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Full-Text Articles in Education

Teachers' Perceptions Of Implementing Differentiated Instruction For English Language Learners, Mary E. Pegram Jan 2019

Teachers' Perceptions Of Implementing Differentiated Instruction For English Language Learners, Mary E. Pegram

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrators and teachers are concerned that English Language Learners (ELLs) in an urban elementary school in a southern part of the United States are not meeting required state standards in reading. Teachers have indicated that they do not always know how to differentiate instruction for ELLs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate teachers' implementation of differentiated instruction for ELLs. This research study was guided by the conceptual framework of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and Tomlinson's theory of implementing differentiated instruction. The research questions investigated teachers' perceptions of differentiated instruction and their professional development for mediating …


Self-Injurious Behavior And Social Media Use By Adolescents, Victoria Lynn Fye Jan 2019

Self-Injurious Behavior And Social Media Use By Adolescents, Victoria Lynn Fye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a surprising dearth of research related to the phenomenon of self-injurious behavior/nonsuicidal self-injury (SIB/NSSI), such as cutting. Research conducted on SIB has revealed that this maladaptive behavior is more common among adolescents than other populations. The act of posting SIB on social media deserves research attention, as it seems to contradict what had previously been considered a very private behavior. The goal of this qualitative case study was to better understand why adolescents engage in SIB as well as investigate why they post these behaviors on social media. Merton's theory of social strain and anomie, which focuses on …


Child-Directed Play And Teacher Education Related To Preschool Suspension And Expulsion, Nicole Scienza Jan 2019

Child-Directed Play And Teacher Education Related To Preschool Suspension And Expulsion, Nicole Scienza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The amount of time that children spend in child-directed activity can increase the frequency and quality of teacher–child interactions, which can decrease challenging behavior in children. The problem is that preschool children are being expelled and suspended at a high rate, and additional research is required to examine the prevention of behaviors that lead to expulsion and suspension. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether the percentage of the day that children spend in child-directed learning stations, the quality of activities offered during child-initiated time, and the education level of the lead teacher predict classroom suspensions or …


Disadvantaged Preschool Children: Public Policy, Education Models, And Kindergarten Readiness, Virginia H. Byerson Jan 2019

Disadvantaged Preschool Children: Public Policy, Education Models, And Kindergarten Readiness, Virginia H. Byerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high rate of academic failure among disadvantaged preschool and post preschool students in some school districts in Virginia, yet little is understood about the relationship between education models and academic performance among economically disadvantaged students (EDS). The problem explored is the absence of classroom exercises in pre and post preschools that capitalize on cognitive development to improve executive function (EF) and self-regulation (SR) skills. The purpose of this study is to understand if a change in current classroom practices impacts academic performance among low-income students. Narrative policy serves as a theoretical guide in this qualitative case study …


Teacher Biases As An Influence On Early Childhood Assessments, Crystal Mason Jan 2019

Teacher Biases As An Influence On Early Childhood Assessments, Crystal Mason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher perspectives and judgments of students' race and gender are known to influence their assessment of primary and secondary students' academic achievements. However, little is known about the effect on children's academic achievement of preschool teacher perspectives and judgments of students' race and gender, which forms the basis for this study. The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher assessment of preschool children's mathematics and science skills on the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) and Teacher Strategies GOLD (TSG), along with teacher comments written in preparation for each child's parent-teacher conference, to determine if there was a relationship between …


Stakeholder Perspectives On Teacher Attrition In Private Early Childhood Schools In India, Swathi Sandesh Menon Jan 2019

Stakeholder Perspectives On Teacher Attrition In Private Early Childhood Schools In India, Swathi Sandesh Menon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition is a problem that has consequences for children and schools in many countries; children are affected negatively both emotionally and intellectually, while schools suffer setbacks, such as financial stress and disruption of the learning environment. This multiple case study explored the perspectives of stakeholders in India regarding how teacher attrition in private early childhood schools influenced students, teachers, parents, school leaders, and schools, as well as the factors that stakeholders identified as important for teacher retention in private early childhood education. The conceptual framework was Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Data were collected through interviews with teachers and school …


Characteristics Of Successful Early Childhood Educational Leaders, Darla Tucker Jan 2019

Characteristics Of Successful Early Childhood Educational Leaders, Darla Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that precipitated this study was the marked differences among early childhood education leaders in the quality of leadership for private early childhood entities as indicated by a voluntary quality rating improvement system in a Midwestern state. The scholarly literature lacks studies on characteristics of high-€quality leadership in early childhood education. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to explore characteristics of quality early childhood leadership based on examination of successful early childhood programs using leadership trait theory as a conceptual framework. Research questions were designed to examine characteristics of successful early childhood leaders based on the …


