Education Commons^™

The Beliefs Literacy Specialists Hold Regarding Processes That Assist Struggling Readers With The Comprehension Of Informational Text, Marguerite Haldin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children have a basic human right to read. It is the evolving work of the reading/literacy specialists to provide support and build confidence in readers struggling in all components of reading. The purpose of this study is to explore the beliefs of reading/literacy specialists regarding the processes that assist struggling readers with the comprehension of informational text. The methods used were designed to address the research question: What are the beliefs reading/literacy specialists hold regarding processes that assist struggling readers with the comprehension of informational text? Nineteen members of a professional learning group from an intermediate unit in Southwestern Pennsylvania, …

No Habla Español: Are Monolingual Teachers Getting The Support They Need?, Natalie Correa

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For this Capstone Project, the researchers investigated how monolingual teachers view the support and resources they received to teach English Language Learners (ELL) and what they thought could be done to improve their teaching effectiveness. An evidence based argument is offered that monolingual teachers were not being provided with effective support and resources. More specifically, three themes emerged from an analysis of the data obtained from interviews of monolingual teachers and administrators. Based on the emergent themes, an action was undertaken to help monolingual teachers better address the needs of ELLs. This is an important issue for monolingual teachers because …

Bicultural Development Of Students In A Dual Language Program, Quinn Wulbecker

Dissertations

Dual language programs are often viewed as enrichment programs for students of various language backgrounds. This study evaluated the long-term bicultural impact on students who participated in the Hawkins School District (pseudonym) Spanish-English dual language program. The participants in this study were graduates of the Hawkins Spanish-English dual language program who were in college or beginning their careers. These graduates participated in an interview to offer their perceptions on their current level of biculturalism and the extent to which their participation in the dual language program shaped it. The results of this study revealed that biculturalism is a possible outcome …

Gnome Waste Warriors: Waste Reduction Through Sustainability, Hayley E.R. Frost Rubino

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project was on how waste and waste reduction could positively impact a community. Waste reduction is an important issue because the negative impacts of waste affect the whole planet. By educating Monterey Gnome School (MGS) about waste, changes in daily habits are intended to result in lasting change. An evidence-based argument is offered that waste is a global issue that negatively impacts the earth's landmasses, oceans, and human health. Both MGS staff and students were interviewed and surveyed, as their perspectives provide unique aspects of thinking about waste issues. The themes that emerged from an …

Integrating Mindfulness Into School Classrooms, Crystal Chesshire

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project examines how mindfulness could be integrated into the school classrooms through the use of literature review, interviews with elementary school teachers in the Monterey Bay area and surveys with several students along with one subject participant at the California State University Monterey Bay. As a result, the findings reveal that most students and teachers thought that mindfulness proved to be successful and useful when integrating it with the younger population to deal with their emotions.

Engagement Opportunities At The United Way Of Greater Lafayette, Yechan Lim

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

The United Way of Greater Lafayette is a non-for-profit that works to serve the community through programs, outreach, engagement, and fundraising. The United Way facility acts as a hub for many programs including Read to Succeed, Kindergarten Countdown Camp, and Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA). These programs help to address issues in the local community and provides volunteers opportunities to make a difference, while obtaining technical skills. YeChan Lim is a recent Master’s graduate in the Environmental and Ecological Engineering program.

A Culture Of Aggression: School Culture And The Normalization Of Aggression In Two Elementary Schools, Brent D. Harger

Sociology Faculty Publications

Since the late 1990s, increased public and academic attention has been focused on topics related to bullying and peer aggression in schools, yet these behaviors have proven difficult for schools to address. Using data from an ethnographic study of two rural elementary schools in the Midwestern United States, I make both methodological and theoretical contributions to the literature on this topic. Methodologically, I show that examining ‘minor’ aggressive behaviors in schools reveals the way that more serious issues are also normalized. Theoretically, I show that students and adults actively construct shared understandings in these schools regarding the normalization of aggression, …

Stem Opportunities - High School 2019, Huey-Xian Kelly Wong, Madeleine Rauhauser, Annie Morgan Nelson

