Elementary Education Commons^™

Teacher Feedback And Its Impact On Student Achievement And Motivation, Aubrey Schmidt

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Effective teacher feedback is a key component of meaningful learning, yet many students do not consistently receive feedback that clearly guides improvement. This inquiry-based study examined how intentional, process-oriented feedback influenced elementary students’ perceptions of their learning over a six-week period. The research focused on feedback that emphasized effort, strategies, and next steps, aiming to support students’ resilience, motivation, and confidence as writers. Findings showed steady increases in students’ understanding of what to do next, their motivation to try harder, and their belief in their own abilities. Writing scores also rose gradually, suggesting that consistent, growth-focused feedback may contribute to …

A Qualitative Study Exploring Teachers’ Beliefs And Practices Supporting African American Male Readers, Rhonda Douglas Sumter

Theses and Dissertations

Despite decades of educational reform, African American male students continue to experience persistent disparities in reading achievement. This qualitative case study explores the beliefs and pedagogical practices of three elementary educators identified as effective in supporting the reading development of African American males. Drawing on the frameworks of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995) and Critical Race Theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012), the study seeks to illuminate how educators affirm students’ identities, maintain rigorous expectations, and create responsive learning environments that foster academic success.

Data sources included in-depth teacher interviews and classroom observations. Thematic analysis revealed three interconnected practices across cases: …

Covid's Impact On Our Youngest Learners, Scottie Ellsworth

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Amanda Obery, PhD; Wendie Castillo

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted education, leaving lasting effects on elementary students’ academic development, particularly in literacy and reading comprehension. This research investigated the long-term educational impacts of the pandemic by drawing on qualitative insights from interviews with five educators across a range of specializations, including general education, interventional support, and multilingual learning. Using inductive thematic analysis and descriptive coding, the study identified key themes that reflected shifts in academic achievement, student behavior, attendance, and school priorities post-pandemic. These findings illuminate critical areas where students require support and outline the structural, instructional, and …

Improving Schools To Promote Upward Mobility: The Promise And Limits Of School Finance Reforms, Sarah Reber

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presents a lecture titled, "Improving Schools to Promote Upward Mobility: The Promise and Limits of School Finance Reforms" by Brookings senior fellow in economic studies, Sarah Reber.

Systematic differences in access to high-quality schools by race, income, and other characteristics perpetuate inequality across generations. Local property tax financing of schools is often identified as a key cause of unequal educational opportunity. While the consensus of rigorous research supports the common intuition that, on average, “money matters” in improving educational outcomes, questions about how much, and under what conditions, school …

Public K-12 School Start Times In The Mountain West, 2020-2021, Olivia K. Cheche, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet presents data on public K-12 school start times in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah as of the 2020-2021 school year. The data are derived from the “School start time: Average public K–12 school start time and percentage distribution of public school start time, by state: 2020–21” report originally published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This fact sheet highlights the average public K-12 school start times and distribution of public K-12 school start times for each Mountain West state.

Challenging The School Boundaries: Exploring Challenges And Opportunities In Homeschooling Engineering Education, Luis Montero-Moguel, Cynthia Lima, Guadalupe Carmona, Verónica Vargas-Alejo

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Homeschooling sparks controversy regarding the quality of education when compared to the traditional schooling system. However, homeschooling rates have doubled nationwide since the pandemic, especially among minorities. Funding and curricular material resources may be limited for homeschooling families, especially those from diverse backgrounds. Therefore, this essay discusses the need to expand the current boundaries of engineering education to include homeschooling communities. Drawing from our homeschooling experience, we present three recommendations that respect the cultures and unique characteristics of homeschooling to promote engineering practices in these communities. Our proposal challenges negative perceptions of homeschooling, enhancing our understanding of its unique characteristics …

Constructing Identities Through Literacy: Channeling The Power Of Interactive Read-Alouds In The Elementary Classroom, Katie Lewis

Michigan Reading Journal

This article explores the often-overlooked potential of interactive read-alouds as a conduit for identity exploration in the elementary classroom. While read-alouds are commonly used to support comprehension and vocabulary acquisition, they can also serve as powerful tools for helping students construct and explore their identities—when implemented with intentionality. Drawing on practical classroom strategies—including rehearsing academic conversations, intentionally introducing unfamiliar vocabulary, and creating a safe, non-judgmental space—this article illustrates how read-alouds can foster both language growth and self-understanding. Designed for elementary educators, the piece encourages teachers to view read-alouds not just as literacy instruction, but as opportunities to empower young learners …

