Education Commons^™

Science For The English Language Learner: Strategies To Enhance Comprehension, Allen Rauch, Vicky Giouroukakis Ph.D.

Faculty Works: EDU (1995-2023)

According to the New York State Science Learning Standards, all students, including ELLs, need to “understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories...” (NYS Learning Standards for Math, Science, Technology, 1996, p.1). [They] are expected to acquire skills such as discussing, analyzing, reading, and writing in ways similar to those of a practicing scientist” (Medina-Jerez, Clark, Medina, & Ramirez-Marin, 2007, Science for ELL, para. 2). Most students in science, however, have difficulty comprehending science content (Schoenbach et. al., 1999) and are challenged by the specialized terminology in science. Furthermore, students believe that science is a body of knowledge rather than …

The Impact Of Multicultural Trade Books And An Intervention On Fourth Graders' Cultural Attitudes, Susan Herberger Whitcomb

Dissertations

As the United States population has become more diverse and the civil rights movement of the 1960s increased attentiveness to the change in population, the need for multicultural awareness has grown (Perry & Fraser, 1993). This study examined if teacher read alouds of multicultural trade books and a scripted instructional intervention could impact 187 fourth graders' cultural attitudes. The 10-session, 5-week study involved six reading teacher volunteers participating in one of the three group levels (treatment one: multicultural trade book read alouds, treatment two: multicultural trade books and a scripted instructional intervention, and treatment three: a control group). The mixed …

Mathematics Achievement Of Regular Education Students By Placement In Inclusion And Non-Inclusion Classrooms And Their Principals' Perceptions Of Inclusion, Loretta Rodgers Hartfield

Dissertations

This study examined mathematics achievement of fourth and fifth grade students in Mississippi and principals' perceptions of inclusion.

A sample of 462 students from eight separate elementary schools was selected for this study. Fifteen principals completed the Principal and Inclusion Survey regarding inclusion education. Eight of the 15 principals were interviewed with 10 open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of inclusion.

Data were analyzed using an independent two-tailed t test and Pearson product moment correlation. The independent two-tailed / test was used to determine differences in mathematics achievement for fourth and fifth grade students in inclusion classrooms compared to non-inclusion classrooms …

Making Cereal Box Dioramas Of Native American Historic Homes And Culture, Audrey C. Rule, Lois A. Lindell

Open Educational Resources

Hands-on projects such as creating a three-dimensional diorama are among the most memorable of positive elementary school experiences, yet they are generally uncommon because these complex projects are daunting to undertake. Therefore, it is important to prepare preservice teachers with the skills to lead children in creating these types of projects. This document is a compilation of preservice teacher work completed during a social studies methods class that assists instructors in teaching students to create unique dioramas. After the preservice teachers had constructed dioramas and assisted elementary students in making their own, they reflected on previous social studies projects from …

Examining The Factor Structure Of The Teachers' Sense Of Efficacy Scale, Helenrose Fives, Michelle M. Buehl

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

The authors examined the factor structure of the long and short forms of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES; M. Tschannen-Moran & A. Woolfolk-Hoy, 2001) for practicing (n = 102) and preservice teachers (n = 270), comparing the responses to both forms of the TSES, and looked for differences in teachers' efficacy with respect to experience and grade level taught. They found the 3-factor structure - efficacy for classroom management, instructional practices, and student engagement - to be appropriate for practicing teachers, but they found a single efficacy factor to be appropriate for preservice teachers. The long and short …

Early Gender Differences In Self-Regulation And Academic Achievement, Jamaal Matthews, Claire Cameron Ponitz, Frederick J. Morrison

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examined gender differences in self-regulation in the fall and spring of kindergarten and their connection to gender differences in 5 areas of early achievement: applied problems (math), general knowledge, letter-word identification, expressive vocabulary, and sound awareness. Behavioral self-regulation was measured using both an objective direct measure (N = 268; Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task) and, for a subsample of children, a teacher report of classroom self-regulatory behavior (n = 156; Child Behavior Rating Scale). Results showed that girls outperformed boys in both assessments. Although gender differences in self-regulation were clear, no significant gender differences were found on the 5 academic achievement …

Exploring Teachers' Beliefs About Teaching Knowledge: Where Does It Come From? Does It Change?, Michelle M. Buehl, Helenrose Fives

