related to the impact of natural environments on children birth to age 3 was identified by a thematic review of the existing literature. With this in mind, the researcher designed a limited scope quantitative study to explore the potential for extending the existing body of research to include this younger age. The study used a time sampling method to code behaviors that occurred in videos collected of children from 12 to 35 month who were playing on the playground at their childcare facility. The playscapes were classified as naturalistic or manufactured. The data was then …

Tennessee's Voluntary Prekindergarten (Vpk) Program And Kindergarten Achievement, Kindetta L. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between Tennessee's Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program and kindergarten achievement. I compared the academic growth of who attended a VPK program to students in Title 1 schools who did not attend a VPK program. Kindergarten gives the first easyCBM assessment in the second semester of school. I compared the easyCBM scores of the students who attended a VPK program to the ones who did not attend a VPK program. This could reveal if attending the VPK program is related to the students’ academic growth and the amount …

Examining Environmental Risk Factors And Opportunities For Intervention In The Emergent Literacy Development Of Low-Ses Students In Windsor, Ontario, Beckie Berlasty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Applying Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory (1979), this study sought to understand environmental risk-factors and the interactions between them that construct emergent literacy development, as well as attitudes towards the literacy learning of low-SES children from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Windsor, Ontario. Data collection for this qualitative study was conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews, organized and coded according to common themes and concepts for further analysis and interpretation. The perspectives of Early Childhood Educators (ECE) were sought to understand the challenges faced by children from low-SES families in gaining early literacy skills, due to environmental factors, and what implications this …

K-12 Economically Disadvantaged Students, Poverty, And Education: Ecological Narratives Of Successful Raised-In-Poverty, Texas Educators, Rebecca N. Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study aimed to understand how successful Texas educators who grew up in poverty understood and improved the educational experience of economically disadvantaged students. This study utilized a structural ecological theory and three theories of social relationships (Social Identity, Standpoint, and Cultural Capital). This phenomenological and qualitative study used a cross-sectional, descriptive, online case study design rooted in narrative nonfiction. Virtual interviews with six successful Texas educators that grew up in poverty were conducted. A narrative method of analysis was utilized to generate codes then organize them into themes, and to construct and compare the narrative findings. The results …

The Effect Of Early Literacy Experiences On Preschool Teachers’ Literacy Approach, Lisa Mcmillan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how personal literacy experiences during the early years of three preschool teachers impact the literacy experiences they provide for their students in their preschool classroom. Data was collected using the narrative inquiry method of qualitative research. Two in-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted with three preschool teachers at Hunter Early Learning Center. Questions were asked aiming to learn about the childhood literacy experiences of the teachers and about their approach to literacy as preschool teachers. They were also asked to create aesthetic representations at the end of each interview as an additional source …