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Theses/Dissertations

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education

Preschool

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Prekindergarten Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding Kindergarten Readiness And Challenges To Readiness Achievement, Felicia Nicole Chapman Farr Jan 2022

Prekindergarten Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding Kindergarten Readiness And Challenges To Readiness Achievement, Felicia Nicole Chapman Farr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem that was the focus of this study is that only half of the students entering kindergarten in the United States are considered kindergarten ready. This problem is important because children who are successful in kindergarten are more likely to continue to be successful in elementary school. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of prekindergarten teachers regarding lack of kindergarten readiness in students who completed a district-approved prekindergarten program and the challenges the teachers believe affected the level of kindergarten readiness. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the need for …


Staff Perspectives Of Children With Challenging Behaviors In A Preschool Setting, Tamika D. Schaffer Jan 2022

Staff Perspectives Of Children With Challenging Behaviors In A Preschool Setting, Tamika D. Schaffer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preschool children exhibiting challenging behaviors are expelled or suspended instead of identified, evaluated, and linked to appropriate services for their needs. This qualitative case study explored preschool teacher, administrator, and technical assistant perspectives related to identifying, evaluating, and linking to appropriate services children with challenging behaviors which the research questions focused on. The research frameworks were the ecological systems theory and assertive behavioral model. Purposeful sampling was used to select 10 teachers, two administrators, and two technical assistants who worked in a preschool center for at least 1 year and experienced one or more past incidents where they had to …


Perceptions Of The Reggio Emilia Approach To Early Childhood Education, Brandon Harris Gantt Jan 2021

Perceptions Of The Reggio Emilia Approach To Early Childhood Education, Brandon Harris Gantt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preschools provide a method of early intervention to prepare children for school. Reggio Emilia (RE) curricular approach widely used for early childhood education that has not consistently shown a positive influence on cognitive, social, and emotional development of young children. It is also unknown whether those who participate in the RE curricular approach perceive it to foster cognitive, social, and emotional development in early childhood. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory case study was to investigate participant-perceived benefits of RE as a curricular approach. The conceptual grounding of the study was social constructivism because the RE curricular approach emphasizes the …


The Social Emotional Competence Of Teachers And Their Responses To Children With Challenging Behaviors, Christine Lynne Herndon Jan 2021

The Social Emotional Competence Of Teachers And Their Responses To Children With Challenging Behaviors, Christine Lynne Herndon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Expulsion rates for children occur at a rate of 10 children per every 1,000 enrolled in center-based early learning programs. The inability of teachers to manage the challenging behaviors of children contributes to these rates. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to answer the research question that inquired how teachers’ perceptions of their own social emotional competence influenced their responses to children with challenging behaviors. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s social emotional learning framework served as the foundation for the interview protocol questions. Data were gathered during semistructured interview from 6 teachers who met the …


Characteristics Of Teacher Language Exchange With Preschool Children, Patricia Plummer-Wilson Jan 2020

Characteristics Of Teacher Language Exchange With Preschool Children, Patricia Plummer-Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has documented the influence of early home language experiences on children’s development and educational success, but as many children spend large portions of their days in childcare centers, preschool teachers have similar potential to have a profound and lasting influence on children’s language development. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the varying levels of quantity and quality of teacher language exchanges with preschool students in independently-funded childcare facilities. The work of Hart and Risley on parental language exchange formed the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions guiding this study focused on affirmative versus …


Child-Directed Play And Teacher Education Related To Preschool Suspension And Expulsion, Nicole Scienza Jan 2019

Child-Directed Play And Teacher Education Related To Preschool Suspension And Expulsion, Nicole Scienza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The amount of time that children spend in child-directed activity can increase the frequency and quality of teacher–child interactions, which can decrease challenging behavior in children. The problem is that preschool children are being expelled and suspended at a high rate, and additional research is required to examine the prevention of behaviors that lead to expulsion and suspension. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether the percentage of the day that children spend in child-directed learning stations, the quality of activities offered during child-initiated time, and the education level of the lead teacher predict classroom suspensions or …