Transgender An At-Risk Population During And Following Emergencies And Disasters, Joshua Aaron Fontanez Jan 2019

Transgender An At-Risk Population During And Following Emergencies And Disasters, Joshua Aaron Fontanez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The experiences and needs of transgendered individuals immediately following a natural or human-caused disaster are largely ignored in practice and absent from previous academic literature. Using Schneider and Ingram's conceptualization of the social construction of target populations as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences and perspectives of transgendered people who sought shelter in the aftermath of a natural disaster in 2018. Data were collected through interviews with 12 displaced, transgendered individuals to explore their experiences while staying at shelters in 2018. Interview data were transcribed, inductively coded, and then a thematic analysis procedure …


Jamaican Kindergarten And First Grade Teachers’ Expectations For Readiness Skills, Sadie Henrietta Harris-Mortley Jan 2019

Jamaican Kindergarten And First Grade Teachers’ Expectations For Readiness Skills, Sadie Henrietta Harris-Mortley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children’s readiness to meet demands in Grade 1 is a common concern in most primary schools in Jamaica. Teachers have voiced their expectations that students should display a level of mastery in readiness skills so that they can be engaged in academic tasks when they transition from the kindergarten to Grade 1. The purpose of this qualitative case study, guided by social constructivism, was to explore kindergarten students’ readiness for Grade 1 based on the perceptions of kindergarten teachers compared to Grade 1 teachers on readiness skills, instructional practices, and expectations of students’ competency. The research questions were designed to …


The Effect Of Stem And Non-Stem Education On Student Mathematics Ability In Third Grade, Elke Hyacinth Jan 2019

The Effect Of Stem And Non-Stem Education On Student Mathematics Ability In Third Grade, Elke Hyacinth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although early mathematics instruction is predictive of future mathematics achievement, the effects of STEM-based mathematics instruction on mathematics gains in elementary school have been largely unexplored. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether mathematics scores from third grade student state-mandated standardized mathematics test differ between students who were enrolled in STEM schools and students who were enrolled in non-STEM schools in the largest school district located in a Southwestern state in the United States. Polya's problem-solving heuristics formed the theoretical framework because of their relevance to concepts on the third grade mathematics test. Two research questions focused …


Differences In At-Risk Children's Preschool Assessment By Teachers' Level Of Education, Folashade Z. Olayinka-Bello Jan 2019

Differences In At-Risk Children's Preschool Assessment By Teachers' Level Of Education, Folashade Z. Olayinka-Bello

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite state requirements, standards, and recommendations from various early childhood agencies, huge differences exist in levels of education held by teachers of 4-year-olds in early childhood classrooms, which may affect the quality of service they offer to children as well as students' performance on assessments. This quantitative study determined whether significant differences existed between assessment scores of at-risk children taught by teachers with different levels of education and years of experience using standardized assessments (Teaching Strategies GOLD [TSG] and Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening [PALS]). The theoretical framework for this study was Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory of human development. Data were analyzed …


Teacher Perspectives Of The Implementation Of The Journeys Early Literacy Program, Milton Bernard Reese Jan 2019

Teacher Perspectives Of The Implementation Of The Journeys Early Literacy Program, Milton Bernard Reese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A small rural school district in the southwestern part of the United States required teachers to provide highly effective literacy instruction by implementing an evidence-based reading program called Journeys. With consistently low reading achievement, it was unclear whether teachers were implementing Journeys as prescribed. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teacher implementation of the Journeys program for students at an elementary school in the district. The theoretical framework used to guide the study was Clay’s emergent literacy theory. The conceptual framework included 5 strands of the Journeys reading curriculum, which was derived from Clay’s theory. A …


Discipline Policy And Preschool Special Education Students' Social Skills, Amanda Lee Tamagni Jan 2019

Discipline Policy And Preschool Special Education Students' Social Skills, Amanda Lee Tamagni

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preschool special education students lack of personal-social skills is affecting their kindergarten readiness and placing them at risk for exposure to school discipline in a large school district in the Southeastern United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the quality of school discipline policies and personal-social skills of preschool special education students within the focus district. Ecological systems theory provided the framework for the study. Data collection included archived personal-social skills scores, as measured by the Battelle Developmental Inventory 2 (BDI 2), of 354 preschool special education students. Four trained educators rated the …


Mandarin Teachers' Experiences Using Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge In Early Childhood Classrooms, Francesca Pugh-Opher Jan 2019

