Elementary Education Commons^™

The Relationship Between Discipline-Specific Subject Matter Knowledge And Discipline-Specific Science Teaching Efficacy Of Elementary Teachers, Douglas Ball

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because a teacher's confidence in their ability to teach science is associated with instructional methods and their persistence in the face of challenges, improving science teaching confidence becomes critical for improving science teaching of young children. Science teaching confidence also varies by discipline for elementary teachers: physical science teaching confidence tends to measure lower than life science. This discrepancy leads to elementary teachers engaging in less effective science teaching practices with physical science than life science. A teacher's subject matter knowledge influences their confidence in their ability to teach that subject. Subject matter knowledge impacts science teaching confidence because when …

Dismantling Anti-Blackness In Teacher Education: Centering Black Epistemologies To (Re)Construct Elementary Language Arts Education For Linguistic And Racial Justice, Jasmyn Kymberly Jones

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Black students and their linguistic resources are undervalued, disdained, disrespected, and disregarded in language arts classrooms. Not only is Black Language often ignored in English language arts instruction, but language more generally remains largely hidden within elementary ELA. Elementary ELA educators are tasked with teaching a vast array of skills, content, and concepts. So, teacher education programs are responsible for ensuring that preservice teachers leave prepared to take on the task of cultivating language arts classrooms that foster students’ literacy development. However, traditionally, literacy teacher education and the ELA curriculum has maintained white mainstream English as the standard for which …

How Middle School Students Describe And Explain Their Elementary Science Experiences, Tryna Knox

Teaching and Learning Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to elicit students' voices to examine elementary science experiences to better understand foundational learning. The grounding philosophy and framework of phenomenology guided this work as I sought to capture the lived elementary science experiences of students. I administered a handwritten science autobiography to 52 middle school students at a private middle school in a suburban southwestern community. Utilizing a hermeneutic analytic approach, I learned that middle school students describe and explain elementary science experiences in many interesting ways. For example, students shared a preference for participating in hands-on, active, or engaged learning experiences over …

Understanding The Role Of Parent-Teacher Communication In Motivating Elementary School Students: A Case Study, Brittany Rose Powers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to understand parent-teacher communication and its role in motivating students in elementary school. The work was guided by the following central research question and two sub-questions: CRQ) How do parent-teacher relationships motivate students? SQ1) How does a met or not met basic need dictate the motivational outcomes of students? SQ2) How do elementary school students perceive the role of parents and teachers in their motivation to learn? A qualitative research design was used to gather individual experiences and participants’ perspectives. The multiple case study design allowed many participants to share varying perspectives …

The Perceived Impact Of A Global Pandemic On The Academic Achievement And Social-Emotional Health Of Students In The Title I Elementary Classroom: A Phenomenology, Tiffany Nicole Paige

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the perceived impact of the global pandemic on students' academic achievement and social-emotional health in Title I elementary schools in Northcentral Georgia. The central research question driving this research sought to explore teachers' experiences with perceived student achievement and overall social-emotional health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theories of behaviorism and social learning guided this study as the researcher’s goal was to identify how COVID-19 has impacted students academically, as well as taking a more rigorous look at the social-emotional wellbeing of students who have experienced numerous educational changes due to the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic …

A Transitional Program From Elementary To Middle School, Savannah S. Shontere

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

I created a program to promote a smooth transition from elementary to middle school for the students at Bradenton Christian School (BCS). Following my literature review and needs assessment, the program was designed to provide students with the tools and strategies needed to feel prepared for middle school, foster friendships, and advocate for themselves and their peers. Following the program implementation, I created educational resources for the faculty at BCS to continue the program in the future.

The Relevance And Benefits Of Moral Intelligence To Servant Leadership, Kong Wah Cora Chan

Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice

Moral intelligence has a better chance of fixing morality-related issues instead of bandaging them and addressing the servant leadership best test stated by Greenleaf (1977/2002). Prudence—mature moral intelligence—is one’s skillful act in making the best, most caring alternative among all possible choices based on moral wisdom (Bradshaw, 2010). Morally intelligent people are conscious of aligning their values, goals, and actions with the universal principles of integrity, responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness (Lennick and Kiel, 2011). Such an alignment leads to purposeful living and organizational success. Borba (2001) advocated for building moral habits of empathy, conscience, self-control, respect, kindness, tolerance, and fairness. …

Boosting Confidence In Kindergarten Writing: How To Assist Kindergarten Emergent Writers Through Developmentally Appropriate Practices In Phonics And Writing, Amy Martin

Masters Projects

For a kindergarten student, writing can be exhausting and difficult. For a kindergarten student, writing can also be imaginative and fun. Kindergarten students have a lot of stories to tell and words to write, they just need tools in their toolbox in order to do so. Writing, especially in the younger grade levels, often takes a back seat to other subjects. Unfortunately, this leaves many words unwritten, skills unpracticed, and minds unimaginative. This project aims to create a resource for teachers to use within their designated writing time specifically focusing on developmentally appropriate practices and pulling from the intertwined skillset …

An Introduction To The Algebra Revolution, Art Bardige

Numeracy

Bardige, Art. 2022. The Algebra Revolution: How Spreadsheets Eliminate Algebra 1 to Transform Education; (Bookbaby) 135 pp. UNSPSC 55111505.

The Algebra Revolution: How Spreadsheets Eliminate Algebra 1 to Transform Education argues that Algebra 1 can be eliminated by teaching mathematics through spreadsheets. Such a change would eliminate the greatest roadblock to student achievement.

Bee Busy, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

Lessons adapted form the book Keepers of the Earth : Native American stories and environmental activities for children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac focusing on pollination and seed formation in plants for grades 2 through 5.

Friend For All Seasons, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

Lessons adapted form the book Keepers of the Earth : Native American stories and environmental activities for children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac focusing on the seasons and the way plants react to the changes for grades kindergarten through 5.

Taking Flight: North By South, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

Lesson adapted form the book Keepers of the Earth : Native American stories and environmental activities for children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac focusing on the migration of birds and the flyways in North America for grades 6 through 8.

Wildflower Season, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

Lesson adapted form the book Keepers of the Earth : Native American stories and environmental activities for children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac focusing on the life cycle of wildflowers for grades Kindergarten through 2.

Blindfolded, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

An outline of an activity for grades Kindergarten through 3 about using senses other than sight to explore nature.

Is This A Plant?, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

An outline of an activity for grades 1 through 6 about identifying plants.

Mental Vacay, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

An outline of an activity for grades 1 through 8 to help with relaxation and calmness.

Micro-Hiking, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

An outline of an activity for grades 1 through 8 to explore a small area in the school yard.

Nature Blanks, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

An outline of an activity for grades Kindergarten through 8 for students to make a picture of a item in nature.

Nature Charades, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

An outline of an activity for grades 1 through 8 for students to act out aspects of nature for others to guess.

Nature Framing, Tallgrass Prairie Center, University Of Northern Iowa

Open Educational Resources

An outline for an activity program fro grades Kindergarten through 8 to select an area they enjoy.