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

This publication details the lesson plan for the “Opportunities in STEM” club for the summer of 2019. This club began out of a desire to educate high school students about the opportunities and careers available in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Often, students feel that the prospect of entering a STEM field is daunting and out of their grasp. What it means to be a scientist is often unclear, and students never consider opportunities out of the fear of the unknown, particularly when science is associated with complexity and difficulty. This lesson plan integrates experiments with a wealth …

On The Margins Of Friendship: Aggression In An Elementary School Peer Group, Brent D. Harger

Sociology Faculty Publications

This article uses qualitative data from a larger study of two elementary schools in a rural city of about 15,000 people in the Midwestern United States. Here, I focus on a single peer group and those who are on its margins to provide insight into the intersection of friendship, aggression, and masculinity. In doing so, I address the lack of research examining how aggression functions within peer groups and why those who are victimized choose to remain in these groups.

Perceived Teaching Style And Academic Growth In An International School Setting, Jamie Elizabeth Martin

Dissertations

The presence of international schools has grown significantly around the world to accommodate a growing need for academic instruction that differs from that provided in local schools and to meet the rapid demands of globalization. As demands for international schools increase, demands for student performance are also increasing.

This quantitative correlational study seeks to determine if correlations exist between teaching style and student academic growth in mathematics within an international school setting. The study also determines if a dominant teaching style exists and if correlations between teacher grade level and teaching style can be made among international teachers who teach …

To Tell Or Not To Tell: Student Responses To Negative Behavior In Elementary School, Brent D. Harger

Sociology Faculty Publications

In this article I examine the factors that influence fifth grade student decisions regarding whether or not to report negative interactions to adults. Data from observations and interviews with students and adults show that there are many factors influencing the reluctance to tell on others. Among them is a school context in which verbal attacks are downplayed and telling is seen as ineffective and stigmatized. This context prevents bystanders from reporting what they have observed and places those with a lack of social support at a significant disadvantage when dealing with negative behavior.

Harmonizing Social Emotional Learning For Students With Special Needs, Deema Shihadih

Education | Master's Theses

Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) typically face difficulties with social emotional skill sets, yet many classrooms for students with ID do not incorporate social emotional learning in the curriculum. Modifying SEL programs to fit the needs of students may be an appropriate solution, however, little research exists exploring the effects of modifying various SEL programs to fit the needs of students with intellectual disabilities (ID). This research explores the benefits of modifying multiple social emotional learning (SEL) programs to best fit the needs of students with intellectual disabilities. Qualitative methods were used in order to investigate how SEL programs and …

Creating Real-World Readers: Literacy Circles In Third Grade, Dejanee Gregory

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study addresses the topic of literature circles in an elementary classroom and their implications on students’ attitudes toward reading and their self-perceptions as readers. The author was a preservice teacher placed in a yearlong clinical teaching internship in a third-grade English Language Arts departmentalized classroom. The goal of the study was to implement literature circles in hopes to better understand students’ attitudes and self-perceptions as readers. For this study, the author collected data in the form of student interviews, survey data, a personal reflective journal, observations, and students’ reflections. Utilizing the constant comparative method, the author analyzed data for …

Teaching In A Digital Age: Internet Safety Education, Christina Putnam

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper is an exploration into internet safety education for elementary age students. The participants for this Capstone Project included 22 fourth-grade students that attend a free after school program, located in the Bay Area of California. This paper took a look at the issues that arise for children on the internet and what is important for them to know for their well being while using it. This Capstone will describe a four-week program created in effort to better educate students on how to stay safe and act appropriately while being a part of the online community. The findings that …

Teaching 4th Grade Students About Nutrition, Raquel Gaytan

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Most children do not know how to make healthy food choices and understand why they have to have a good nutrition. It is important for children to know why having a good nutrition is important for their bodies and health. Without good understanding of nutrition, children are not able to care for their health. To address the children's’ lack of knowledge, I created a 3-day lesson on nutrition and delivered it to a 4th grade classroom in Del Rey Elementary in King City, California.

