Elementary Education Commons^™

From The Margins To The Center: The Transformative Promise Of Philosophy For Children, Maughn Rollins Gregory, Megan Jane Laverty, Joe Oyler

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

What began as an innovative idea in the late 1960s—the recognition that even very young children are philosophically disposed—is no longer considered novel. While philosophy for children has transitioned from a fledgling initiative to a worldwide movement, it remains on the margins of education. In this article, we look back at key initiatives that have advanced its growth before looking ahead to what can move philosophy for children to the center of education. We consider the introduction and development of materials that invite children into philosophical spaces, the community of philosophical inquiry as a model of teachers' and children's philosophical …

A Qualitative Study Exploring Experienced K-5 Teachers' Perceptions Implementing The Science Of Reading, Christian Brady Cook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of implementing the SoR for experienced K-5 teachers at Carlton County School System in rural Georgia. This study was guided by Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which was utilized to explore the lived experiences of experienced K-5 educators who were required to implement the SoR strategies into their literacy instruction. This hermeneutic phenomenological study used a qualitative research design to explore the following research question: What are the perceptions of experienced K-5 teachers implementing the science of reading? A combination of experienced K-5 teachers from three Title I …

Listening To Families: A Perspective On Practice For Reframing Chronic Absenteeism Through Parent Voice, Anthony S. Felder

The Journal of Advancing Education Practice

Chronic absenteeism remains a critical issue in U.S. schools, particularly in urban communities disproportionately affected by poverty, trauma, and systemic inequities. Traditional attendance interventions often disregard the lived experiences of families, resulting in strategies that lack empathy and effectiveness. This perspective article draws on qualitative findings from parent focus groups conducted in a high-need urban district to emphasize what families believe schools should do to better support consistent attendance. Key themes highlight the necessity for practical resource support and two-way, trust-based communication between schools and families. Grounded in both practitioner experience and current research, this article presents actionable recommendations for …

Cv: Jennifer Buss (Elementary Education/Special Education), Jennifer Buss

Education Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

“She’S A Good Different. She’S Revolutionary”: How Fifth-Grade Readers Interpret Aspects Of Diversity In Literature, Margaret Barr

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Although diversity, equity, and inclusion have been a significant focus of research in children’s literature, many studies fail to consider the reader’s perspective and instead rely on text analyses. In the present study, the author employed focus groups to examine fifth-grade readers’ insights as they interpreted, related to, and engaged with the presence of diversity in texts. Findings indicate that readers interpreted diversity by envisioning the larger picture, recognizing the importance of others’ differences, and connecting through emotions. Thus, this study suggests that it is necessary for teachers to understand that students recognize and appreciate individual differences, to select texts …

The Power Of Core Memories In Financial Education For Gen Alpha Children, Karen Richel

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Financial education plays a critical role in shaping lifelong financial behaviors and decision-making skills. To create a lasting impact, it is essential to establish core memories associated with money management from an early age. This article explores the significance of these foundational experiences and their role in financial education for Gen Alpha children.

A series of eight immersive financial education events was developed to meet state and national standards for students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. These events employ play-based and object-based learning approaches, immersing students in engaging, age-appropriate activities that incorporate real-world scenarios. By creating a fun and memorable …

Preparing Confident Elementary Mathematics Teachers: Addressing Anxiety, Building Fluency, And Strengthening Practice., Amber Diamond Pendleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation, presented in three articles, examines how elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) experience and develop as mathematics learners and future educators when methods coursework deliberately integrates mathematical reasoning with affective supports. Collectively, the studies investigate how research-informed instructional design may help address mathematics anxiety (MA), mathematics teaching anxiety (MTA), procedural fluency, and instructional practice. The first article, written for practitioners and elementary mathematics teachers, illustrates how well-established instructional routines, such as number talks and student work analysis, can be facilitated to support procedural fluency in multiplication. Using classroom vignettes, this article highlights instructional moves that make structure visible, promote strategy …

