Elementary Education Commons^™

Sustained Effects Of Reading Recovery®: Beyond The Intervention, Dr. Lisa A. Fisher

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a longitudinal analysis of the sustained effects of Reading Recovery® on literacy achievement beyond the initial intervention period. It examines the program’s long-term effectiveness, assessing whether early literacy gains are maintained and identifying key factors that contribute to sustained progress. This study, titled “Sustained Effects of Reading Recovery®: Beyond the Intervention,” seeks to fill a critical gap in existing research by providing insights into the extended impact of this early literacy intervention.

A longitudinal, mixed-methods approach was employed, incorporating quantitative data analysis and qualitative insights from educators and administrators. The study was …

A Quantitative Causal-Comparative Study Of The Effect Of Differing Levels And Years Of Experience On Christian Teachers’ Instructional Differentiation Scores, Audra Callahan Locklear

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative causal-comparative study explores the relationship between teachers’ differentiation scores on the Classroom Practices Surveys for teachers with more than five years or fewer than five years teaching experience among elementary and secondary educators in Christian Schools. The importance of this study lies in understanding the differentiation practices Christian school teachers use in serving their students. This study involved 123 teachers that are employed by Christian schools in various regions in the United States. The Classroom Practices Survey was made available through Facebook and snowballing. Statistical analysis was completed using a Two-Way ANOVA which examined the frequency of differentiation …

Cultural Inclusion: Experiences Of Somali Parents In The Pbis System, Destiny R. Stampley

Doctorate in Education

In an effort to support student achievement and decrease disruptive behaviors, many schools have implemented the Positive Behavior and Supports and Intervention (PBIS) framework. Two critical aspects of this framework are cultural inclusion and family engagement, which are used to promote equitable and responsive practices and policies. However, research on the effectiveness of PBIS in diverse schools focuses primarily on what schools do and fails to examine the perspective and experiences of parents. This is especially true for the Somali diaspora in Minnesota, the state with the largest Somali population in the United States. This qualitative study examined the experiences …

Nature Journaling: A Tool For Designing A Responsive Science Methods Course For Adult Learners, Meenakshi Sharma, Divya Gangadin, Francy Gomez

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

We examined an outdoor, experiential learning approach within a science methods course for nontraditional adult learners who are often career changers or individuals transitioning into teaching later in life. Through immersive, nature-based experiences, the course connected adult learners to science via direct engagement with the natural world. We include reflections from two nontraditional learners who participated in a 6-week nature journaling process, showcasing how they embraced inquiry-based experiences in natural settings. These reflections reveal a supportive learning environment that values diverse learning styles and life experiences and encourages exploration. Insights from these experiences can guide science teacher educators in developing …

Diocese Of Raleigh K-8 Catholic School Principals’ Perceptions On Latino Student Recruitment Practices, Darrell Fulford

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The underrepresentation of Latino students in K-8 Catholic schools, despite the significant growth of the Latino population in the United States, presents a challenge for Catholic school leaders seeking to mirror the communities they serve. This qualitative narrative inquiry explores the perceptions of Diocese of Raleigh K-8 Catholic school principals regarding Latino student recruitment practices. Through interviews with principals, this study examines (1) the perceived value of Catholic education for Latino students, (2) factors influencing Latino student enrollment, and (3) how these perceptions shape recruitment strategies.

Findings indicate that while principals acknowledge the alignment of Catholic education with Latino cultural …

Preservice Teachers Use Of Digital And Non-Digital Music Composition Systems As Resources For Teaching Elementary Mathematics, Song A. An, Daniel A. Tillman, Victor Minces, So Jung Kim

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

This study was planned and performed with the main goal of examining preservice teachers’ (n=61) pedagogical reflections regarding the comparison of two educational music composition programs available for teaching mathematics. Empirical evidence that was collected and analyzed indicated that the two music composition programs each have distinctive strengths that may serve as appropriate teaching resources. The findings from the present study have shown that music composition and performance activities, if properly developed and supported by sound educational principles, learning theories, and educational technologies, can be used as classroom activities to support formal mathematics education while also providing out-of-school learning resources …