Exploring Mental Health Services Within Elementary Schools In The First Through Third Grades: Post-Covid-19 Pandemic Case Study, Yolanda Y. Thomas

Student Theses and Dissertations

Exploring Mental Health Services Within Elementary Schools in the First Through Third Grade: Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Case Study An overwhelming amount of research shows that youth in America are experiencing a mental health crisis (Nelson, 2020), impacting students’ ability to self-regulate and self-isolation tendencies and emotional behaviors have increased resulting in the need to address school-based mental health services, the instructional support provided to early childhood teachers, and students' well-being. The problem investigated in this study was the impact of school-based mental health services provided in response to the experience of the pandemic and the holistic relationship between instructional support and …

Hands-On Stem In Ghana: Inspiration For Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Globally, Alhassan Issifu, Mawuena A. Hanson, Heather R. Beem

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Many educators are increasingly seeking culturally relevant pedagogies they can employ to effectively engage their students. In Ghana a substantive set of hands-on STEM content has been created, incorporating locally available materials and cultural approaches while maintaining alignment to the national curricula. Against a backdrop of almost no public primary or junior high schools in the country containing any lab equipment, this approach leverages and celebrates the abundance of what is available within the locality. This challenges narratives of what is considered “good” and recenters power back with those in the classroom. Three sample activities and three firsthand stories are …

Pentingkah Pekerjaan Ibu Dalam Literasi Anak Di Indonesia?, Dien Amalina Nur Asrofi, Muhammad Salahudin Al Ayyubi

Jurnal Ekonomi Kependudukan dan Keluarga

This study aims to analyze the impact of maternal employment status and job type on children's literacy skills in Indonesia, using data from the 2023 National Socioeconomic Survey (SUSENAS) and a binary logistic regression approach. The results show that working mothers, particularly those in the formal sector, are positively and significantly correlated with children's literacy, especially in non-poor households. These findings highlight the important role of maternal employment contribution in strengthening educational investment within families. In contrast, among poor households, formal employment of mothers does not significantly influence children's literacy, indicating that economic constraints remain a major barrier. In addition, …

Hmongcentric Niche Charter Schools: The Role Of Social Capital On Students’ Perceived Academic Competence, Zha Blong Xiong, Ting Xu, Kyle Nickodem, Malina Her

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

Using Coleman’s (1988) social capital theory, this study investigated the connection between family and school social capital and the perceived academic competence of students enrolled in Hmongcentric niche charter schools. The study analyzed 124 participants consisting of third, fourth, and fifth-grade students residing in Minnesota, with 93% identifying as Hmong. Results of structural equation modeling showed that school social capital, as measured by school attachment and school connection, is significantly linked to students’ perceived academic competence. Further analyses suggested that school attachment, especially in charter schools that focus on culture and language, plays a more crucial role in shaping students’ …

Enjoyment In The Classroom: Reciprocal Student-Teacher Dynamics In Israeli Math Education, Yonaton Gutterman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Enjoyment is increasingly recognised as a keystone emotion in contemporary models of academic motivation and learning (Pekrun, 2006; Ryan & Deci, 2020). Grounded in Control-Value, Expectancy-Value, and Self-Determination theories, the present study tracked reciprocal affective processes in Israeli mathematics classrooms across ten lessons. Seven teachers and their 257 students (112 fourth-graders; 145 eighth-graders) completed parallel post-lesson questionnaires assessing feedback use, enjoyment, and perceived difficulty. Multilevel ordinal mixed-effects models, latent-growth curve models, and Bayesian random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were estimated to disentangle within-person fluctuations from between-person differences (Hamaker et al., 2015). Confirmatory-factor analyses supported scalar invariance of the key scales over …

Eece 311 Educational Psychology Oer, Sunghee Shin

Open Educational Resources

This course will examine the major learning theories and general principles underlying effective instruction. Students explore classroom structures and management, intelligence, learning styles, individual assessment, and the impact of culture and class.