Benefits Of Bilingual Education Programs For Elementary School Students, Jesica Moreno

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The benefits of bilingual education programs are endless; however, with Prop 227, students were disregarded the opportunity to learn in a more accepting, multicultural classroom environment. Now with the passage of the new Prop 58 in recent year, it is important for our community to become more familiar with the most effective bilingual education programs and their benefits on students. The purpose of this senior capstone is to examine the benefits of bilingual education programs on elementary school students through a literature review, interviews with teachers, and interviews with parents. The results reveal that the benefits of bilingual education programs …

Importance Of Implementing Native American History In School Curricula, Kirsten Kite

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Even though there is legislation in place to implement Native American History in schools such as Senate Bill 48, there is room to improve. This senior capstone examines the importance of implementing Native American history in school curricula through the use of literature review, teachers interview and student surveys. The finding revealed that teachers do not have sufficient materials or resources to teach Native American history, and students do not have an adequate understanding of its history as well prior to graduating high school. In addition, teaching Native American history from an unbiased perspective is both beneficial to Native American …

Importance Of Combining Physical Activity And Health And Wellness In To Physical Education Within Schools., Chandler Mckean

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone project brings to light the importance of physical activity and health and wellness education in connecting a child’s mind and internal body, to their physical outer body. This project examines the physical education curriculum in its entirety and displays the current pros and shortcomings in physical education within schools. Today, the education system strives to educate its students to the best of their abilities. This focus has begun to push away non-academic classes, such as physical education, to devote more time and resources in other areas, e.g. math, sciences, and language arts. Through the use of literature …

Motivating The Unmotivated: How Are We Supporting Struggling Readers In Upper Elementary Classrooms?, Maci V. Wood

Honors College Theses

Motivating struggling students to read is a question considered by many general education reading teachers and special education teachers alike. Since student classroom experiences today differ greatly from classrooms of the past in terms of instructional practices and learning supports, scripted materials that seldom cater to student interest have often been promoted due to the pressure of standardized assessment. With little to no student engagement present in the classroom, it is up to the student to find the will to read or to the teacher to utilize alternative strategies in increasing student motivation (Cambria & Gunthrie, 2008). However, there is …

Fostering Critical And Creative Thinking In The Elementary Social Studies Classroom: Teaching Social Justice Through The Lenses Of Power And Oppression And Site-Based Experiences, Julia R. Wilkins, Chelsea D. Witwer

Dissertations

This joint study in the elementary school social studies setting enacted the explicit intention of facilitating student understanding of social justice. The first study was conducted in a second grade classroom to assess how exploring historical neighborhoods in St. Louis impacted students’ understandings of diversity. Student writings, interviews, artwork, and adult interviews and surveys provided evidence of the impact the curriculum had on the school community and larger city. This study revealed that it is possible for young students to explore hard histories and present day social justice topics through the use of place-based learning and community partnerships. Their learning …

A Case Study Of Elementary Education In Burkina Faso: What's Working, What Isn't, And Why It Matters, Georgia Gerard-Reed

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the education system of Burkina Faso to better understand how it impacts the lives of the people who live there. The study examined possible reasons of under-education in Burkina Faso and the impact of poverty on the Burkinabé people as it is related to education. The research questions are (1) what are the barriers to education, (2) how does under-education impact the ability of the Burkinabé to earn an income that is sufficient to meet basic human needs such as adequate food, clothing, and medical care, and (3) what are …

The Double-Edged Sword Of Standardized Testing, Barbara Meyer, Christine Paxson

Faculty Publications - College of Education

Assessment in Pk-12 schools has always been a challenge. Measurement and comparison of students, schools, school districts and states provides accountability for all stakeholders in education. Standardized testing has become the norm, but it is overused. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers is one test adopted on a large scale to measure whether students are prepared for college and career. Parents are one of the stakeholders who had had concerns about another standardized test, but they also recognize the need. A survey was conducted of parents whose children took PARCC to learn their expectations of the …

Brookings, South Dakota: Learning Lab, Doriane Paso

Empowering Research for Educators

The following paper explores the possibilities of education in one local setting using both an insider and outsider perspective. Education is a part of society, and as society changes, why should education not change with it?