Exploring Generative Artificial Intelligence (Genai) And Developing Ai Competencies Through Joint Media Engagement In Family Settings, Tolulope Famaye

All Dissertations

As generative AI (GenAI) becomes increasingly prevalent, institutions seek to understand how students can explore AI in classrooms and develop AI literacy. However, little is known about how, families use these Large Language Models (LLMs) at home and how such engagement supports the development of foundational AI literacy skills. This study examines family engagement with generative AI to understand how AI competencies develops outside formal classrooms and to provide insights for designing contextually relevant AI learning experiences in schools. The study employs a single case study design, integrating quantitative analysis, thematic analysis, and quantitative ethnography to examine and analyze data …

General Education Teachers' Perspectives And Practices For Supporting English Language Learners In Memphis Charter Schools, Ijiah Hargrove

Dissertations

The growing enrollment of English Language Learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools, particularly within urban charter settings, presents unique challenges for general education teachers who are often underprepared to meet both linguistic and academic needs. The purpose of this study was to explore the instructional strategies, perspectives of their ability of self-efficacy, and institutional factors that shape how K–8 charter school teachers in Memphis support ELLs. This work is significant because teachers’ beliefs, preparation, and available resources directly impact ELL achievement and equity in education.

A qualitative single-case study design was employed, with twelve general education teachers recruited through purposeful sampling. …

Do They Matter? What Role Do 5th-12th Grade Teachers' Attitudes Have In The Academic Success Of Black Girls In Classrooms?, Kamita R. Thigpen

Dissertations

There is a recognized need to focus on the intersectionality of race and gender to determine the specific needs of Black girls in education and for them to gain more academic success. This study set out to determine teachers' attitudes towards Black girls in the post-racial era. A combined quantitative and qualitative methodological approach was used to determine if the attitudes of teachers towards Black girls maintain racial barriers that have been found in education.

Teacher Leadership And Specially Designed Instruction: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Teacher Leaders And Special Education Teachers In Elementary Settings, Tangie M. Rahming

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of teacher leaders and special education teachers as they implemented Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) in elementary school settings. Despite SDI being a federally mandated component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), research consistently shows wide variation in how teachers interpret, deliver, and sustain SDI in real classrooms. Limited professional development, inconsistent coaching structures, and varying understandings of SDI across schools contribute to persistent gaps in implementation fidelity. To address these challenges, this study explored how teacher leaders support SDI implementation and how special education teachers make meaning of their instructional …

Action Research: Improving Literacy With Tracker Systems For Students With An Iep, Annamaria Weigel

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This action research study examined the effectiveness of the Prescribed Tracker System and structured literacy instruction on improving reading proficiency among elementary students with individualized education programs. The purpose of the study was to determine whether systematic phonics instruction, combined with data-driven progress monitoring, could increase decoding accuracy and oral reading fluency for students performing below grade level. The research was grounded in the science of reading framework and zone of proximal development, emphasizing explicit instruction, guided practice, and scaffolded learning within a supportive environment.

Five students in Grades 3 through 5 participated in a 6-week intervention, conducted twice a …

The Application Of Evidence-Based Practices In Diverse Environments, Emily R. Simon

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Much research supports the argument that students and educators perform better when evidence-based practices are used in the classroom. However, applying these practices across diverse environments can be a challenge. Each class and school is unique, and these differences affect the transferability of these methods in the classroom. This thesis examines how research-based methods on relationship building and instructional practices are implemented and/or modified across different school settings: suburban, urban, special education, general education, and multicultural/multilingual spaces.

Through research on current educational practices, this thesis identifies commonly used evidence-based practices for building relationships between teachers, students, and families, as well …

The Development Of Teacher-Student Relationships In The Elementary School Setting And Their Influence On The Whole Child, Jana H. Kline

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relationship students have with teachers can influence their social development, behavior, and academic performance. Some teachers naturally build positive relationships with students while others may not realize the importance or know how to build them unless specific strategies are given. The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative research study was to examine teacher perceptions of the development of relationships with students in the elementary school setting and their influence on the whole child.