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

The authors analyzed the open-ended responses of preservice (n = 53) and practicing (n = 57) teachers in terms of themes related to beliefs regarding the source and stability of teaching knowledge. Findings indicate that participants hold a range of beliefs regarding these constructs. Six themes related to the source of teaching knowledge emerged: formal education, formalized bodies of knowledge, observational learning, collaboration with others, enactive experiences, and self-reflection. For beliefs about the stability of teaching knowledge, individuals expressed beliefs about the amount, direction, and quality of knowledge change with regard to various aspects of knowledge (e.g., content knowledge, use …

A Place At The Blackboard: Including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, & Queer/Questioning Issues In The Education Process, Todd A. Savage, Debra A. Harley

Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education Faculty Publications

We know from history that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have always existed in society (Campos, 2003; Sullivan, 2003). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexed, and queer/questioning (LGBTIQ) individuals, collectively known as sexual minorities, represent approximately 10% of the population. As many as nine students in every classroom of 30 are in some measure affected by sexual minority issues (e.g., having a gay or lesbian relative or being gay oneself) (AFSC Gay/Lesbian Youth Program, 1991). “Yet even with this substantial number, the code of silence in our nation’s school systems concerning homosexuality remains” (Fontaine, 1997, pp. 101-102).

Measuring Argumentative Reasoning: What's Behind The Numbers?, Alina Reznitskaya, Li Jen Kuo, Monica Glina, Richard C. Anderson

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

The aim of this paper is to develop a more thorough, empirically-based understanding of the differences in measurement of written argumentation when alternative scoring frameworks are employed. Reflective compositions of 127 elementary school children were analyzed using analytic and holistic scales. The scales were derived from Argument Schema Theory, an explicit model of argumentation development. We investigated the relationships among the different scales, as well as their relative reliability and efficiency. The scores derived using analytic and holistic methods have adequate reliability. Although less efficient, analytic scoring allows for gathering more sensitive and detailed information about the differences in student …

Lessons Of Place : A Critical Look At Place-Based Education, Karen L. Lew

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis consists of: a rationale for place-based education; the developmental appropriateness of place-based education in elementary education; examples of place-based education; and a list of place-based education resources. Also included is an overview of the impact of standards based reform on education in the United States and the author's experience of the Bank Street Long Trip.

Early Childhood Public School Teacher Licensure For The Fifty States And Washington, D.C.: An Inquiry To Ascertain Student Age Ranges For Public School Teacher Licensure May 2009, R. Caudle Jones, S. Martin, M. Crandall

Research Reports and Research Bulletins

There is a need for birth through kindergarten (B-K) public school licensure in the state of Arkansas. In Arkansas, licensure for teachers of young children is for pre-kindergarten through fourth grade (P-4). Teachers who receive P-4 licenses are often less prepared to work with children under age six than with older children. A more appropriate license would be a B-K license. A teacher with B-K licensure would be prepared to meet the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive needs of young children. This document is an inquiry to ascertain student age ranges for public school teacher licensure in the fifty states …

A Structured Observation Of Behavioral Self-Regulation And Its Contribution To Kindergarten Outcomes, Claire Cameron Ponitz, Megan M. Mcclelland, Jamaal Matthews, Frederick J. Morrison

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

The authors examined a new assessment of behavioral regulation and contributions to achievement and teacher-rated classroom functioning in a sample (N = 343) of kindergarteners from 2 geographical sites in the United States. Behavioral regulation was measured with the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) task, a structured observation requiring children to perform the opposite of a dominant response to 4 different oral commands. Results revealed considerable variability in HTKS scores. Evidence for construct validity was found in positive correlations with parent ratings of attentional focusing and inhibitory control and teacher ratings of classroom behavioral regulation. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that higher levels of …

It's All Happening At The Zoo: Children's Environmental Learning After School, Jason A. Douglas, Cindi Katz

Publications and Research

Pairing dynamic out-of-school-time (OST) programs with zoos can encourage young people's relationships with and sense of responsibility for animals and the environment. The project presented in this article, Animal Rescuers, gave the authors the opportunity to examine how such a pairing can work. OST programs enable learning in settings that are generally unavailable during school time (Honig & McDonald, 2005). They provide space for collaboration among students, teachers, and others such as program visitors or outside educators. Taking advantage of the flexibility, location, and educational playfulness of an OST setting, the authors worked intensively with a small number of 10-12-year-old …