Alexa?: Possibilities Of Voice Assistant Technology And Artificial Intelligence In The Classroom, Patrick D. Hales, Melissa Anderson, Tonya Christianson, Amber Gaspar, Billi Jo Meyer, Beth Nelson, Krista Shilvock, Mary Steinmetz, Makenzi Timmons, Michelle Vande Weerd

Empowering Research for Educators

The following paper represents the combined effort of 10 educators exploring the experience and use of voice assistant technology in classrooms. This reflection and study of our classrooms looks to better understand both our use of technology and students’ use of technology in very specific ways. Is there a place for voice assistant technology in our classrooms? What benefits are there? What obstacles exist? We tell our stories and experiences here with the intent to provide context and continue the discussion among more of our colleagues.

From Assertion To Conversion: Classroom Management For 21st Century Teachers, Benjamin Halbkat

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position paper provides a new teacher's perspective on modern classroom management. Where is there room for improvement? What might the future hold?

High School Biology Preparation: Do Students Feel They Have Been Adequately Prepared For Introductory College Biology?, Mara Neitzel

Empowering Research for Educators

The purpose of this study was to determine how well students are being prepared in high school for introductory college biology courses. Specifically, the objectives of the study are as follows: To gain a better understanding about how well students feel they have been prepared for college science classes based on their high school education, to gain insight on how college preparation in high school impacts students’ self-confidence, and to determine if the accessibility of advanced education courses is influenced by the size of a high school. A mixed methods survey was distributed to freshman in the fall semester of …

In Support Of The Tinker V. Des Moines Decision, Matthew Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position outlines a case for the Tinker v. Des Moines decision, including a historical and modern perspective. With freedom of speech and protest being a regular part of the discussion about U.S. society and schools, now is a good time to look back.

Journey To Refuge: Understanding Refugees, Exploring Trauma, And Best Practices For Newcomers And Schools, Trina D. Harlow

NPP eBooks

Pre-K through 12th grade schools within the United States have become much more diverse in recent years. Schools are now commonly not only diverse because of diverse students born in the United States, but also have many immigrant students. A growing number of these immigrant students are resettled children who have refugee status. In schools, these recent immigrants are called newcomers. This book is a culmination of research and anecdotal experiences regarding the refugee issue as it pertains to these students in American schools and schools elsewhere in the world. Scholars, policy makers, educators, those who work in the refugee …

Developing Children’S Physical Literacy: How Well Prepared Are Prospective Teachers?, Judith Dinham, Paul Williams

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

While the known health impacts of sedentary lifestyles have focused attention on children’s outdoor activity, the development of their physical literacy – the physiological, social, cultural, cognitive, expressive, and psychological dimensions of their physicality – is much less in focus.

Developing children’s physical literacy is embedded in the Early Years Learning Framework and Primary curriculum: Health and Physical Education, and the performing arts subjects within The Arts. This study asks “How well prepared are pre-service teachers to implement a program that contributes to developing children’s physical literacy?”

This mixed methods study includes an environmental scan of BEd courses at 12 …

Educación Para La Primera Infancia En Un Contexto De Desarrollo Humano Y Formación De Capital Social En Bogotá, Jonathan Andrés Bejarano Vásquez

Economía

Ante un entorno económico y social evidentemente desigual, inequitativo y con insuficientes oportunidades de movilidad social vertical ascendente, la educación para la primera infancia se presenta como una necesidad en el enfoque de la política pública. Para orientarse a la solución de dichas problemáticas sociales, es pertinente desde la perspectiva del presente trabajo crear capacidades en los individuos desde los primeros años de vida como un mecanismo de formación de capital social, desarrollo humano y justicia social. Desde una perspectiva teórica interdisciplinar se busca evaluar, por medio de indicadores de cobertura, calidad, inclusión y pertinencia, la estructura educativa producto de …