Education Commons^™

What Did I Learn At School Yesterday? Student Reflective Journaling As An Educational Practice, Audra Smith

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

This study investigated the occurrences of having students reflect on their learning by journaling, as well as the perceptions of this from students and their classroom teacher. Students received three mini lessons on reflective journaling before practicing reflective journaling independently at the beginning of their school day. While students completed their reflective journal entries, the investigator documented observations. Students completed a survey on their perceptions of this experience. Six student interviews were conducted in a one-on-one setting representing the demographic makeup of the classroom. In addition, the classroom teacher also completed a one-on-one interview. The qualitative data was analyzed using …

Social And Cultural Identities Of Mentors And Their Impact On Mentorship Experiences, Temvelo Rejoice Matsebula

Masters Theses

The relationship between social and cultural identities and experiences and how we interpret encounters is vital when looking at mentorship. Early childhood education values the combination of classroom education and field experience for pre-service educators. The ability to be a successful mentor relies on one's ability to reflect on their identity, beliefs, practices, values, and skills. This study sought to explore early childhood mentors' views of their social and cultural identities in relation to their experiences with mentorship by engaging with mentors (n=4) in an interview and through reflective journaling about their experiences. Interviews and journals were transcribed …

Effects Of Covid-19 On Classroom Behavior Of Elementary School Students, Emma Ballesteros

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone project is to inform parents, current and future educators about the harms that COVID-19 has brought into the classroom after the period of isolation. During this period, families were forced to stay indoors for their safety. Parents had to juggle between their jobs, their children, and themselves. All of these were going on while a child should be focusing on learning in the classroom. Through extensive literature review and interviews with elementary school teachers, the result finding indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause of student behaviors in the classroom that have affected many …

If Stress Is The Lock Is Communication The Key, Riley Romero, Bailey Julian, Danielle Carter

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project was meant to analyze the possible issues high school student-athletes may face academically as well as mentally while in school. This issue is important to note because there is an increase in students participating in sports and the offered school support should reflect the growing population. An argument that was found was the possible overlook of the mental well-being of the student-athletes if they are academically succeeding or are accomplished athletes. The primary stakeholders perspectives chosen were current high school student-athletes because they are able to provide insight into the current issues that student-athletes …

Small Things, Alexandra Byron

Diverse Families Bookshelf Lesson Plans and Activities

No abstract provided.

The Art And Science Of Self- Reflection, Kristina Arena, Paula Ogg, Ala’ Alhyari, Jason Dennison, Rabya Razi, Simran Kaur Johal, Seden Yesildag, Wafa Benmahmoud

Publications and Scholarship

Sheridan College students from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year of the Child and Youth Care (CYC) program participated in an innovative project to co-create a rubric for self-reflection assignments which is a significant skill in both academic and professional practice. Students co-designed this self-reflection rubric for use throughout the program for assessment in all self-reflection assignments rather than having a different rubric for every assignment. The students went through many steps to ensure the rubric had intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. We followed rubric best practices for criteria, levels, and descriptors. The extensive design thinking process of discussion and consultation resulted …

Importance Of Mental Health Awareness For Elementary School Students, Sarah Growitz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There are a variety of benefits from including school-based mental health awareness programs in elementary schools. Without proper education, students will not know what mental health is and how to seek help. Through the use of a literature review, teacher interview, and surveys, this capstone examines the importance of mental health awareness for elementary school students. Mental health can impact students' lives in such a negative way. It is extremely important for children to be aware that it is okay to struggle and learn how to properly deal with their emotions. It is also especially important for schools and educators …

How Does Trauma Affect Preschoolers?, Lisa Wolterman

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This literature review discusses the need for teachers to be aware of trauma-affected students that may be in their classrooms. History shows us that trauma is not a new topic. In the last few years more research is being completed to help us understand what these students are thinking and feeling. Teachers are a key piece to helping trauma-affected students. This review provides some strategies for working with trauma-affected students. What is known is that with help, trauma-affected students can learn and grow when given the chance.

