Elementary Education and Teaching Commons^™

“You Taught Us How To Change The World”: A Critical Autoethnography Reimagining The Future Of Education, Isabella Howard

Undergraduate Theses

As schools become more culturally and linguistically diverse, we need trained, well-prepared educators that value students for who they are, build on their backgrounds, and maintain their unique identities in the classroom. An asset-based, culturally sustaining approach to teaching incorporates theoretical grounding, a consideration of global identities, and a sociopolitical edge that allows students to thrive and think analytically. Through this approach, we can give students more confidence in their abilities as learners by activating their prior knowledge and experience to break down the content and build understanding of it, and we can connect the students to their learning, providing …

Culturally Responsive Strategies To Support Multilingual Learners, Liz Shanks, Mackenzie Weakland

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Teachers must develop pedagogical practices to meet the needs of the growing number of multilingual learners in K-12 classrooms. Our inquiry- based research study analyzed ways that teachers can implement pedagogical strategies that are culturally responsive to multilingual learners. Thematic analysis of recent academic studies, class observations, and an interview with a language specialist affirm a set of culturally responsive instructional practices in the classroom that lead to the academic success of multilingual learners. These practices included teacher attitudes, translanguaging, and thinking routines to assist in English language acquisition. K-12 teachers, administrators, and community leaders working with multilingual learners can …

Project Cps: Curriculum Content + Creative Problem Solving = Successful Integration, Kathleen C. Frazier

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The goal of my master’s project is to empower teachers to unlock the Creative Problem Solving potential in their students and open the door to a world of possibilities by providing strategies, resources, and support to integrate CPS into their teaching practice.

To achieve this, I have designed a book that presents an original and engaging

imaginative characters to foster an immersive and interactive learning experience that will capture the imagination of both students and teachers.

Meet the Spirit of Creativity, represented as E. Paul Torrance, along with four Creative Problem Solving Characters who will guide teachers and students through …

Meta-Analysis Of Therapeutic Interventions For The Treatment Of Test Anxiety., Thomas Reece

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to be a practitioner-focused review of the current research into interventions for the treatment of test anxiety. As testing continues to be a large part of students’ academic experiences and the stakes of that testing grow for students, teachers, and schools, there is a need for a synthesis of the literature to provide teachers and schools with some guidance on how best to help their students succeed. In this review, I describe the phenomenon of test anxiety and the current theoretical questions concerning the relationship between test anxiety and test performance. I also …

Teaching Time And Graphs With Differentiated Instruction And Assessment Strategies, Catie Tangeman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone reports the effectiveness of using differentiated instructional and assessment strategies to improve student performance in math. Based on pretest data, instruction was planned and implemented to best meet the needs of each student to help them succeed. This unit started with a pretest, had ten days of lessons and instruction, and then concluded with a post-test. Based on student data, student performance and learning increased by using differentiated instruction and instructional strategies that were adapted to help each student. Using feedback, nonlinguistic representations (a big piece of assessment), think-pair-shares, and physical models/manipulatives, students successfully showed the increase in …

Black Fatherhood: A Critical Component For Urban African American Student Success, Cameron Steel

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

A multitude of studies express that father involvement has an impact on student achievement and learning outcomes for urban African American students (Palm & Fagan, 2008). Although biological fathers are extremely vital to our community, a biological connection between a parental figure and their student is not essential to these correlational outcomes. The absence of fathers in the urban African American community has had a negative impact on students' self-esteem, academic efficacy, and general livelihood. Realistically, it is not a viable solution to place fathers in homes or force them to stay and remain active participants in their child's K-12 …

Development Of A Sustainable Social Emotional Learning Workshop Series For Kindergarten To Second Grade Teachers, Claire Reyes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

In this project, I propose a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) workshopseries for kindergarten through second-grade teachers. In the recent decade, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on mental health, SEL programs have gained attention, and many have recognized the need for these programs in the classroom (Katz,2020). Early integration of SEL (e.g., in early childhood and elementary school classrooms) is essential to lifelong social and emotional development and positive outcomes (Mondi et al., 2021). However, SEL may feel difficult for teachers to incorporate in the classroom; teachers may learn about SEL broadly and inconsistently; thus, they feel …

Experiencing Transition: Bilingual Teachers' Voices In A Dual Language Program, Beatriz Garcia Soria

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain insight into the experience of bilingual teachers undergoing a change of bilingual education program, from a TBE model to a DLBE model . This study documents the ways the bilingual teachers experienced changes in their language ideologies, their teaching practices, and the support, or lack thereof, from the administration and the community. This study contributes to the existing literature on bilingual teachers and bilingual education by centering the voices of the teachers during the process of change of bilingual education models. The study also adds to the literature because of the …

An Intrinsic Case Study On The Implementation Of Project-Based Learning For Emergent Bilinguals And The Role Of Teacher Self-Efficacy At A Dual Language Campus On The U.S.-Mexico Border, Guadalupe Vela

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to understand the implementation of PBL at a dual-language campus on the U.S.-Mexico border (Stake, 2000). Project-based learning in a dual language setting can meet the demand for all students, especially emergent bilinguals, to receive equal and equitable learning opportunities that promote access to content knowledge regardless of student language proficiency (Howard et al., 2007; O’Brien et al., 2014). However, the success of implementing an innovation, such as PBL, is facilitated by the teacher’s belief in the tools and ability to enact the approach (Bandura, 1977). Therefore, the study also considered how …

System Support For Early Grade Teacher Mentors In Cambodia, Jana Scislowicz

Capstone Collection

The early primary education system in Cambodia is working to expand its teacher mentoring network. This quantitative and qualitative study examines the motivational factors of school-based early grade literacy mentors and master mentors who have played these roles in a pilot program implemented by a United States Agency for International Development-funded project during the 2021-2022 academic year in Cambodia. The study finds that mentors are motivated to perform the mentoring roles for intrinsic reasons such as improving student education and peer learning. It also finds that there are areas of improvement for mentor selection, workload assignment, financial remuneration, and recognition …

