Elementary Education Commons^™

New Hampshire Tcap, Riley Lane

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Hidden Gems Of Clay County: “Snap + Say Something” Inquiry Protocol, David Wolff

OER Materials

The goal of this assignment was to design an immersive, place‑based learning experience that helps preservice teachers engage with primary sources connected to the history and culture of Clay County, Minnesota. In collaboration with the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, preservice teachers visited the Hjemkomst Center and used autophotography to document artifacts, exhibits, and moments that helped them understand what makes Moorhead and the wider Clay County community a unique and meaningful place. Alongside their photographs, they wrote reflections explaining why each image captures an aspect of Clay County as a “special place.” This approach is intended …

Seeking The Goodness In Culturally Responsive Practices Of New Jersey Suburban Public Elementary Teachers, Kimya S. Jackson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In the United States, suburban elementary schools continue to diversify, while teaching staff remain predominantly White, creating urgency for culturally responsive practices (CRP) in non-urban settings (Stanford, 2023). In this study, I examined CRP’s goodness enacted by four teachers in New Jersey suburban elementary schools, a context shaped by state mandates for diversity and inclusion (New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), 2022). The question guiding my research was: In what ways do New Jersey suburban elementary (kindergarten through fifth grade) schoolteachers engage in culturally responsive practices? Using Lawrence-Lightfoot and Hoffman Davis’s (1997) portraiture methodology, I developed portraits of four suburban …

Wild Rice Life Cycle: An Integrated Science, Social Studies, And Ela Lesson, Rhett Zima, Lily Deming

OER Materials

This lesson is designed to deepen students’ understanding of wild rice, a plant native to Minnesota, by integrating life science concepts such as structure, function, life cycles, and seed dispersal with prior knowledge from English Language Arts and Social Studies. Using the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), students participate in a structured, inquiry-based learning experience. They begin by connecting to prior knowledge and generating questions, then investigating the life cycle and growth patterns of wild rice through hands-on exploration. As students build their understanding, they analyze how the plant’s seed dispersal supports its survival and reproduction. …

Using The Competing Values Framework To Connect Elementary School Culture, Principal Behaviors, And School Performance, Tara Tucker

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods research was to investigate the relationships between school principal leadership competencies, school organizational culture, and school performance grades in elementary schools in one district in western North Carolina using Quinn and Rohrbaugh’s (1983) Competing Values Framework (CVF). This study measured the correlation between school organizational culture, as measured by the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument; school effectiveness, as indicated by the NC Accountability Grading Scale; and principal behaviors at the elementary level, as measured by the Leadership Competencies Assessment. Using the CVF, this study identified a school’s organizational culture by determining where dominating …

Supporting Core Instruction: A Mixed Methods Study Of Foundations Of Math Training For Elementary Teachers, Naomi C. Mallory

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Effective Tier 1 mathematics instruction within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) depends on the teacher’s ability to implement research-based instructional practices with confidence and fidelity (Berkeley et al., 2020; Cleaver, 2023). The purpose of this study was to explore educators' perspectives on how explicit, research-based mathematics professional development influenced their perceived capacity to deliver effective core instruction. Specifically, the study explored how the Foundations of Math (FoM) professional development course affected teachers’ confidence and instructional decision-making. This study was conducted within one public school district and included elementary educators who had participated in the FoM course. Data were collected …

Plant Phenomena Nature Walk: Msum Regional Science Center, Abigail Kor

OER Materials

The goal of this inquiry-based lesson plan is to provide teachers and students with a place-based learning experience focused on exploring natural phenomena in the world around them. The lesson was established to provide learners with an experience to observe nature in Minnesota, by exploring the grounds at the MSUM regional science center. This lesson can be adapted to suit other outdoor learning environments. The primary goal of this lesson is to provide students with a cross-curricular, hands-on learning experience that takes place in their community and environment.

