Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Examining A Differentiated Science Unit Through A Listening Stance, Daniel Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research was to investigate the relationship between differentiated instruction and Schultz's (2003) Framework for Listening. Based on Schultz's four types of listening, data were gathered on a class of fourth grade students through the use of a student survey, student-teacher journals, a student-adult interview, and a pretest. This data was continually examined in order to inform differentiated instruction on a daily basis. After a month of listening, a differentiated science unit was created based on the information learned about students through listening. The teaching of, and student responses to the differentiated unit became another source …

Using Multicultural Literature In The Classroom To Encourage Tolerance And Respect, Laurel Hartmann

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine what happens when multicultural children's literature is used to supplement the kindergarten curriculum. Over the course of four weeks, students were read eight books about diverse cultures during centers and during circle time. Qualitative inquiry strategies such as parent questionnaires, audio recordings of small group and whole group discussions, student artifacts, and observations recorded in a teacher research journal were all used as a means of collecting data. Upon analyzing the data and searching for main ideas throughout the study, I found that multicultural picture books helped the children become more …

The Effects Of Using Instructional Games In The Elementary Classroom, Jennifer Campagnola

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to answer the question, "What happens when I use instructional games to teach or review math skills in a fourth grade classroom?" In this study, the students played five instructional games during a math unit on fractions. The instructional games ranged in type. The students completed a survey about the games at the beginning of the study, at the end of the study, and at the end of each instructional game. The data in this study suggests that instructional games are fun, help students to learn the material, and allow students opportunities to create …

How Can The Use Of The Morning Meeting Foster A Sense Of Community In The Fifth Grade Classroom?, Lindsey Giannantonio

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of incorporating the Morning Meeting as part of the daily routine in the fifth grade classroom. This study examines the effects of developing a classroom community and incorporating talk as a tool in the classroom through the use of the Morning Meeting. The Morning Meeting is part of the Responsive Classroom approach, and its purpose is to help foster a sense of community and spark student readiness for learning during the school day. This qualitative teacher research used student response journals, a teacher research journal, student surveys, audio recordings of …

Video Modeling To Enhance The Conversation Skills Of Preschool Children Who Are At-Risk For School Failure, Lorie Mick

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the video-modeling method on language comprehension skills of preschoolers who are at-risk for school failure. The setting for this research was a preschool classroom in a low socioeconomic school district in southern New Jersey. Baseline data on the amount of comprehension questions the participants answer correctly after a typical storytelling session were compared to the results of the amount of questions they answer correctly after exposure to the intervention. In addition, the students' use of language, including mean length of utterance and vocabulary, was compared prior to and following …

Using Literature To Educate Students About Bullying, Rebecca Goldberg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how using literature to educate students about bullying would support their understandings about bullying and how to address it. This study was conducted at Osage Elementary School in Voorhees, New Jersey. Twenty-one third graders voluntarily participated in this study. An initial and final survey, four discussions and four surveys following the discussions along with a teacher research journal were used in this study to gather data. A qualitative approach was utilized to analyze and draw conclusions from the research. The data showed student understanding about bullying changed over the course of the …

Utilizing Music And Movement As A Means Of Transition, Lisa Cioffi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this teacher research was to examine the effects of a transition infused with music and movement may have on the classroom environment and the students within the setting. This study was conducted within a first grade general education classroom with a total of eighteen student participants. The students were included in the production of the transition through interviews and questionnaires in which each student had the opportunity to express his or her opinions regarding specific songs and movements he or she identified with relaxation. The students were then provided the experience of executing the music and movement …

Authentic Literature's Effect On Student Attitudes Towards Individuals With Disabilities, Sara Alves

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect authentic literature had on student attitudes towards individuals with disabilities. This study was conducted by implementing a disabilities unit through read alouds in a second grade classroom. Eighteen students participated in the research model. Data collected included surveys, audio taped interviews, audio taped discussions, student response cards, and personal teacher research journal. The data was analyzed recursively across all data sets to determine patterns and themes. Data was coded according to three main patterns; if the pattern was found to be prevalent across all data sets it was found to …

Katie Johnson, Katie Johnson, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Katie Johnson has spent her entire life in Griffin, Georgia. Fifty-four of those years were spent working in school nutrition programs. This interview was conducted the day after her seventy-seventy birthday, and she has recently started her well-deserved retirement.

