Teachers' Experiences Implementing Play-Based Learning Practices In Prekindergarten–Kindergarten Classrooms,
2026
Walden University
Teachers' Experiences Implementing Play-Based Learning Practices In Prekindergarten–Kindergarten Classrooms, Atiana T. Carroll
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem addressed through this study was that prekindergarten and kindergarten (PK-K) teachers in one large southern U.S. school district were not implementing play-based learning (PBL) practices despite the well-documented benefits of PBL in early childhood education. Guided by Knowles’s adult learning theory and Kolb’s experiential learning theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore PK-K teachers’ experiences with implementing PBL and to identify what teachers need to embed PBL practices in PK-K classrooms. Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine PK-K teachers, and thematic analysis was applied to identify key patterns. Four themes emerged from the analysis: …
Spelling With Tears: (Re)Thinking The Phonics-Spelling Connection,
2026
Central Michigan University
Spelling With Tears: (Re)Thinking The Phonics-Spelling Connection, Meghan K. Block, Kristen L. White
Michigan Reading Journal
Many elementary students perform well on weekly spelling tests but struggle to apply those same words in their everyday reading and writing. This article explores why spelling and phonics instruction often feel disconnected in classrooms and how that disconnect affects children’s literacy development. Using a classroom vignette, teacher perspectives, and research, we argue for integrating spelling into meaningful reading and writing experiences. We share practical, classroom-ready recommendations—including word study, morphology instruction, games, and authentic writing—to help teachers make spelling purposeful, engaging, and transferable.
Individualizing Social-Emotional Learning For Infants And Toddlers With Special Needs,
2026
Rowan University
Individualizing Social-Emotional Learning For Infants And Toddlers With Special Needs, Charlotte Marie Quiñones
Theses and Dissertations
Infants and toddlers develop socially and emotionally at different rates, and children with special needs face added challenges that require intentional support. Social-emotional learning (SEL) in the earliest years builds the foundation for school readiness, relationships, and lifelong success. This qualitative case study explored how infant and toddler teachers individualize SEL for children with special needs in one inclusive, culturally diverse early childhood program. Four teachers participated through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and a focus group. Program documents and lesson plans supplemented the data. Guided by the SEFEL framework, double-loop learning, and culturally responsive pedagogy, the study found that teachers …
Internships As A Strategy To Strengthen Character Education At Realfunrainbow Kindergarten Salatiga,
2026
Universitas PGRI Semarang
Internships As A Strategy To Strengthen Character Education At Realfunrainbow Kindergarten Salatiga, Maryani Maryani, Nurkolis Nurkolis, Muhtarom Muhtarom
Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan
Character education in early childhood is a crucial foundation for shaping personality, attitudes, and future behavior. This study investigates the role of school leadership in strengthening character education at TK Realfunrainbow, Kota Salatiga, with particular emphasis on the implementation of internship (life-skills practicum) as a strategic approach. The objectives were to examine planning, organizing, mobilizing, and controlling functions of the principal in character education reinforcement. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation. Informants included the principal, teachers, parents, and internship partners, selected purposively and snowball. Data analysis employed Spradley’s ethnographic model with …
Educator Retention And Director Practices In Early Childhood Education Settings,
2026
Walden University
Educator Retention And Director Practices In Early Childhood Education Settings, Katherine Williams
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Early childhood education (ECE) educators leave their profession at a rate 14% higher than K-12 educators, resulting in multisystemic issues that affect children, families, staff, and the ECE industry. Research has shown a connection between leadership practices and ECE educator turnover intentions; however, there is limited research on the relationship between the servant-leadership (SL) practices of ECE directors and ECE educators’ turnover intentions. Grounded in Greenleaf’s theory of servant-leadership, the purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between ECE director SL practices and its seven dimensions, measured using the SL scale, and ECE educator turnover intentions, measured …
More Hours, More Work: Head Start Expansions Boost Maternal Employment,
2026
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
More Hours, More Work: Head Start Expansions Boost Maternal Employment, Chloe R. Gibbs, Esra Kose, Maria Rosales Rueda
Upjohn Institute Working Papers
Women’s employment remains highly sensitive to childcare constraints, making childcare availability a critical lever for supporting mothers’ labor force attachment. We study the effects of expanded full-day programming in Head Start, using the 2016 federal funding initiative that targeted grantees with low full-day enrollment. Linking administrative program data, geo-coded center locations, and household data on employment, we estimate a difference-in-differences design by comparing mothers of young children in treated and untreated areas. The policy increased full-day enrollment by 19 percent and raised single mothers’ employment (1.9%), hours (2.5%), and earnings (6.5%). Results show that extending program duration meaningfully improves maternal …
Cv: Hae Min Yu (Early Childhood Education),
2026
Lewis University
Cv: Hae Min Yu (Early Childhood Education), Hae Min Yu
Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae
No abstract provided.
