Elementary Education Commons^™

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 …

Morning Meeting: An Examination Of Its Effect On Student Behavior And Peer Relationships, Allison Dooley

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects Morning Meeting has on student behavior and peer relationships. Data was collected on student behavior through observations in a first-grade classroom. Negative student behaviors decreased as a result of the implementation of Morning Meeting. Analysis of the data collected suggested the positive impacts Morning Meeting has on student behavior and peer relationships. Positive student behavior and peer relationships create a positive classroom community, increasing student performance. Therefore, Morning Meeting should be a consistent strategy in lower elementary classrooms.

The Use Of Nonsense Words In The Early Elementary, Susan M. Stover

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Impacting Student Learning Outcomes By Addressing Basic Needs Of Students And Their Families, Nicole Gossling

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this school improvement project was to identify how an urban elementary school could impact student learning outcomes by addressing basic needs unmet for children and their families. This was accomplished by first identifying and researching areas of basic needs commonly lacking for families of an elementary school with a high density of need. Next, how to assist families in meeting these needs via community resources and programs was researched and discussed. An existing annual school community building event was expanded to address these needs in a low pressure, familiar environment for school families. Several local community organizations …

Effects Of Movement On Student Achievement, Nicole Davidson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review explores the effect that movement has on the achievement of elementary aged students. The research provided through scholarly articles, journals, and books, explains why there is a need for movement activities in the classroom and how physical activity effects the engagement and success of children in a positive way. This literature review examines the constructive impact that movement plays on the brain activity of young children in their early developmental stages of life. Studies also provide research that examine how the overall health of children can benefited by the amount of movement that their body receives daily. …

Effects Of Choice On Multiplication And Division Fluency Acquisition For Third Grade Students, Terri Tammelin

All NMU Master's Theses

Students with the most pronounced behavioral needs are the ones missing the most instruction. A three-tiered system of intervention that is data driven and uses evidence based interventions is used within schools to meet the needs of all students. Within this tiered system, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), founded in the sciences of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), are used. Of the many PBIS interventions, instructional choice at Tier I has been established as an effective, low intensity, teacher delivered support that aims to reduce challenging behaviors and increase academic engagement. Instructional choice involves two parts: selection in response to …

Eece 351 Teaching Science In The Elementary School, Line A. Saint-Hilaire

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Digital Storytelling On Astronomy Misconceptions Held By Fourth Grade Students, Pamela Adell Hadaway Wimpey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For students to be successful in the Knowledge Age, they need a deep understanding of subject area content. When students develop misconceptions of science concepts, it limits their ability to progress in this area. Misconceptions are very resistant to change and interfere with student mastery of accepted science theory (Stamp & O'Brien, 2005; Wendt & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2014). The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of student-produced digital stories in reducing the number of misconceptions held by students. This quasi-experimental study involved 118 fourth grade students in a small elementary school in the southeastern United States. The MOSART …

The Effectiveness Of Student-Centered Technology Use During Early Elementary Small Group Math Instruction, Brenna Lind

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to determine whether students would show more growth when using paper and pencil activities or technology during small group instruction in mathematics, specifically on the skill of telling time. Data was collected from ten second-grade students over a five-week period. The two intervention groups involved in the study met for equal amounts of time and were given the same tests for data collection purposes. The test questions were randomized pictures of clocks that required students to tell time to the nearest five minutes. One intervention group practiced the skill of telling time …

Social/Emotional Interventions And Their Impact On Student Achievement, Janee Carson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This purpose of this action research project was to determine the impact of combining social, emotional, behavioral and academic interventions and their effects on academic achievement for at-risk elementary students. Data was collected from SAEBRS to determine social/emotional risk and the FAST Early Literacy Universal Screener to determine academic risk. For twelve weeks the researcher implemented Resiliency interventions and targeted 1-on-1 literacy interventions. This was done in addition to Tier 1 classroom interventions and Tier 2 Title interventions. The intervention program was implemented every school day for 15 minutes. The teacher began each intervention session by allowing the student to …

Boosting Reading Comprehension Through Response Activities, Carrie Wilkison

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research project was conducted to help determine if the use of written reading response activities would improve reading comprehension when students are reading independently. The study was conducted with twenty 3rd grade students. The students read one text a week for ten weeks and completed written reading response activities before, during, and after reading each text. The reading responses focused on the comprehension strategies of predicting, questioning, visualizing, and summarizing. The goal was for the students to build the metacognitive skill of comprehension monitoring and use the reading strategies when independently reading. Data was collected from teacher created …