What Happens When Fourth Graders Use Learning Profiles To Direct Their Learning?, Caley Spahn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to see what happened when elements of a learner- centered classroom were implemented in a 4th grade classroom in social studies. Qualitative sources of data collected included teacher research journal, focus group discussions, student interest surveys, student talk, and a self esteem scale. Data was analyzed, triangulated, and informed by Katherine Schultz's (2003) listening framework. The students determined how they were going to learn about government in social studies and then how they were going to show what they learned. They assumed control of their learning experience, guided by the teacher researcher. Findings suggested …

Transform Your Teaching Through Student Feedback, Patrick Rousseau

Sandanona

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Direct And Indirect Effects Of School Leadership On Student Achievement In Kentucky High Schools, Sheri Roberts Mcguffin

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Learner Experiences Of Online Pre-Lecture Resources For An Introductory Chemistry Course At An Irish Higher Education Institution, Claire M. Mcdonnell

Theses

The principal aim of this case study was to investigate students’ experiences of using online pre-lecture resources and their perceptions of their learning environment for the Introductory Chemistry module concerned. A subsidiary aim was to probe the experience of the lecturer involved of designing and piloting these resources and his perception of their impact on students’ learning. The student cohort who participated were a group of 49 first year level 8 undergraduate chemistry students at Technologicl University Dublin. These students took an Introductory Chemistry module over their first semester, the aim of which was to bring the level of understanding …

The Possibilities And Challenges Of Multigrade Teaching In Rural Pakistan, Ali Nawab, Salima Rahim Baig

Professional Development Centre, Chitral

In rural Pakistan instruction frequently occurs in multigrade settings where, due to lack of teachers and space, two to three teachers teach six classes. Manyteachers lack the knowledge and skills to manage multigrade classes effectively as they have been trained for single-grade teaching. Thisqualitative study was conducted to explore the possibilities and challenges of implementing multigrade course strategies in four project schools. Based on the findings of the study, this paper argues that multigrade courses have positive impact upon the teaching learning practices of schools. However, government has to play a key role in sustaining the implementation and impact of …

Technology Use In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Heather Prestegord

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper will examine the outcomes of using technology in middle school mathematics. The author will find research on how implementing technology affects students’ ability to learn mathematics. The author will also analyze if teachers are incorporating technology effectively and how teachers can be better equipped to successfully use technology in the middle school mathematics classroom.

Influence Of Teacher-Student Interactions On Kindergarten Children’S Developing Gender Identity Within The Pakistani Urban Classroom Culture, Almina Pardhan

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

In the current global push to explore the diverse and complex ways in which the school culture contributes to the shaping of young children's gender identity, early childhood teachers’ role in this process is an area of concern which has received limited attention. Furthermore, the schooling experiences of early years children in developing world contexts such as Pakistan remain largely absent. As such, this article discusses findings from a study investigating the role of women teachers’ practice in the construction of children's gender identities in the kindergarten classroom culture of one urban co‐education school in the highly gender‐segregated Pakistani context. …

The Massachusetts Early Education And Care Professional Development System Study: Year 1 Report, Anne Douglass, Lucinda Heimer, Winifred Hagan

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publication Series

The purpose of this report is to present the findings from the first year of the Massachusetts Professional Development System Study (MA PDS). This study examined the implementation of Massachusetts' new statewide model for professional development of the early education and care and out of school time workforce. The study was funded by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC).

This study examined the process of implementation of the new professional development system between August 2010 and June 2011. Implementation research is important because it provides insights into whether a new system is operating as intended and identifies …

Delayed Beginnings, Jump Start? The Combined Effects On Early Literacy Of Age At Entry Into Kindergarten With Experiences Prior To Entry, Kathryn A. Wilson

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

As the first compulsory grade in the elementary school program, kindergarten is designed to prepare students for the numbered grades. Students are eligible for entrance into kindergarten if they turn five before a state-determined cut-off date. These dates range from the June before the start of school until the January after. Because some states do not require that children attend kindergarten until 6, 7, or even 8 years old, some parents are delaying their child’s entry into the program on the assumption that their child will benefit from an extra year to grow cognitively, physically, and emotionally. The result is …

Changing Perceptions Of Science In Undergraduate Students: A Mixed Methods Case Study, Cindy S. Larson-Miller

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

The purpose of this bounded single-case study was to explore the understanding of the nature and process of science for undergraduate students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). The study investigated one professor’s methodology to explicitly teach undergraduate students about the nature and process of science, and documented their understanding and perception of science, both pre- and post-course.

Using a mixed method approach, data were collected to provide a better understanding of teaching the nature and process of science. Three main types of data were analyzed: the process of science (TPOS) assessment; survey questions, and the module curriculum.

Participating students …

Preparing Elementary Teachers To Teach Students With Disabilities A Comparison Of Program Structures & Elements Across Teacher Preparation Institutions, Jessica Close

HIM 1990-2015

Students with disabilities have the right to the least restrictive environment (IDEA, 2004). Elementary teachers are teaching more of these students in the inclusive classroom because of this right. Elementary teachers are willing to take on this responsibility, but most feel they are not prepared to do so. In order to address this concern, elementary teacher preparation at the institution level must be addressed. This is a descriptive thesis which identifies and compares methods that different institutions across the country use to prepare teachers to teach students with disabilities. Institutions chosen for this thesis were recognized by either the U.S. …