Mandarin Teachers' Experiences Using Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge In Early Childhood Classrooms, Francesca Pugh-Opher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this research study was on the experiences and perceptions of Mandarin Chinese teachers who used technologies and innovative instructional methods to teach second language skills to young learners. The conceptual framework drew on 3 theories: (a) Vygotsky’s sociocultural learning theory, (b) Schӧn’s action theory, and (c) Mishra and Koehler’s technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The research questions focused on the experiences of early childhood teachers integrating TPACK to teach Mandarin Chinese and how do early childhood teachers perceive the use of instructional methods to teach Mandarin Chinese. Purposeful sampling was used to identify 8 Mandarin Chinese language …


Teacher Perceptions Of The Daily 5 Literacy Routine: A Case Study, Kim Penland Jan 2019

Teacher Perceptions Of The Daily 5 Literacy Routine: A Case Study, Kim Penland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even with extensive literacy research, routines, and policy modifications, many elementary students are not provided with the needed tools to develop independent literacy skills. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine what independent literacy behaviors are developing in first through fourth grade students to determine whether the Daily 5 framework is developing the desired independent literacy skills in those students. Based on Vygotsky's social development theory, the Daily 5 literacy routine teaches students five essential habits to develop independent literacy abilities across various grade levels. This qualitative study's research questions were developed to examine what independent …


Teachers' Perspectives Of Their Engagement Of Fathers In Early Childhood Classrooms, Tymeshia L. Gadson Jan 2019

Teachers' Perspectives Of Their Engagement Of Fathers In Early Childhood Classrooms, Tymeshia L. Gadson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite positive effects of parent engagement on children's school success, prior research into parent engagement has relied almost exclusively on interactions by mothers and has not included fathers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of preschool teachers regarding their engagement with fathers of children in their classrooms. The conceptual framework was Epstein's 6 types of parental involvement. Three research questions, regarding teachers' perspectives of father engagement, teachers' reported efforts to increase the engagement of fathers, and the barriers teachers describe in increasing fathers' engagement, form the basis of this study. This was a qualitative …


Early Childhood Education Trainers' Knowledge And Use Of Andragogical Principles, Kimberly Thornton Jan 2019

Early Childhood Education Trainers' Knowledge And Use Of Andragogical Principles, Kimberly Thornton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood education (ECE) teachers often lack the experience and skills to provide children with supports necessary to foster academic and social skill development. Professional development can improve ECE teachers' skills, but ECE trainers often lack understanding of adult learning principles, known as andragogy. Knowles' conceptual framework of andragogy was used to explore the knowledge and use of andragogical principles of 8 ECE trainers selected via criterion-based purposive sampling. The research questions focused on ECE trainers' knowledge and use of andragogical principles. Three cases, each consisting of 2 or 3 live professional development trainings for early childhood educators, were used …


Perceptions Of Coping Strategies Of Young Adults Who Were Bullied As Youth, Latonya Rainwater Jan 2019

Perceptions Of Coping Strategies Of Young Adults Who Were Bullied As Youth, Latonya Rainwater

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Victims of childhood bullying often use passive coping strategies and experience depression, substance abuse use, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine adults' lived experiences of coping methods they used as victims of bullies during adolescence. Lazarus and Folkman's transactional theory of stress and coping provided the framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 young adults who were bullied as adolescents. Coding analysis indicated 7 emerging themes for coping: confrontation, self-controlling, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, escape-avoidance, problem-solving, and positive reappraisal. Participants reported that some coping methods were perceived as …


The Effects Of A Teacher Coaching Model On Preschool Suspensions And Expulsions, Jody Jeanne Bering Jan 2019

The Effects Of A Teacher Coaching Model On Preschool Suspensions And Expulsions, Jody Jeanne Bering

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In early childhood centers, students with disabilities are being suspended and expelled, leaving them with no place to attend school to learn with their peers or to receive early intervention special education services. This study was designed to determine the effects of coaching on the number of suspensions and expulsions of students with disabilities attending early childhood centers. The framework for this study was based on the theory of Conjoint Behavioral Coaching. The research question was: What are the effects of a coaching intervention by early intervention teachers to early childhood teachers on the number of suspensions and expulsions of …


Dissertation: Professionalism In Trinidad And Tobago's Early Childhood Sector: A Case Study, Cynthia Juliana Celestin Jan 2019

Dissertation: Professionalism In Trinidad And Tobago's Early Childhood Sector: A Case Study, Cynthia Juliana Celestin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study explored early childhood practitioners' response to government mandates for increased professionalism in Trinidad and Tobago; the impact of mandates on their personal and professional lives; and their conceptions of professionalism. The study addressed government concerns about lack of professionalism in Early Childhood Care and Education; informed policymakers of the myriad challenges therein; and included practitioners' voices in international discourse on professionalism. Change theory, systems thinking, and voice elicitation formed the conceptual framework for understanding changes needed to increase professionalism in the sector. The meaning of professionalism as defined in mandates; difference between practitioners and officials' definitions of …