Teaching Sprinting As A Specialized Skill In Elementary Physical Education, Dillon R. Martinez, Scott Klepadlo

Essays in Education

This article highlights the gap between current physical grade-level outcomes and the practical implementation of sprinting instruction in elementary schools. This emphasizes the need for higher education institutions to learn from practicing elementary teachers, who have successfully incorporated sprinting into their elementary curricula. While pre-service physical education teachers are not typically taught how to teach sprinting as a specialized skill, some elementary PE teachers have developed effective methods for doing so. This article suggests that higher education practitioners should examine these practitioners to inform and improve their teacher preparation programs. This paper outlines several practical applications currently used in elementary …

Public Elementary School Administrators' Perceptions Of The Systemic Factors That Relate To The Implementation Of Inclusive Education Within Their Schools, Sarah L. Mitchell

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of public elementary school administrators in Washington state and their perceptions of the systemic factors that relate to the implementation of inclusive education within their schools. Inclusive education was defined as the placement of students with and without disabilities into general education classes to create inclusive communities, in which no differentiation is made between students with and without disabilities (Heyder et al., 2020). Systems theory was used as a theoretical framework to examine existing literature on factors that relate to inclusive education as well as to analyze data from semi-structured interviews …

Obstacles Of Applying Response To Intervention Model Principles According To International Reading Association In Elementary Level., Shehana Mohammed Alqafari

International Journal for Research in Education

The current study aimed to identify the obstacles of applying the Response to Intervention Model principles according to the International Reading Association from the point of view of primary school literacy teachers in Al Taif City. In addition, the study examined the difference among the sample answers based on the school level and gender variables. The researcher used a descriptive survey approach and designed a questionnaire for this purpose, the questionnaire covered four main topics: teaching and experience, responsive teaching and differentiation, evaluation, and teamwork and school administration. The sample included (258) literacy teachers from the elementary school level participated. …

Enhancing Elementary Students Conceptual Understandings Of Scientific Phenomena: The Impact Of Steam-First And Stem-First Approaches, Michael W. Corrigan, Joseph T. Wong, Doug Grove, Sage Anderson, Bradley S. Hughes

Elementary & Secondary Education Faculty Research

This study delves into the realm of student conceptual change, examining shifting understandings as important steppingstones on the path to sensemaking and canonical understanding in science education. It explores the potential of a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum, aiming to provide equitable learning opportunities, especially for emerging bilingual (EB) student populations. To achieve this, elementary school educators from randomly assigned schools received professional development training to implement a novel curriculum encompassing both STEM and STEAM (STEM + Arts) approaches to life science instruction. These approaches comprised: (1) an NGSS-aligned STEM unit employing inquiry-based science instruction; (2) an …

A Living Feminist Postdevelopmental Lexicon For Early Education, Mindy Blaise, Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Expanding the important body of work that addresses child development’s limitations and responding to the ecological crisis that threatens the future of life on Earth, this article proposes a living feminist postdevelopmental lexicon. The lexicon introduces 26 concepts that together challenge the theory/practice divide, disrupt Cartesian modes of subjectivity, reorient taken-for-granted ideas as problematic in early education, open up early education to inquiries that respond to the political and ethical questions of our milieu, and generate conditions for creative, inventive, thoughtful, and ethical projects. The paper invites readers to engage with and creatively add to the lexicon, making it an …

Embracing Language Diversity: An Exploration Of Elementary Teachers' Perception Of African American English, Manijeh Hart

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Students of African descent often speak in a dialect that differs from the Dominant American English (DAE) dialect, known as African American English (AAE). Since this dialect is not considered mainstream, students who speak and write in this dialect may be at a disadvantage when being assessed on literacy skills and responding to literacy instruction. However, it is possible to address this issue by preparing and supporting teachers in recognizing AAE use in literacy activities and providing them with instructional strategies to support students who use AAE. The goal of this research was to investigate the perceptions that elementary school …

Freedom Dreams Of Young Black Boys: A Qualitative Study Among Black Male Elementary School Learners, Lamar Ok

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The work conducted in this research builds on the work of many who have also worked to provide a platform to illuminate the voices of Black folks, especially Black boys. This research is not the first to make the case that Black boys are as fully human as anyone else, and yet they have internalized the white gaze, even as they are proud of their blackness, their color, their race, their culture. However, there exists limited research with Black boys in elementary school, particularly before the 5th grade (before 10 years of age).