Competitive Dance And The Adolescent’S Body: Considering Pedagogical Approaches To Teaching Competitive Dancers, Catri E. G. Barba

Dance (MFA) Theses

Diving into the past and researching for the future, this thesis explores the development and perpetuation of hyper-sexualized adolescent bodies through the competitive dance scene. Drawing on dance theorists, educational theorists, and embodied research (i.e., the author’s body archive), this thesis explores how the competition gaze is performed for and by a capitalist patriarchy. Specifically, this thesis critically reflects on the author’s career as a young competitive dancer in the greater Los Angeles, California, area during the 1990s and 2000s, as well as a competition dance instructor and K-12 educator for two decades, and how those personal experiences have shaped …

From Student To Teacher: Reflections On My Personal Growth, Francesca I. Taormina

SPARK Symposium Presentations

This presentation reflects on professional growth during the undergraduate teacher preparation program and clinical teaching experiences in an elementary education classroom. It highlights instructional practices developed through coursework and field experiences, including lesson planning, formative assessment, and responsiveness to diverse learners. The presentation also identifies goals for continued professional growth as an educator and reflects on the role of clinical practice in preparing future teachers.

When Play Fades And Screens Rise: Teachers' And Parents' Lived Experiences Of The Push-Down Of Academics In Kindergarten, Rachel L. Hunter

Doctor of Education

In the span of a single generation federal mandates have transformed kindergarten from a place of play into an academic pressure zone. This study is grounded in early childhood education, child development, and educational policy, with a focus on heightened academic expectations in kindergarten alongside the rising influence of digital technology in young children’s lives. It addresses two questions: (1) How has the reduction or elimination of play in kindergarten impacted children’s peer-to-peer engagement? and (2) What role, if any, does digital technology play in compounding this shift? This phenomenological study employs qualitative, transformative action-research methods to examine the lived …

Developing A Socioculturally-Informed Esl Curriculum For First-Grade Students In Public Schools, Russul R. Abtan

Doctor of Education

Most English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in US elementary schools do not accommodate developmental, linguistic, and cultural needs of young learners, which leads to insufficient language uptake and future academic-related issues. This study examines how an English as a Second Language (ESL) language arts curriculum for first grade can be developed within the framework of the sociocultural theory and developmentally appropriate practices. Research indicates a difference between existing ESL curricula the linguistic, cognitive and emotional needs of young learners. This project integrates key components of Krashen’s Input Hypothesis and Cummins’ BICS/CALP model by drawing on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory …

Response To Intervention: Impact On Academic Achievement, Lisa Cisneros

Education Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the application of improvement science within education as a structured framework for strengthening the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI) to improve elementary students’ reading outcomes. Grounded in the six guiding principles of improvement science: problem-specific, focus, variability acknowledgment, system recognition, evaluation, and systematic inquiry learning. This study applied a Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) methodology and practical insights. The study emphasized the utilization of the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle as a trial-and-learning methodology to instigate continuous improvement in educational practices. Using a mixed-methods design across two years …

Evaluation And Impact Of 4th Grade Writing Instruction And Intervention, Sasha R. Smith

Education Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of Texas's redesigned State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) introduced extended constructed response (ECR) items that required students to demonstrate reading comprehension through written responses. At the study site, fourth-grade students consistently demonstrated stronger reading comprehension than writing performance, revealing a gap in their ability to communicate understanding using evidence-based written responses. The purpose of this Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice was to evaluate the implementation and impact of a systems-based instructional intervention designed to improve fourth-grade students' performance on constructed response writing tasks through increased instructional coherence and explicit writing instruction. This embedded mixed-methods case …

Working With Parents & Guardians: Asset-Based Communication + Conference Simulation (4-Day Sequence), Carissa State Gober

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

This four‑day instructional sequence prepares teacher candidates to communicate with parents and guardians using an asset‑based, professional, and ethically grounded approach. The unit emphasizes prioritizing student strengths, shared goals, and contextual understanding while avoiding deficit‑focused language. Candidates begin by engaging in a Socratic Seminar grounded in research on effective family communication, allowing them to surface key themes, misconceptions, and questions. They then learn a structured conference script, analyze communication tips embedded within it, and practice applying the format through peer role‑play. Subsequent sessions focus on selecting and presenting data in family‑friendly ways, reframing challenges into needs and supports, and using …

“They Don't Care If I'M Here Or Not”: The Impact Of Exclusionary Discipline On Black Boys In Elementary Schools, Arielle Gulley

DSW Capstone Projects

Disproportionate and exclusionary school discipline practices continue to affect African American boys as early as elementary school, with significant implications for their mental health, academic engagement, and long-term educational trajectories. This capstone project examines how racially biased discipline contributes to disparities in belonging, emotional well-being, and student-teacher relationships, and advances the need to reframe discipline as a site of mental health intervention rather than punishment.

