Elementary Education Commons^™

The Acquisition Of English Proficiency By English Language Learners In The Elementary Grades: An Event History Analysis, Elisabete Sousa

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

It is important that educators develop a deeper understanding of the process by which English Language Learners (ELL) acquire English proficiency. This hypothesis-generating event history study followed 285 Grade K-5 ELLs in a suburban public school district in New York State. Its longitudinal component used Kaplan-Meier techniques to provide a descriptive foundation and then conducted discrete-time event history analyses using binary logistic regression to create parametric life tables, analyze the effects of dual-language instruction and other factors, and estimate transition times between proficiency categories and overall. The cross-sectional component employed ordered logistic regression to analyze selected effects on classification into …

Classification, Service Provision, And Early Academic Skills Of Early Elementary School Students Who Received Services As A Preschool Student With A Disability, Meghan Conboy

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Youth with disabilities benefit from coordinated supports and services, particularly during early childhood when they are developing foundational abilities that will influence their developmental trajectory (Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, 2015; Sandall et al., 2005). Preschool-aged students who enter kindergarten with adequately developed pre-academic skills are more likely demonstrate high performance levels in academic domains throughout compulsory education compared to peers with low pre-academic skills (Christensen et al., 2020; Fitzpatrick, 2017; Hair et al., 2006; Tavassolie et al., 2022). However, despite the knowledge that both preschool programs and high-quality and effective early intervention benefit children across their lifetime, limited research …

A Systematic Literature Review Of The Possible Negative Impacts Of Overconsumption Of Mass Media And Technology On Elementary-Aged Members Of Generation Z (1997–2012) And Generation Alpha (2013–2024), Ashya Y. Warren

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores the possible negative impacts of overconsumption of mass media and technology on the elementary-aged members of Generation Z (1997-2012) and Generation Alpha (2013-2024). This research is aimed at establishing the relationship between excessive and uncontrolled exposure to digital media and cognitive, emotional, social, behavioral, and academic difficulties at a critical period of child growth. The purpose of this systematic literature review can be explained by the author's experience with technology overuse and professional interests as a future teacher, who should be prepared to help promote healthy childhood and development. The systematic literature review was based on peer-reviewed …

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 …

Stuck In The Middle?: A Design Project To Support Do Not Qualify (Dnq) And Other Struggling Students At The Elementary Level, Steven T. Hartnett, Kevin M. Parkinson, Whitney M. Wayman

Doctor of Education Capstones

This dissertation in practice is designed to support New Kent County Public Schools, which noticed an increase in students being referred for special education services without a concomitant increase in students being found eligible for such services. Systems mapping revealed a root cause of this discrepancy is that the division lacked a comprehensive intervention plan consistently implemented, and - as a result - some students were referred for special education services not due to the presence of a potential learning disability, but merely for lack of other available options. Using tenets from design thinking and design-based research, the project co-created …

Preparing Elementary Teachers Through Targeted Science Content And Hands-On Learning, Manar Yamany, Jeffrey Carver, Susie Huggins, Arooj Justin, Yuanhua Wang

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

This session presents an instructional approach implemented in the undergraduate course Science for Elementary Educators, designed to intentionally align science content instruction with the specific learning needs of future elementary teachers. The course focuses on developing conceptual understanding in core elementary science domains, physical science, life science, and earth and space science, while modeling developmentally appropriate instructional practices suitable for elementary classrooms.

The teaching practice emphasizes hands-on, inquiry-based science experiences that reflect the types of learning activities preservice teachers are expected to facilitate with their own students, while engaging with the content at a deeper conceptual level appropriate for …

K-3 Literacy Teachers’ Sensemaking Of Early Literacy Policies In New York State: A Survey Study, Abigail Ferris

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Teachers must have opportunities to engage deeply in sensemaking during periods of major literacy reform, as unclear expectations can limit their ability to implement policy with fidelity. Using a cross-sectional survey design, this study explored K-3 literacy teachers’ perceptions, awareness, and factors related to their sensemaking of three science of reading literacy policies and initiatives in New York State. Findings suggested varying levels of awareness of the three literacy policies and initiatives, with teachers reporting that policy messages were communicated primarily through top-down structures, such as principals and literacy coaches within their organizations. Participants drew on personal, organizational, and external …