To address this purpose, data collection strategies included individual interviews with elementary school teachers. Analysis of data involved transcribing interviews and line-by-line coding. Themes regarding teacher-student relationships …

Investigating Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Stem Teaching Self-Efficacy And Goal Orientation, Derek Scott Cox

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In the context of teacher education, self-efficacy and goal orientation can have an impact on one’s motivation, desire to improve, and maintaining a growth mindset in teachers. This study utilized an explanatory mixed methods design to investigate how and why preservice elementary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers’ confidence and views on competency changes after completing an array of courses built around integrated STEM.

Sixty-five preservice teachers participated in the pre- post-test quantitative data collection to determine changes in integrated STEM self-efficacy and achievement goal orientations (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance). Data collection measures include Self-Efficacy for Teaching Integrated STEM …

Educational Experiences And Educational Attainment Of Elementary Students From Low Socioeconomic Status Backgrounds: Sequential Mixed Methods Evidence From Texas, Morgann L. Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds face significant challenges in their educational experiences and educational attainment, and this is due to barriers related to their identity and background, inadequate support systems, and a lack of understanding of the traumas they experience. This sequential mixed methods study contains the perceptions of teachers, teacher leaders, counselors, and campus leaders in four high-poverty elementary schools in one Texas school district about the educational experiences and educational attainment of students from low SES backgrounds. The informal literature review focused on six spaces: 1) child, family, and community; 2) students from low SES backgrounds; …

The Educational Experiences Of Low Socioeconomic, Hispanic, Emergent Bilingual, Elementary Students: A Sequential Mixed Methods Study From Texas, Kiley Schumacher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of Hispanic students in Texas public schools has significantly increased over the past 20 years, yet their level of academic success continues to lag. Hispanic, emergent bilingual, low-socioeconomic, early elementary students face educational challenges related to barriers surrounding language and culture differences, limited resources, unmet needs, feelings of isolation, and an underprepared educational support system. This sequential mixed methods study reported on the perceptions of parents, teachers, and campus leaders in two Texas elementary schools regarding these students’ educational experiences. Guided by existence, relatedness, and growth theory, bioecological systems theory, and culturally responsive leadership theory, the study collected …

Elementary School Teachers’ Perspectives On Project-Based Learning Implementation In Commonwealth Of The Northern Mariana Islands, Xiao Tang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary schools play an essential role in equipping students with 21st-century skills. Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional approach that is associated with the development of these skills, yet PBL implementation in elementary schools is not well understood in Saipan, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The research problem addressed in this study was a lack of understanding of elementary teachers’ practices in implementing PBL in Saipan. Guided by constructivist theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to examine elementary school teachers’ perspectives on the benefits of PBL, the ease or difficulty when implementing PBL, the …

Educator Perceptions Of Mindfulness Education In Rural Elementary Schools In Tennessee, Mary C. Shepherd-Mcgown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine educator perceptions of mindfulness instruction and the alignment of school policies in rural elementary schools in Tennessee. Despite growing interest in mindfulness in education, few studies have investigated how these practices are experienced and implemented within under-resourced, rural contexts.

Guided by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (SLT) and framed conceptually by the Whole-School Mindfulness (WSM) model, the study explored how social, organizational, and policy factors influence the adoption of mindfulness practices. SLT provided a theoretical lens for understanding how educator behaviors are shaped through observation, modeling, and reinforcement, while the WSM framework …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Attendance, Kimberly Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of educators with respect to student enrollment in voluntary pre-kindergarten classes provided through the Tennessee Department of Education in public schools. The data collection strategy used to gain teacher perspectives was through conducting one-on-one interviews with 15 educators in three Tennessee school districts. To qualify for the study, teachers must have been teaching in kindergarten classrooms that receive students who had previously been enrolled in the school’s pre-kindergarten program. Data collection and analysis were based on the Grounded Theory approach which uses data that is systematically gained and analyzed to …