The systematic literature review synthesizes peer-reviewed research to examine the relationship between exclusionary discipline and mental health outcomes among African American boys in elementary settings, with particular attention to patterns emerging in early educational environments. …

The Art Of Giving Good Feedback: How Principals And Other Factors Build Or Break Teacher Efficacy Through Evaluations And Feedback In The Public Elementary School Setting, Kayla Davidson

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The aim of this study was to explore how public elementary school teachers experience and interpret principal feedback in relation to their sense of self-efficacy, including how their lived experiences align with Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) ratings. Understanding how feedback shapes teacher confidence may help school leaders design evaluation systems that better support professional growth and retention. In this study, feedback was most influential when it was grounded in direct observation, specific, and delivered within trusting professional relationships, while formal evaluation feedback was often perceived as compliance-oriented and less impactful on teacher confidence. Findings indicated that self-efficacy was …

The Obverse-Turing Test: Rethinking Authorship, Trust, And Time In An Accelerated Age, Michael J. Miller, Chatgpt (Ai~Nesbo+)

Psychology

In this paper, we propose a new test for scientific accountability in the era of artificial intelligence: the Obverse Turing Test for Authorship. While the traditional Turing test focuses on a machine's ability to mimic human intelligence, our test addresses the question: when should a scientific contribution involving artificial intelligence be attributed joint authorship? We argue that more and more authors are using AI in the idea generation and elaboration stages of their work, but rarely acknowledge this use explicitly. To examine this gap, we analyze examples of human–AI interactions across fields and propose a new approach to authorship based …

Implementing Stem In Elementary Schools: Teacher Perceptions, Practices, And Supports, Casey Wester

Doctor of Education Dissertations

STEM education is a critical component of maintaining global competitiveness, underscoring the need to begin it in early childhood. Integrating STEM education requires teachers to move beyond traditional teaching methods toward a transdisciplinary approach. Research has shown that there can be a variety of barriers to integrating STEM into the classroom. This explanatory mixed methods research study investigated elementary school educators' perspectives on implementing a STEM initiative, the fidelity of implementation post-initiative, and the current supports and additional support needed to sustain implementation. To carry out this investigation, a survey was deployed to elementary educators in three elementary schools, and …

Emotional Intelligence And Self-Efficacy In Relation To Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role Of Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment In Faith-Based K–12 Education, Nestor Osorio

Dissertations

Problem

Leadership turnover remains a significant challenge within faith-based K–12 educational systems, affecting organizational stability, school culture, and long-term institutional effectiveness. Although previous studies have examined turnover intention in educational leadership, limited research has explored how emotional intelligence and principal self-efficacy relate to turnover intention through organizational attitudes such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment within faith-based educational settings. Additionally, little empirical research has focused specifically on educational leaders serving within the North American Division (NAD) of Seventh-day Adventist schools. This study examined the extent to which emotional intelligence, principal self- efficacy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment are associated with …

A Strawberry’S Meaning, Ava Bauch, Michaela Barthel, Cacee Danielson, Brooke Kraft

OER Materials

This lesson plan provides a culturally responsive and interdisciplinary learning experience for second-grade students by integrating social studies, literacy, and character education through the topic of strawberries in Cherokee culture. Using the 5E instructional model students learn that items in nature can hold important meaning for different cultures. The lesson aligns with standards focused on identifying how people are influenced by their environment and how natural resources can shape traditions and beliefs. Students begin by discussing their own experiences with strawberries and sharing what strawberries mean to them. This opening activity activates prior knowledge and helps students understand that objects …