Gender Inequality In Afghanistan's Public Schools: Provincial Disparities Amid Historical And Political Change, 2002-2021, Enayatullah Nasir

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation examines the persistence and spatial concentration of gender-based educational inequality in Afghanistan's public school system from 2002 to 2021–– a period spanning post-2001 reconstruction, the expansion of the Republic era, and the reversal under the second Taliban regime. Despite substantial international investment and two decades of repeated commitments to gender parity, access to and progression through public schooling remained profoundly uneven across the country’s thirty-four provinces. The Gender Parity Index values differ sharply between provinces, and those with the lowest overall enrollment tend to exhibit the widest gender gaps. Existing scholarship has concentrated on the national level, obscuring …

Framing The Gray: A Photovoice Study Of Parents’ Experiences Supporting Elementary Mathematics Learning At Home, Rebekah Ulmer

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This narrative photovoice study explored how elementary parents understand their role in supporting mathematics at home. The research asked three foundational questions: How do parents of elementary students describe their personal experiences with learning mathematics? How do parents of elementary students describe their experiences with supporting mathematics at home with their children? What factors influence parents' experiences with mathematics? Fourteen parents, eight with experience as educators and six without, participated by sharing photographs in response to five prompts and discussing what those images meant to them. Their stories revealed that, for these families, mathematics isn't neatly divided into “school math” …

Effective Practices In A School-Based Mentorship Program: Insights From An Elementary School Setting, Kimberly Noele Steger

Dissertations and Theses

(School-based mentoring programs) SBMPs have demonstrated beneficial outcomes for mentees, mentors, and overall school culture; however, their effectiveness was highly dependent on intentional implementation and the educators who facilitated them. Limited research exists on how SBMPs were practically introduced, structured, and sustained; thus underscoring the need for deeper examination of successful implementation practices. Therefore, this case study explored the implementation of SBMPs within a specific elementary school, focusing on mentors’ perceptions and experiences. The researcher sought to understand mentors’ roles within the program, including their successes and challenges, the training and support they received, and how implementation conditions influenced their …

What Do They Expect? Understanding Preservice Teachers' Views On A Social Studies Teaching Methodology Course, Jeanine A. Clark Bremer

Dissertations of Practice

This dissertation examined preservice teachers’ expectations of their social studies methods course. Methods courses serve as a transition point helping preservice teachers to take content knowledge and learn how to use it as an educator. Social studies methods was selected due to its unique position in elementary education. It is a subject area that is no longer a core subject. Despite that, teachers are still expected to provide students with the content knowledge. The expectations matter because of how they influence preservice teachers’ approaches to the course.

As a phenomenological case study, qualitative methods were employed to better understand how …

Literacy Intervention At The Middle Level: A Mixed-Methods Examination Of The Implementation Of Thinking Maps, Ashley Chantal Choice

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the implementation of Thinking Maps® as a literacy instructional intervention for students in grades four and five. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study investigated the effect of Thinking Maps® on student achievement, changes in students’ literacy-related work products, and teachers’ perceptions of the strategy. The study was conducted at a rural Title I elementary school in the southeastern United States and included nine teachers and 150 students across English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies during an eight-week intervention period. Quantitative data included unit pretest and posttest scores from standards-aligned assessments and teacher perception …

Exploring Phonics Intervention For Elementary Students, Hallee Thomas

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of High-Quality Phonological Awareness Professional Learning On In-Service Teachers' Content Knowledge And Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Roberta S. Thomas

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This convergent mixed-method study examined the impact of high-quality phonological awareness professional learning on Montessori primary lead, associate, and team associate teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of phonological awareness. Eleven teachers (4 lead, 4 associates, and 2 team associates) from a private school in northeast Florida participated in four professional sessions with a content focus on the levels of phonological awareness, including word, syllable, onset and rime, and phoneme awareness. In contrast to previous studies that reported low levels of teacher content knowledge prior to professional learning, participants in this study demonstrated relatively high levels of content knowledge. …

The Teacher Shortage Crisis: How Workplace Relationships Influence Retention, Attrition, And The Education Labor Market, Jeremy Brooks

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study took a closer look at how high school teachers perceive the ongoing teacher shortage, with particular attention to how workplace conditions and the broader school climate impact whether they choose to stay in the profession. Special focus was given to teachers in their first five years, a group especially vulnerable to early attrition. As the conversation around teacher turnover grows louder, this research seeks to better understand what’s driving teachers’ decisions from their own perspectives, not just policy data or administrative assumptions.