Collaborative Reasoning: A Dialogic Approach To Group Discussions, Alina Reznitskaya, Li Jen Kuo, Ann Marie Clark, Brian Miller, May Jadallah, Richard C. Anderson, Kim Nguyen-Jahiel

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

In this paper, we address the need to develop an empirically-based understanding of the use of dialogue in teaching by discussing theory and research related to a pedagogical approach called collaborative reasoning (CR). CR is an instructional method designed to engage elementary school children in group discussions about controversial issues raised in their readings. CR is grounded in social learning and schema-theoretic views of cognition, which are integrated to form a new model, called argument schema theory (AST). According to AST, students acquire generalizable knowledge of argumentation, or an argument schema, through participating in dialogic discussions with their peers. The …

Just How Stable Are Stable Aesthetic Features? Symmetry, Complexity, And The Jaws Of Massive Familiarization, Pablo Tinio, Helmut Leder

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

Using both group- and individual-level analyses, we explored the complex and dynamic effects of basic visual features on aesthetic judgment. Specifically, the mediating influence of familiarization on the combined effects of complexity and symmetry on aesthetic judgment was examined. Experiment 1 showed that symmetry and complexity are indeed powerful determinants of aesthetic judgment. Experiment 2 demonstrated that massive familiarization generated contrast effects for complexity: participants familiarized to simple stimuli subsequently judged complex stimuli more beautiful and participants familiarized to complex stimuli subsequently judged simple stimuli more beautiful. In contrast, moderate familiarization in Experiment 3 did not elicit the above effects. …

Natural Scenes Are Indeed Preferred, But Image Quality Might Have The Last Word, Pablo Tinio, Helmut Leder

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

Numerous studies have shown that people prefer natural scenes over human-made scenes. Evolutionarily and neurologically based explanations for this preference have been proposed. This study examined the impact that image quality has on the preference for natural scenes. The authors also explored the influence of image quality on familiarity ratings and on how scenes are classified in a rapid, two-alternative, forced-choice task. Finally, the authors propose a framework for conceptualizing the nature of different image manipulation procedures, and how they influence aesthetic experiences.

Martin, Anna Katherine (Flege), 1902-1976 (Sc 1841), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 1841. Diary kept from 1 January 1923 to 14 August 1923 by Anna Katherine Flege, Grant County, Kentucky. She relates details of her life as a teacher in the one-room Round Top School. She also comments about the weather, her family and home life, and her participation in community social and religious activities.

Reactive Attachment Disorder : Implications For Counselors, Kim Rogers

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to provide background on reactive attachment disorder. Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is growing in diagnosis and yet it is one of the least researched disorders. This paper will discuss attachment theory, problems with the RAD diagnosis, interventions for mental health professionals, and future research ideas.

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, University Of Southern Mississippi, The University Of Southern Mississippi's School Of Library And Information Science

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the forty-second annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2009.

Becoming Literate Through Art: Benefits Of A Literacy Infused Art Curriculum, Amy Wagner

Theses and Graduate Projects

The decline of literacy skills continues to be a crisis and a concern. It is important to emphasize that being literate goes beyond reading and writing. The definition of literacy can and should also include the ability to listen and speak. With this inclusion literacy becomes well defined as a form of communication. While art and writing are both forms of expression and thereby a means of communication, it is only natural that, because the two share the same goal, they should be studied jointly. The study and practice of art can enhance student's fine motor skills, cognitive learning development …

Student Atlas Of Oregon: A Classroom Atlas For Elementary And Middle Schools, Teresa L. Bulman, Gwenda H. Rice, Center For Spatial Analysis And Research. Portland State University, David Banis

Instructional Materials

Includes maps about Oregon's landscape, climate, culture, economics, historical geography, water resources, wildlife, vegetation, agriculture, population, transportation, and natural resources.

The Student Atlas of Oregon was created specifically for upper elementary and middle school students, so it is easy for kids to understand.

2009 Price Laboratory Elementary School - Northern University Middle School Yearbook, Malcolm Price Laboratory School

Malcolm Price Laboratory School Yearbooks

The 2009 student yearbook of the middle & elementary schools of the Malcolm Price Laboratory School of the University of Northern Iowa.