Disadvantaged Preschool Children: Public Policy, Education Models, And Kindergarten Readiness, Virginia H. Byerson Jan 2019

Disadvantaged Preschool Children: Public Policy, Education Models, And Kindergarten Readiness, Virginia H. Byerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high rate of academic failure among disadvantaged preschool and post preschool students in some school districts in Virginia, yet little is understood about the relationship between education models and academic performance among economically disadvantaged students (EDS). The problem explored is the absence of classroom exercises in pre and post preschools that capitalize on cognitive development to improve executive function (EF) and self-regulation (SR) skills. The purpose of this study is to understand if a change in current classroom practices impacts academic performance among low-income students. Narrative policy serves as a theoretical guide in this qualitative case study …


The Effects Of A Teacher Coaching Model On Preschool Suspensions And Expulsions, Jody Jeanne Bering Jan 2019

The Effects Of A Teacher Coaching Model On Preschool Suspensions And Expulsions, Jody Jeanne Bering

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In early childhood centers, students with disabilities are being suspended and expelled, leaving them with no place to attend school to learn with their peers or to receive early intervention special education services. This study was designed to determine the effects of coaching on the number of suspensions and expulsions of students with disabilities attending early childhood centers. The framework for this study was based on the theory of Conjoint Behavioral Coaching. The research question was: What are the effects of a coaching intervention by early intervention teachers to early childhood teachers on the number of suspensions and expulsions of …


Kindergarten Literacy Readiness Before And After Highscope Implementation, Chandra Kathleen Youngblood Jan 2017

Kindergarten Literacy Readiness Before And After Highscope Implementation, Chandra Kathleen Youngblood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who attended preschool in an urban Michigan district are not entering kindergarten with the necessary skills. The preschool implemented the HighScope curriculum and the effect of this curriculum on kindergarten readiness was unknown. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to investigate the difference in kindergarten readiness scores of students who attended a preschool before and after the High Scope curriculum was implemented. The pedagogical practices of preschool and the HighScope curriculum align with Dewey and Vygotsky's theories on experiential learning which were the foundation that guided this causal comparative study. The research questions examined preschool letter identification and …


Effect Of Public And Private Preschool Attendance On Kindergarten Literacy, Matthew Garofolo Jan 2017

Effect Of Public And Private Preschool Attendance On Kindergarten Literacy, Matthew Garofolo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who enter kindergarten lacking readiness skills often struggle to meet literacy benchmarks and to successfully complete school. The problem to be investigated by this study is the low literacy scores on the standardized Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment test at 2 public New Jersey elementary schools. While some students attended public or private preschools, others did not attend any preschool prior to starting kindergarten. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the difference in kindergarten literacy gain scores among students who attended public, private, and no preschool. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and emergent literacy theory served as the …


Preschool Teachers' Attitudes And Beliefs Toward Science, Sharon Henry Lloyd Jan 2016

Preschool Teachers' Attitudes And Beliefs Toward Science, Sharon Henry Lloyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, a current initiative, Advancing Active STEM Education for Our Youngest Learners, aims to advance science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in early childhood. The purpose of this study was to understand preschool teachers' proficiency with science and address the problem of whether or not science learning opportunities are provided to young children based on teachers' attitudes and beliefs. A theoretical framework for establishing teachers' attitudes toward science developed by van Aalderen-Smeets, van der Molen, and Asma, along with Bandura's theory of self-efficacy were the foundations for this research. Research questions explored preschool teachers' attitudes and …


Daily Calendar Group Time And The Mathematical Skills Of Preschoolers, Deborah Ann Lavine Jan 2015

Daily Calendar Group Time And The Mathematical Skills Of Preschoolers, Deborah Ann Lavine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The evidence supporting the common instructional method of daily calendar group time to teach math skills to prekindergarten children has been inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exposure to daily calendar group time on prekindergarten children's math score gains in a private early-childhood program located in the suburban Southeast. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory guided this quantitative, causal comparative design wherein archival data from 104 prekindergarten students' pre- and posttest numeracy skill scores on the Young Children's Achievement Test were analyzed. Data from 6 classrooms over 2 school years were compared using multiple linear regression. Four …