Research Into Practice: Exploring Teacher Practices With Young Gifted Learners, Andrea Lauren Heming

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This research study investigates teacher practices with young gifted learners and provides recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the Primary Talent Pool through examination of the program as it is implemented in four Kentucky school districts. Gifted coordinators were interviewed and primary (kindergarten-third grade) teachers were surveyed. Though each school has different methods for meeting the needs of high potential learners, there are commonalities across all seven schools represented. The present findings indicate teachers feel confident in their ability to recognize high potential in academic areas. Teachers are comfortable using differentiation, and often differentiate to support gifted learners.

Behavioral Effects Of Outdoor Learning On Primary Students, Makena Cameron, Samantha Mcgue

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Children have an innate sense of curiosity about nature. “When children come in contact with nature, they reveal their strength” (Montessori, 1967, pg. 69) and therefore, outdoor education can be a useful learning tool for students. Whether being outdoors or bringing the nature-based activities inside, children have the opportunity to work with all of their senses. A growing number of schools around the United States have begun adding outdoor learning to their curriculum (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998) to bring a positive outcome to students’ behavior. Outdoor learning provides another environment that children can thrive in and hopefully benefit from. As …

Putting Educational Reform Into Practice: The Impact Of The No Child Left Behind Act On Students, Teachers, And Schools, Timothy Song

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to investigate the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on U.S. student achievement and teacher effectiveness. By combining the results from various data sources, I am able to indicate the levels of student preparedness, school spending, and specific classroom practices. After an analysis of my results, I suggest that NCLB has found moderate success in increasing the level of math preparedness for younger students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. On the other hand, the data also suggests that there have been no statistically significant gains in reading achievement after the implementation of NCLB. Additionally, spending …

Explanatory Case Study: Transitions Of Highly Mobile Students From Military Families To Public Non-Military Elementary Schools, Courtney Williams

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory case study is to review the supports provided by public elementary schools for highly mobile students from military families. When military families are uprooted and move to new locations, the children are forced to form new social ties as well as adapt to a new curriculum and learning objectives. The research questions that were addressed in the research for this study included: (a) How are issues of military mobility addressed at the study school sites so students are academically and socially successful? (b) What problems are noted by school staff when working with highly mobile …

Promoting Student Success: Bilingual Education Best Practices And Research Flaws, Lillian Fassero

Senior Honors Theses

This paper first determines the benefits which bilingual education offers and then compares transitional, dual-language, and heritage language maintenance programs. After exploring the outcomes, contexts, and practical implications of the various bilingual programs, this paper explores the oversight in most bilingual studies, which assess students’ syntax and semantics while neglecting their understanding of pragmatics and discourse structures (Maxwell-Reid, 2011). Incorporating information from recent studies which question traditional understandings of bilingualism and argue that biliteracy requires more than grammatical and vocabulary instruction, this paper proposes modifications in current research strategies and suggests best practices for transitional, dual-language, and heritage maintenance programs.

Slipping Through The Cracks: A Look Into Special Education Referrals, Courtney Musselman

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Special Education is offered in many schools today and more and more students are being referred to this type of education. For this capstone project three local special education teachers were interviewed about the referral process and what could be done to improve it. This is an important issue because many students are slipping through the cracks when it comes to be identified and others are being overly identified. The referral process is important because it provides students with an equal opportunity for education. Findings from the interviews and information from a relevant literature review were used to develop an …

The Comprehensive Emergent Literacy Model: Early Literacy In Context, Leigh Rohde

Leigh Rohde

Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying Prevention: A Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying Prevention Programs, Diana Howell

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

School bullying has often been tacitly minimalized as a rite of passage—an unfortunate but common experience among children. In the past few years there has been an increasing awareness of school bullying as a catalyst of school violence. Parents, school boards, and administrators are understanding and taking more seriously the negative impact that bullying has on victimized students and are actively looking for ways to reduce incidents of such violence. This research provides a discussion of bullying behavior and an examination of teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of bullying prevention programs in their schools. If teachers do not feel that …