Elementary Education Commons^™

Electronic Field Trips For Science Engagement: The Streaming Science Model, Jamie Loizzo, Mary J. Harner, Deborah J. Weitzenkamp, Kevin Kent

Southeast Research and Extension Center: Reports and Administration

While institutions of higher education work to engage PK-12 youth in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts and careers via in-person programming, PK-12 teachers and students face many logistical and access constraints for physically traveling to sites off of school grounds during the school day. Throughout the years, electronic field trips (EFTs) have offered a digital way for schools to engage in meaningful ways with museums, parks, laboratories, and field research sites. In order for EFTs to be effective, they should be cost effective and created collaboratively with teachers, students, subject matter experts, and instructional design and communication professionals. …

The Exploration Of Social Anxiety, School Relationships, And Building A Sense Of Community In The Classroom: Molding A Classroom Community., Nicole Hinton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to add a sense of community to a primary level classroom and allow students an opportunity to share their progress with peers. Having a sense of community in the classroom will help the teacher and the students build relationships and reduce the amount of stress and anxiety that students feel, which could impact student learning. This thesis explores programs that have been created to help students build social and life skills that contribute in a community. This thesis also focuses on how the students can make thesis changes within themselves rather than as a …

Parent Involvement In Contested Times: A Brief Analysis Of The Effects Of Anti-Immigrant Policies On Latinx Immigrant Parent Involvement, Maria Isabel Morales

CGU Theses & Dissertations

How do perceived community and school cultural values affect Latinx immigrant parents’ decisions to engage with their children’s schools? What lessons might their experiences have for our understanding of parent involvement beyond the parameters of traditional models of parent involvement? Engaging parents as advocates for school success in the home is particularly important for English Language Learners (ELs). Tapping into the experiences of EL parents is a resource educators can use to increase parental involvement and, consequently, student academic achievement.

This qualitative case study grounded in Critical Inquiry and Cultural Historic Activity Theory examined the perceptions and experiences of 5 …

Utilizing Journaling In The Mathematics Classroom: A Handbook Guide For Teachers, Audrey Nicole Wilson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A handbook designed for teachers to illustrate how to utilize journaling as an effective teaching practice in the mathematics classroom. This thesis was written to illuminate educators about the powerful research and proper strategies for implementing journaling in mathematics. The handbook provides three lesson plan samples using journaling in the mathematics classroom for grades 3-5, strategies and idea for implementing journaling in mathematics, and tips and activities for mathematical journaling. The goal of this handbook is to give teachers clarity, examples, guidance, and strategies on mathematical journaling.

Symmetry Is Not A Universal Law Of Beauty, Helmut Leder, Pablo Tinio, David Brieber, Tonio Kröner, Thomas Jacobsen, Raphael Rosenberg

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

Scientific disciplines as diverse as biology, physics, and psychological aesthetics regard symmetry as one of the most important principles in nature and one of the most powerful determinants of beauty. However, symmetry has a low standing in the arts and humanities. This difference in the valuation of symmetry is a remarkable illustration of the gap between the two cultures. To close this gap, we conducted an interdisciplinary, empirical study to directly demonstrate the effects of art expertise on symmetry appreciation. Two groups of art experts—artists and art historians—and a group of non-experts provided spontaneous beauty ratings of visual stimuli that …

Teachers Make The Difference: Accessing A Black Woman's Specific Funds Of Knowledge To Make A Difference In The Classroom, Morgan Goodman

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnography was to examine the elements of my personal goals and aspirations of being an elementary school teacher with the real experience of teaching students within my classroom. Through the lens of an ethnography, and grounded in the research components of culturally inclusive education and, this thesis provides a critical and needed pedagogical approach to how teachers can make a difference in the lives of their students, and in the process learn that they are really the ones being taught.

Learning Through Privilege: My Teaching And Educational Journey, Grace Birkenbeuel

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This ethnography traces my journey teaching kindergarten in the Pico Union neighborhood in Los Angeles. Its purpose is to understand the macro and micro levels of the community to inform my teaching practices and support my students and families. On a micro-level, I conducted case studies on three specific students. Data analysis of in-home interviews, personal interactions, and assessments allowed me to create action plans to best support these students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. On a macro level, I studied my students’ environments: community, school, and classroom. Attending community events, learning about my school’s mission, and reflecting on my …

The Continuous Journey, Bailey Jackson

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The following work has compiled over the course of my time spent at Claremont Graduate University. Through my time in the program I have not only developed as an educator but an individual as well. My journey began simply by looking at myself and who I am. I thought I knew who I was, but as I continued with my courses, spent more time in the classroom, and engaged in professional relationships I began to wonder. Throughout this ethnography, I will share my experiences and journey through this roller coaster year. However, as I reflect now, I can begin to …

A Summary Of Literacy Skills And Improvement Methods From The Perspective Of A Future Teacher, Emma L. Taylor

A with Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

“Be Calm, Keep Calm”: A Study Of Fourth-Grade Students’ Experiences Of High-Stakes, Marcinda Asburry

Ed.D. Dissertations

The researcher examined the experiences of fourth-grade students as they prepared for and took the TNReady assessment, which is considered a high-stakes test. The sample size consisted of three boys and two girls who attended a private school located in rural Southeastern Tennessee. Through drawing protocols, interviews, and student writings. The researcher found the boys in this study experienced more anxiety as compared to the girls when it came to preparing and taking the TNReady assessment. The researcher also found that students emphasized the role of the teacher in helping them deal with anxiety that they experienced. Research regarding how …

Teachers' And Administrators' Perceptions Of Departmentalization In Elementary Schools, Mary Day

Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine administrator and teacher perceptions of the two primary classroom organizational structures in kindergarten through second grade within a rural East Tennessee school district: 1) departmentalized and 2) self-contained. Data were collected from seven elementary schools. The number of survey respondents were: 25 kindergarten through second grade teachers and eight administrators represented a 63% return rate for teachers and an 80% return rate for administrators. This researcher determined three primary categories among the administrator and teacher responses from both organizational structures: 1) student and teacher relationships, 2) classroom transition, and 3) academic …

The Relationship Between The Supportive Principal Behavior Dimension And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy In Rural Schools, Elizabeth Lackey

Ed.D. Dissertations

Abstract

The researcher focused on the principal behavior dimensions that principals exhibited in interactions with staff members and the relationship those behaviors had on teachers’ sense of self-efficacy in rural schools. In this study, the researcher surveyed 96 rural elementary school teachers in a southeastern state to examine the relationship between the principal behavior dimensions using the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire-Revised for Elementary Schools and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy using the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale. The researcher used a Pearson r to analyze the results of three research questions related to the relationship between the supportive principal behavior dimensions …

Teacher Perspectives Of Their Implementation Of Guided Reading Instruction, Kristi Presley

Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of guided reading in the classroom and the perception teachers had related to their own self-efficacy in their implementation of guided reading instruction. Using an interpretative qualitative methodology, this researcher interviewed twelve teachers in Tennessee concerning their implementation of guided reading instruction in their classrooms. This researcher designed and utilized a Guided Reading Fidelity Checklist for the purpose of analyzing the collected data. This researcher identified misalignments regarding the fidelity of the implementation of guided reading instruction. The findings of this study demonstrate a need for teachers to have further …

The Effect Of Advanced Stem Certification On Elementary Achievement, Christopher Stotts

Ed.D. Dissertations

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education has become a panacea for many woes in our country’s educational and economic systems. Each year schools struggle with judiciously allocating their limited funds to various STEM programs in hopes that they may reap academic returns. This study examined the effect of a STEM certification from the AdvancED educational accreditation organization on elementary student achievement. The researcher analyzed extant student achievement data from twenty Georgia elementary schools that earned the AdvancED STEM certification to investigate any statistically significant difference between pre-certification and post-certification scores. The researcher analyzed scores from four content areas: English …

The Effect Of Comprehensive Instructional Program On Grades 3-8 Student Achievement, Marcia Shortt

Ed.D. Dissertations

Student achievement and the state Standards of Learning testing was a critical criterion for success for school districts, administrators, and teachers. The researcher in this study investigated the efficacy of the Comprehensive Instructional Program in improving student achievement in reading and mathematics and whether school configuration impacted student achievement. The population consisted of all students in District A in Virginia who took achievement tests in reading and math in 2012-2018. The researcher determined there was a significant difference in reading and math scores between pre‑implementation and post-implementation in grades 3-8 as measured by the Virginia Standards of Learning testing program …

Spacescape – How A Mobile Game Impact Science Learning - 2019 Presidential Research Grant Report, Sa Liu, Mina Gabriel

Harrisburg University Presidential Research Grants

This project used a laboratory trial to examine learner problem-solving in a mobile Serious Game (SG) environment designed for learning space science in middle school. It intends to understand if and how mobile game could impact learner problem-solving. To conduct the study, a team of 12 members worked together for six months on the design, development and testing the SpaceEscape mobile game for Android devices. The data was collected in a local middle school, and over 250 students participated in the study. We will share the highlights, findings, and future research in this report.

The Effects Of Social Media In The Overall Job Satisfaction Of School Administrators, Tiffany R. Maher

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Literature suggests school administrator shortages worldwide. A number of factors are blamed for this trend, one of which is overall job dissatisfaction. This case study examines the effects of social media on the overall job satisfaction of five school administrators in small town America. Through semi-structured interviews, this research indicates that school administrators in the study avoid reading the comments section of online news media forums. Research participants share their strategies of working proactively with the press, and they reveal how social media has changed their job. Social media has altered the landscape of what it means to be a …

Where Was I?: Engagement Strategies For Students With Attention Deficit Disorders, Brenna L. Herrmann

Honors Program Theses

Throughout my time in the elementary classroom I have been flooded with instances where my cooperating teacher or I, myself, have struggled with students who are inattentive or disruptive during class. This not only makes it difficult for that specific student to learn, but also has the possibility of preventing others from learning. My most memorable experience of teaching students like this has been with a brilliant student who was clinically diagnosed and medicated for the hyperactive subset of attention deficit disorders, more well-known as ADHD. The following thesis is the research and creation of strategies to help teach students …

The Use Of Children's Literature And Reflective Writing As A Means To Help Primary Elementary Students Cope With Natural Disaster, Connie T. Zenz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes frequently happen across the world. Many of these natural disasters bring destruction to homes, loss of loved ones, and emotional or physical trauma. For children who are still developing coping skills, these natural disasters can bring them emotional distress because they are unable to processes their experiences in a healthy way. In a review of literature on the topic of bibliotherapy and reflective writing to help children learn coping skills, I discovered a need for these processes to be introduced in normal settings, such as school and home, to help …

An Exploration Of Integrating Visual Arts To Enhance Narrative Writing In The Elementary Classroom, Diana C. Herrera

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to integrate visual arts to enhance narrative writing. In this study I address three questions: (1) Why should educators integrate the arts in their classroom? (2) How does the content benefit the student's participation? and (3) How can we connect visual arts into narrative writing? To answer these questions, I researched several elementary teachers across the United States who have integrated the arts in their lessons. I also have researched and found multiple benefits to educators integrating the arts in their classroom. For example, a former middle school teacher used visual representation to help …