Guidelines On Writing A Successful Grant Seeking Submission, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Tender Bridge

This document provides a brief set of guidelines on how to write a successful grant seeking submission to a philanthropic organisation. It includes preparing for submission, writing a submission and what to do after the proposal is submitted.

Common Strategies Used By Kindergarten Teachers To Instruct Reading To English-As-A-Second-Language Students, Emma Kaye Penn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research was designed to describe, analyze, and interpret what reading strategies experienced kindergarten teachers believe are essential to instruct English-as-a-Second-Language learners how to read. Through in-depth interviews, experienced kindergarten teachers were given a voice to describe what they consider essential reading strategies to instruct English-as-a-Second-Language learners to learn how to read.

The participants were four licensed, non-probationary kindergarten teachers instructing reading in English to a minimum of 51% English-as-a-Second-Language population. Selected kindergarten programs were consistent in program design. Processes were influenced by the gateway approach. The stories teachers told about their experiences in teaching ELLs how to read was …

Exploring Classroom Management With Young Learners, Amin Ismail Abdullah

MA TESOL Collection

This paper explores the definition of classroom management and establishes the author’s definition of classroom management and the underlying principles behind it. Thereafter, it examines some aspects of the author’s system of classroom management, specifically, the classroom as a Safe Space, behavior management, the teacher as a facilitator and the classroom environment. Finally, the paper concludes with an appeal to educators to reflect on their own classroom management practices and offers resources for those wishing to further explore the subject.

The Power Of African American Parent Perceptions On Student Achievement, Melody Luretha Camm

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

With the implementation of No Child Left Behind, schools have been challenged to maintain Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) for low achieving subpopulations. Current research supported by historical data suggests that African American parent involvement could possibly be the missing link to African American student achievement. This study explores the possible connection between African American parent perceptions of their school involvement and student achievement. It surveyed 738 fourth grade parents from five Title I and five Non-Title I schools to see if there was a significant difference between the parent involvement perceptions of African American Parents and Non-African American Parents, as …

Self -Efficacy Beliefs Of Elementary General Education Teachers In Inclusive Classrooms And The Role Of Professional Development, Sheila S. Ashley

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

In an effort to provide greater access and progress in the general education curriculum and higher levels of standards proficiency for students with disabilities, school districts across the nation have substantially increased placements in inclusive classroom settings. This thrust has significantly challenged and frustrated general educators due to their perceptions of incompetence related to meeting the needs of students with disabilities in the absence of appropriate training and support.;This study used mixed-methods research to explore differences in general educators' self-efficacy beliefs based on IEP-identified students' learning or behavioral challenges; variation in classroom practice between high and low self-efficacy teachers relative …

Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, Collective Teacher Efficacy, And Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Jeffrey C. Jackson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

This study sought to examine relationship between teacher organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB), collective teacher efficacy (CTE), and student achievement in urban elementary schools. A convenience sample of 1,327 teachers from 35 elementary schools from a single urban school district completed surveys designed to measure OCB and CTE. Student achievement data were based on performance on the Virginia Standards of Learning exams for grade 3 and 5 mathematics and reading.;Pearson correlation statistics revealed a significant positive relationship between OCB and CTE. Significant positive relationships were found between OCB and student achievement scores in grade 3 mathematics, grade 5 mathematics, and grade …

Engaging And Motivating Young Readers, Alisha Briggs

Graduate Research Papers

It is well accepted in the teaching world that a student's success in reading is greatly influenced by the student's own motivation. A student needs to be engaged in a subject to be successful. An engaged and motivated reader chooses to read for a variety of purposes including reading for enjoyment and seeking information. A student may find this motivation within himself/herself or they may need the help of the teacher and learning environment to do so. This paper will look at the various aspects of motivation and engagement including self-determination theory, social contexts, and classroom strategies.

The Benefits Of Family Literacy, Cassandra Cate

Graduate Research Papers

This paper examines the positive influence families can have on their child's literacy education and the development of a project to provide experiences to families that demonstrate ways they can extend the learning process with their children at home. This paper provides literature supporting the importance of family involvement and the specifics of how schools and families can work together to overcome common barriers to family involvement in a child's literacy development. The project for a family literacy night was developed from the literature, providing a school-based program for literacy support for families, highlighting effective practices and suggestions for enhancing …