This project was about freedom dreaming—a collective …

Centering Equity In An Ai-Generated Literacy Read Aloud Lesson Plan Brought To Life By Preservice Teachers, Denise Farrelly

Open Educational Resources

This resource is a series of in-class activities geared toward preservice teachers (PSTs) focused on how to center equity in their instructional planning and lesson implementation. PSTs will be able to use a generative AI tool to select an appropriate read aloud book and create the framework for a literacy lesson plan that stems from their own students’ interests. While AI will generate the learning objectives, standards, and basic procedures for the lesson plan, the PSTs will integrate the student-centered and culturally-responsive elements such as meaningful and engaging questioning, activities, and assessments. PSTs will consider these factors as they revise …

Human-Centered Leadership: Cultivating Purpose, Empathy, And Collective Growth, Becky Evers-Gerdes, Bryan Matera

Essays in Education

Human-Centered Leadership is a transformative approach to leadership that emphasizes purpose, empathy, and collective growth, redefining success by prioritizing individual well-being and organizational inclusivity.

At the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), leaders spearheaded the MAPE Local 1002 Community of Practice to integrate these principles, fostering leadership practices that align personal values with organizational goals. Facilitated by a local assistant superintendent and outside consultant, the initiative utilized action research and a Lunch and Learn framework to empower participants to reflect, listen, co-design solutions, and embrace iterative leadership cycles.

Key themes emerged, such as balancing empathy with accountability, promoting inclusivity, and addressing …

Mentoring And Supporting All Writers: Strengthening Writing Instruction In Pk To 5th Grade With Halpern’S “Interactive Writing” And Anderson’S “Mentor Texts”, Chad H. Waldron, Meghan K. Block, Alicia D. Fluker, Mariah C. Schepak, Michelle R. Snyder

Michigan Reading Journal

Shared, co-authored book review by educators and researchers of Matt Halpern’s (2023) A Teacher’s Guide to Interactive Writing, Grades PreK-2 and Carl Anderson’s (2022) A Teacher’s Guide to Mentor Texts, Grades K-5 (Heinemann)

Back To The Future: Looking At Nostalgic Practices To Conceptualize A More Inclusive Literacy Future (Part 2), Darreth R. Rice, Rebecca L. Witte

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

It’S “A Good Day” To Make Inferences: Helping Emergent And Reluctant Readers, Amy Davis

Michigan Reading Journal

A skilled reader can understand and connect to relationships that are not explicitly stated in text. The process of making inferences can be divided into two categories: text and prior-knowledge-based. This paper offers examples of inference questions using the picture book, “It’s a Good Day” by Kevin Henkes, that teachers can use during shared book readings with emergent and reluctant readers.

The Effect Of Using Wordwall On Academic Achievement And Motivation Towards Learning Mathematics Among Sixth Grade Students In Nablus District, Tahani A. Abd Al-Aziz, Soheil H. Salha, Abdelrahman M. Abu Sarah

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of using Wordwall on academic achievement and motivation towards learning mathematics among sixth grade students in the Nablus District. Methodology: this study used the experimental method with a semi-experimental design, and the study was applied to a sample of 46 female students from the sixth grade at Sarra Secondary School for Girls. They were divided equally into two groups: control and experimental. The algebra unit was taught to the students of the experimental group using Wordwall. The researcher used a pre-test to verify the equivalence of the two study groups, a scale …

Ucf Pegasus Plan - 1st Grade - Maps & Globes, Cecilia Nuss, Mackenzie Luley, Jessenia Diaz, Alyssa Arnott, Miranda Howley

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

During this unit, students will explore and create various maps and globes through multimedia resources, Hands-on activities, and assessments. The daily lessons cover topics such as a compass rose, cardinal directions, map titles, and physical features on maps and globes. By the end of this unit, students will be able to identify key elements and locate physical features of maps and globes. Through the use of songs, hands-on activities, games, books, and class discussions, students will be engaged throughout the unit.