Report Of Kilby School,
2026
University of North Alabama
Report Of Kilby School, Kilby School Administration
Documents
This is a yearly report from Kilby administrators about the objectives and goals of the teachers and support staff at Kilby for the students during the 1958-1959 school year.
Annual Report, Kilby School,
2026
University of North Alabama
Annual Report, Kilby School, Kilby School Administrators
Documents
This is an annual report of the positives and negatives that Kilby teachers saw in the 1957-1958 school year.
Parent-Teacher Association Scrapbook,
2026
University of North Alabama
Parent-Teacher Association Scrapbook, Kilby Parent Teacher Association
Documents
This scrapbook was produced by the Kilby PTA for the 1963-1964 school year. It discusses all events and programs that the Parent Teacher Association worked on during the school year.
Early Childhood Teachers’ Experiences Establishing Positive School-Home Relationships,
2026
Walden University
Early Childhood Teachers’ Experiences Establishing Positive School-Home Relationships, Jayme Michelle Doyle
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem in this study was that at Windland Elementary School (WES; pseudonym) early childhood teachers experienced a 16% decrease in parent satisfaction with the school's ability to eliminate or reduce barriers to parent engagement. Framed by six types of activities that encompass family engagement from Epstein et al., the purpose of this study was to explore early childhood teachers' experiences in establishing and maintaining school-home relationships at WES. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 Kindergarten through Grade 3 teachers who had at least 3 years’ teaching experience at WES. Thematic analysis using open coding yielded four key …
Early Learning Across Decades: Advances In Measuring Head Start Effectiveness,
2026
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
Early Learning Across Decades: Advances In Measuring Head Start Effectiveness, Chloe R. Gibbs
Upjohn Institute Working Papers
The Head Start program, launched in 1965 and targeted to children from disadvantaged backgrounds, remains the largest early childhood care and education (ECE) program in the United States and the only one deployed at the federal level. As such, the Head Start literature spans several decades and now allows for synthesis of findings from different contexts, time periods, and research designs. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the rigorous evidence measuring Head Start’s effects on children, their families, and society. The focus is on how (1) the contrast between program and counterfactual conditions, (2) takeup of the program among …
Book Review: Assessing Autoethnography: Notes On Analysis, Evaluation, And Craft,
2026
University of Northern Colorado
Book Review: Assessing Autoethnography: Notes On Analysis, Evaluation, And Craft, Margaret Berg
Journal of Educational Research and Innovation
No abstract provided.
February 2026 Nh Ece Research Consortium Newsletter,
2026
University of New Hampshire, Durham
February 2026 Nh Ece Research Consortium Newsletter, Evan England, Jess Carson, Harshita Sarup
New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium
The February 2026 NH ECE Research Consortium Newsletter features a spotlight on the NH Child Care Scholarship Program. Also find the latest data, research publications, Consortium resources, upcoming events, opportunities, and more.
From Wind To Wonder: Libraries And Storytelling At The Heart Of Urban Education,
2026
Georgia State University
From Wind To Wonder: Libraries And Storytelling At The Heart Of Urban Education, Angiah L. Davis
Georgia Library Quarterly
Georgia State University’s (GSU) Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence partnered with the Jim Cherry Learning Resources Center at GSU's Clarkston Library to launch an innovative literacy initiative during the 19th annual GSU Sources Pre‑Conference. Anchored by the theme “Seeing Ourselves in the Algorithmic Future of Education,” the program examined how emerging technologies intersect with creativity, literacy, community problem solving, and storytelling. This article shares the program’s design and impact, illustrating how cross‑institutional partnerships can foster inclusive literacy practices and prepare learners to navigate and shape the algorithmic futures that increasingly define educational landscapes.