The study used a basic qualitative research design, relying on one-on-one, in-depth interviews to gather insights …

Leveraging Funds Of Knowledge And Funds Of Identity: Exploring Equitable Strategies For Diverse Classroom Settings, Evana Nusrat Dooty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explores how elementary teachers in the U.S. perceive and incorporate students’ Funds of Knowledge (FoK) and Funds of Identity (FoI) to promote equity in diverse classroom settings. A review of literature highlights the significance of culturally responsive pedagogy, FoK & FoI frameworks, and equity-oriented teaching practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect participants’ perspectives on leveraging students’ home and community knowledge in instructional planning and classroom interactions. Lesson plans were collected from all participants to get idea about how they could utilize  FoK and FoI approach in their classroom instruction. The findings highlight the need for teacher preparation …

Exploring Teacher Perceptions: A Comparative Analysis Of Departmentalized And Self-Contained Instructional Models In First And Second Grades, Jason R. Trotter

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative multiple-case study examined the perceptions of first- and second-grade teachers who have taught in both the departmentalized and traditional self-contained instructional models. The study explored teachers’ perceived advantages and disadvantages of each model, examined how their experiences within each model influenced instructional strategies and classroom management approaches, and assessed their perceived impacts on student engagement and learning outcomes. Each grade level was a bounded case. This study was conducted at a Title I elementary school in Southeast Georgia, where both models were implemented.

Guided by social constructivism, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven teachers (four first-grade and three …

Another Day's Journey: Birthing Brilliance Through Culturally Relevant/Responsive/Sustaining Pedagogies, Letitice Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the implementation of culturally relevant/responsive/sustaining mathematics using hip-hop pedagogy with special education students. The theoretical frameworks for this include with Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995), Culturally Responsive Teaching (Gay, 2018), and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2014). Utilizing an autobiographical case study methodology, I examined the use of culturally relevant math tasks and hip-hop pedagogy with 3^rd grade students with disabilities. From this study, the following findings emerged: (1). Learning environments characterized by hope, empathy, and critical agency can be cultivated through the use of community resources and structured classroom norms that promote support, collaboration, …

Factors That Impact K-6th Grade Teachers’ Sense Of Self-Efficacy: A Mixed Methods Study, Becky A. Eckburg

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Although there have been efforts to narrow the "achievement gap," research shows that the academic achievement levels of students in low socioeconomic school settings are likely to be significantly lower than the academic achievement levels of students in higher socioeconomic school settings (Babayiğit et al., 2021; Rahman et al., 2024). Studies also show that teachers have a significant impact on their students' growth, no matter what their academic setting may be (Petek & Pope, 2023), and that collective teacher self-efficacy is a significant factor in positive student achievement (Hattie, 2008). If targeted professional development could support teachers' self-efficacy, student achievement …

What They Learn, What They Use:  A Narrative Inquiry Into Teacher Candidates’ Application And Perceptions Of Their Professional Learning Experiences, Shaundricka Medlock

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The landscape of teacher preparation is shifting toward clinically rich, practice-based models designed to bridge the longstanding gap between theoretical coursework and the realities of classroom teaching. Despite these reforms, many teacher candidates continue to face challenges in transferring what they learn in teacher preparation programs into effective instructional practice. This disconnect raises concerns about the coherence, responsiveness, and equity of current clinical preparation models, particularly in their ability to prepare future educators for diverse and high-need learning environments. This narrative inquiry study explores how elementary teacher candidates experience and apply professional learning experiences during a year-long internship in a …