Exploration Of The Lived Experiences Of Native American Science Teachers Of The Great Plains: A Narrative Inquiry, Uma Ganesan

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

The complicated history of the education of Native American children through U.S. government-sponsored practices has led to the elimination of the Native children’s sense of Indian identity, culture, and language (Noel, 2002). In addition, increased emphasis on standardization and high-stakes accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has resulted in less culturally responsive educational efforts and more Indigenous students left behind in school systems (Castagno & Brayboy, 2008). This has led to Indigenous students being underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields where they account for only 3% of STEM workers (Fry, Kennedy, & Funk, …

Strategies To Aid Multilingual Learners In Academic Language Acquisition In Elementary Science And Mathematics Classes, Mikayla Grumbacher, Sophia Sladic

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

This qualitative inquiry research study surveys academic language acquisition strategies for teachers of multilingual learners in elementary science and mathematics classes. We paired readings of recent peer-reviewed journal articles with video observations of three elementary school teachers and an interview with a Director of English as a Second Language for a county in Virginia. Thematic analysis helped us identify similar strategies across the different studies, classroom observations, and interview. Our findings suggest that utilizing sensory and interactive supports are especially helpful strategies for teachers seeking to help multilingual learners in academic language acquisition.

The Reality Of Teaching English Virtually: Esl Teachers' Perspectives And Experiences During The Covid-19 National Pandemic, Natalia Guerrero

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the dilemma ESL teachers experienced as the educational system shifted from the usual modus operandi of in-person lessons to the uncharted virtual learning environment (VLE). ESL teachers, in one of the largest urban districts in Louisiana, accumulated additional roles and responsibilities that were unique to the teachers of the English learner (EL) population enrolled at their schools.

Data collected to answer the research questions were the product of single and focus group’s interviews with five ESL elementary and middle school teachers in Freedom District. State and district emergency response to COVID-19 guidelines, along with instructional artifacts, were …

K-12 Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness And Training To Provide Instruction And Support To English Language Learners, Rebecca Doxsee

Ed.D. Dissertations

The increased number of English language learners in the general education classroom created the need for teachers to be knowledgeable about how to instruct and support English language learners. Due to the minimal extant literature related to K-12 teachers’ preparedness and training, specifically regarding English language learners, the purpose of this qualitative, interpretive study was to examine the perceptions of Tennessee K-12 teachers related to preparedness and training to provide instruction and support to English language learners in the general education classroom. I emailed the questionnaire to 63 potential participants and received questionnaire responses from 44 (69.84%) K-12 teachers. I …

Exploring The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction And Teacher Retention Among Rural And Urban Elementary School Teachers In Kentucky, Whitney Shannon Wilson, Edris Barnette Humphrey

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Whitney Shannon Wilson and Edris Barnette Humphrey on April 12, 2023.

Math Teachers Who Don’T Like Math: A Phenomenological Study Of Elementary Teachers Who Dislike Mathematics Viewed Through The Lens Of Mathematics Teacher Identity In The Context Of Mathematics Education Reform, Melinda J. Bixby

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Due to the increased expectations for rigorous mathematics instruction demanded by the Common Core Standards, it has become increasingly difficult for elementary teachers who are trained to be generalists to deliver expert instruction in mathematics. This difficulty is compounded by the reality that many elementary teachers self-identify as disliking math. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study was to explore, investigate, and interpret the lived experiences and perceptions of self-contained elementary teachers who describe themselves as disliking mathematics. The central research question answered by this study is: What are the lived experiences and perceptions of self-contained elementary teachers who …

How Daily Movement Impacts Elementary Students In Math, Lesley Mcmahan Lawson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Lesley McMahan Lawson on April 11, 2023.

Defining And Increasing Student Engagement Using Flexible Seating In Elementary Classrooms, Jacklyn Phillips

Masters Projects

Education has mostly stayed the same since the 19th century, yet students and teachers have changed. Teachers once defined student engagement as the time students spent working on the task assigned. However, today there are many definitions for student engagement; which is correct? Researchers have defined student engagement as anything from "time on task" to seven different levels of engagement (Merwin, 1969, as cited in Trowler, 2010, p. 34; Schlechty, 2011). There is no one standard definition for student engagement. The concern is how educators increase engagement. This project suggests that educators move out of the 19th-century classroom setting and …

Improving Teacher Intervention Decisions Using The Fraction Error Flowchart, Katherine Pettrey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the U.S. the fifth-grade mathematics curriculum is largely devoted to building fraction skills, providing an essential foundation for future success in mathematics (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). Unfortunately, students in the U.S. struggle with fraction proficiency (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2022; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2018). Even when teachers facilitate interventions for struggling students those interventions may not be aligned with student need (Riccomini, 2005). Additionally, teachers struggle to identify research-based practices (RBPs) when presented with student data (Means et al., 2009). The purpose of this study was to create and test a flowchart that could …

Subjective Well-Being Of Teachers In K-12 Christian Schools, Julianne Rettig

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This non-experimental, quantitative study aimed to examine the factors that influence the self-perceived well-being of teachers in K-12 Christian schools. The sample for this study was convenient, non-probable, and purposive and comprised of 81 teachers from one Christian school system in Florida. The measurement tool used in this study is based on Seligman’s (2011) work on well-being. The Workplace PERMAH Profiler is a valid and reliable (α = .94) instrument that measures flourishing in terms of six domains: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment, and health. The internal reliability of study participant responses to survey items associated with the construct …