The Voices Of Play- Understanding Children’S Perspectives Of Naturalized And Forested Outdoor Play Environments,
2026
University of Guelph
The Voices Of Play- Understanding Children’S Perspectives Of Naturalized And Forested Outdoor Play Environments, Kimberly Squires, Kim Barton, Madi Stubbs, Mandy English
IALS Journal
is qualitative participatory study explored young children's perspectives of naturalized and forested outdoor play environments at an early learning laboratory school in Ontario, Canada. Drawing on the Mosaic Approach, photo-elicitation, and the Reggio Emilia concept of the hundred languages of children, researchers invited preschool children to communicate their perspectives through photography, drawing, and discussion. Findings revealed that both naturalized and forested environments supported meaningful connections with nature, although children engaged with each setting in distinct ways. Forested environments encouraged broader and more action-oriented interactions with natural materials, while naturalized environments fostered more diverse and specific connections with environmental features. The …
Assessing School Readiness For Social And Emotional Learning: A Study Of School Leadership Perceptions And Attitudes,
2026
The American University in Cairo AUC
Assessing School Readiness For Social And Emotional Learning: A Study Of School Leadership Perceptions And Attitudes, Nahla Elharati
Theses and Dissertations
This study explores the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) in a number of British schools across Egypt, focusing on how school leaders defined and perceived its importance in student development. Through in-depth interviews with twelve school leaders, this study found that school leaders’ definitions of SEL emphasized self- awareness, self-regulation, and relationship-building, alongside a strong focus on the real-life applicability of SEL both within school settings and in students’ future lives. School leaders also expressed positive attitudes toward the benefits of SEL, particularly its role in enhancing academic performance, promoting student well-being, improving peer relationships, and reducing bullying, …
Economic Outlook Of Battle Creek: Challenges And Opportunities,
2026
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
Economic Outlook Of Battle Creek: Challenges And Opportunities, Iryna V. Lendel, Chloe Wieber, Sevrin Williams, Gerrit Anderson
Upjohn Institute Technical Reports
This report by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research examines labor market dynamics in Battle Creek, finding that roughly 75 percent of jobs in the city are held by workers who live outside the city limits, with significant skill mismatches between city residents and local employer needs. This mismatch helps explain persistently low wages, elevated poverty rates, and high reliance on public assistance among city residents despite a strong manufacturing base and growing logistics, food processing, and machining sectors. Limited housing supply, inadequate public transportation, and childcare shortages further restrict residents’ access to employment. The report underscores the urgency …
Teacher Perspectives Of Their Challenges In Supporting K-3 Students In Mathematics Proficiency,
2026
Walden University
Teacher Perspectives Of Their Challenges In Supporting K-3 Students In Mathematics Proficiency, Jasmine Chanel Mills
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The problem for this study was that mathematics preparation for students in K–3 classrooms often does not lead to mathematics proficiency for third grade students. Guided by Wigfield’s expectancy value theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perspectives of children’s expectations and values related to mathematics and challenges teachers describe in supporting children’s mathematics achievement. Data were collected through 12 semistructured interviews with K–3 teachers in in a public school district in the eastern United States. Thematic analysis using open coding resulted in six themes which indicated that teacher beliefs and expectations are associated with mathematics …
Untold Journeys: A Case Study Of Attrition In Alabama’S Public School Teaching Workforce,
2026
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Untold Journeys: A Case Study Of Attrition In Alabama’S Public School Teaching Workforce, Jessica Claborn Rose
ETDs from 2020-2029
This exploratory multiple-case study investigates the crisis of teacher attrition among early childhood and elementary education graduates from Alabama-based teacher education programs (TEPs) who either avoided public-school teaching or left the profession within three years. The research, guided by Bandura’s social cognitive theory (SCT) and Maslow’s human motivation theory, utilized a qualitative design involving individual interviews with ten teacher leavers (TLs), and five TEP faculty members. The findings reveal that attrition is a multi-faceted crisis rooted in systemic failures, coalescing around two overarching factors: effectiveness of support systems and a collection of barriers. Consistent with SCT, low self-efficacy, resulting from …