Challenges In Providing Equitable Education For Primary School Students With Learning Disabilities In Zimbabwe: Teachers’ Experiences., Joyce Madzinga

Dissertations

This study examines the challenges primary school teachers in Zimbabwe face when supporting students with learning disabilities (LDs). Many learners with LDs are excluded from adequate classroom support due to systemic, cultural, and resource limitations. Learning disabilities are often under-recognized as compared to other disabilities because they are invisible. Raising awareness and empowering educators are crucial steps toward addressing these hidden needs and ensuring they are recognized and met. Six teachers were interviewed using a qualitative ethnographic approach. Findings reveal obstacles, including insufficient training in special education, limited teaching resources, high pupil-teacher ratios, negative societal attitudes, and poverty-related constraints. Additional …

Mathematics Self-Efficacy And Achievement Among Elementary Students Who Participate In Extended Day Mathematics Programs: A Causal Comparative Study, Maria V. Kerr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study is to examine whether there is a difference in mathematics self-efficacy and achievement among fourth and fifth-grade students who participate in extended-day mathematics programs versus those who do not. The study utilizes the Mathematics Interest Inventory (MII) and the iReady Mathematics Program to measure these variables. Student performance in mathematics is influenced by various factors, including motivation, interest, and self-efficacy. In response to learning loss from emergency school closures, schools nationwide have implemented extended-day programs to help close the achievement gap. Federal and local governments have allocated over $8 billion to support these …

Exploring Academic Motivation In Students With Intellectual Disabilities Through The Experiences Of Teachers: A Phenomenological Study, Brett Franz O'Brien

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the lived experiences of teachers when addressing the academic motivation of elementary-aged children with intellectual disabilities in suburban Eastern North Carolina. The theory guiding this study was Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory, which explains that people can be intrinsically motivated, extrinsically motivated, or have amotivation. The central research question of this hermeneutic phenomenology was “What are the lived experiences of teachers when addressing the academic motivation of elementary-aged children with ID in suburban Eastern North Carolina?” The study focused on the lived experiences of 10 teachers in Eastern North Carolina who …

A Qualitative Study: The Classroom Experiences For Teachers Integrating Stem At Title I Primary Schools, Cynthia Laverne Lundy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the classroom experiences for teachers at Best Primary School. The theory guiding this study is Knowles’ adult learning theory, as it will offer a relationship between how adults learn and the classroom experiences of teachers implementing STEM integration. The central research question was: What are the lived classroom experiences for teachers integrating STEM at Title I primary schools? The hermeneutic study of the classroom experiences for teachers integrating STEM at a Title I primary school using the pseudonym Best Primary is appropriate. Purposeful sampling was used to interview teachers on-site and …

“Me Dancing”: An Intrinsic Case Study Of Primary School Boys’ Understandings Of Movement And Dance Through Their Drawings, Rosemary G. Bennett Ms, Jane Southcott

The Qualitative Report

In this research we explore the place of creative embodiment through movement and dance from the understandings of a group of 8-10-year-old elementary school boys. Children can be asked to speak or write about their movement experiences, but for younger cohorts it may easier for them to reveal their ideas via their own drawings. In this qualitative study using drawings as a research method, two classes (a total of 31) of Year 3-4 boys in a suburban elementary school in Melbourne, Australia were asked to produce a drawing of “me dancing” in an empty frame. Each child was then asked …

Belonging: Stories From Multilingual Learners In The Linguistic Minority, Riley Stouffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examines how multilingual learners in the linguistic minority (MLLMs) experience connection and belonging in a Rocky Mountain middle school. Although multilingual learners (MLs) have received increased attention, MLLMs, whose home languages are not widely spoken in the school context, remain overlooked. Grounded in Krashen’s (1982) Affective Filter Hypothesis and Wills and Shinar’s (2000) Supportive Functions of Belonging, this study explores how MLLMs navigate school, what fosters or hinders belonging, and how these experiences shape engagement.

Data from semistructured interviews, classroom observations, and field notes with eight MLLM students in grades 6–8 revealed that belonging was fostered …

The Impact Of Interactive Read-Alouds On Students’ Literacy Development, Kaitlyn Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined how multicultural interactive read-alouds support first-graders’ literacy skills and cultural awareness. Multicultural literature was used to conduct interactive read-alouds to first-grade students. A look across all data sources suggested three main themes that occur throughout the research study. These themes included student engagement and questioning, making connections by experiencing culture through an authentic lens, and developing cultural awareness and empathy for those who are different. It was evident that incorporating multicultural literature into classroom instruction had a positive impact on students’ literacy development and cultural awareness. The data suggested that these multicultural texts supported the students’ development …