The Impact Of Social-Emotional Development In Preschool, Gena Jadwin

Graduate Teacher Education

The development of children’s cognitive and social-emotional learning is of significant importance in education, specifically in early childhood education. Early childhood administrators, educators, and support staff have noticed an increase in the amount of students displaying underdeveloped or lacking social-skills within preschool classrooms. This paper will analyze and summarize research to explain the relationship between social-emotional skills and temperament, classroom environment, and educational outcomes in preschool aged students. It was found through research that a lack of social-emotional understanding and skills was impactful to a child’s future emotional responses and academic achievement. In order for leaders to best prepare teachers …

Innovative Teaching Practices To Accelerate Student Learning In The Areas Of Literacy And Science, Michelle Simmons, Paris Bouchard

Dissertations

The researchers of this joint dissertation aspired to create and implement innovative instructional practices that would accelerate student learning. Both researchers believed in the importance of experimenting with structures and processes that lead to instructional impact. They were both passionate about developing an instructional model that would accelerate student learning by focusing on student transfer of skills. They sought to answer the question, Can learning be accelerated when teachers are supported and encouraged to create and implement instructional practices grounded in research? One researcher studied a practice that would potentially increase students’ ability to think critically and problem solve using …

A Qualitative Case Study Examining The Perceptions Of Elementary Principals In The Retention Of Female Versus Male Students In Rural Areas, Lindell N. Brabham

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Retention continues to be an ongoing issue discussed among educators. Current research indicates that males are more likely to repeat a grade than females, and consistent findings indicate that retention rates are higher for minority students. The research question explored the perception of eight elementary principals as it relates to the retention of female versus male students in rural areas. Interviews and focus group sessions were used in this study to allow triangulation of data. Data collected was analyzed, and a total of seven major themes emerged: (a) early intervention/retention; (b) policies and procedures; (c) gender bias; (d) students’ academic …

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.

Equitable Access In Education: Access To Joy, Choice Options, And Strong Neighborhood Schools, Noah Hollenkamp, Albert J. Sanders Jr., Lindsay Schuessler

Dissertations

The purpose of this co-authored dissertation was to understand equitable access of quality educational opportunities in St. Louis, Missouri. Through the following research, we present a better understanding of equity and access in education from a classroom level, on a school level, and finally, on a regional level. This collection of research is the effort of a group of committed and concerned educators seeking to understand the ways of making quality education accessible for all families, specifically in the areas of school choice, quality neighborhood schools, and play in the classroom. By equitable access, we mean all families being able …

Elementary Students’ Computational Thinking Practice In A Bridge Design And Building Challenge (Fundamental), Dazhi Yang, Youngkyun Baek, Bhaskar Chittoori, William H. Stewart

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The increased focus on computational thinking (CT) has grown in recent years for various reasons, such as a general concern about (a) a lack of global competitiveness among American students and general literacy in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields (Hsu & Cardella, 2013), (b) maintaining the economic competitiveness of the U.S. (Yadav, Hong, & Stephenson, 2016), and (c) preparing students adequately for a society that is increasingly technological (NRC, 2011). CT can help individuals analyze and understand multiple dimensions of a complex problem and identify and apply appropriate tools or techniques to address a complex problem (Wing, 2010). …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Early Childhood Education Preparation And Experiences Of California Certificated Elementary School Educators Assigned To Transitional Kindergarten, Elizabeth A. Golchert

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This dissertation represents original, independent research that is a contribution of new knowledge to the field of educational practice. As a new phenomenon in the California public school system, transitional kindergarten (TK) is now bringing about a closer look by researchers at legislative practices, TK program implementation, local school district policies, teacher preparation, and teacher implementation of best practices related to the education of children of approximately four years of age. The purpose of conducting this study was to broadly examine these topics, but more specifically, investigate the problem of children being assigned to teachers who do not have the …

Teacher Perspectives On Student Behavior And Aces In Elementary Education, Bridget Mudd

Education | Master's Theses

Since 1998, substantial evidence has demonstrated rates of prevalence for different types of adverse or potentially traumatizing experiences that can happen during childhood, commonly referred to as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). In response, many studies have demonstrated the benefits of trauma-informed practices in mental health. Despite supporting evidence, policymakers have been slow to implement these practices in schools. Teachers are on the front lines of this issue. They are in a position to be most effective in supporting children and most impacted by student behavior yet their voice is notably absent from the literature. The purpose of this study is …

Science-Literacy Integration: Equity And Learning In First-Grade, Urban Instructional Contexts, Angela J. Stefanski, Nicole M. Martin, Melinda A. Zurcher

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Previous research demonstrates that integration of science and literacy instruction in primary grades has positive outcomes for students’ science and literacy development. However, variations in how science and literacy are enacted suggest integration may not be sufficient to meet the literacy and science needs of all students in an equitable manner. The purpose of this study was to examine two first-grade teachers’ science integration during literacy instruction in one high- and one low-income school context within one urban district. Analysis of field notes, transcripts of lessons, and interviews revealed that expectations to integrate science during time set aside for literacy …