Education Commons^™

In What Ways Can Play-Based Learning In Preschool And Kindergarten Classrooms Support Healthy Development?, Angela Bjelde

Graduate Teacher Education

Play-based learning was identified as a developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) within early childhood education (ECE) (NAEYC, 2009). This paper examined current research to determine the impact of play-based learning on the development of preschool and kindergarten children. According to research, play offers effective, innovative approaches to pedagogy that meets children’s diverse needs as a whole learner. Although research has underlined the importance of play for the future of ECE, a number of diverse challenges have created difficulty with implementing play-based learning in preschool and kindergarten classrooms. Most early childhood educators have faced increasing difficulty with advocating for play given the …

Child Protection Services: An Evaluation Of The Current System And Recommendations For Preventing Instances Of Abuse, Sarah Varian

Graduate Teacher Education

Millions of children are reported to Child Protective Services every year, and the services those children receive differ greatly between each state depending on the laws and regulations set in place and what community programs may or may not exist to support them. Research about what factors influence child abuse occurrences and which services best meet the needs of at-risk families is vital to determine the best ways to provide support for families reported for cases of abuse or neglect (Palmer, Maiter, & Manji, 2006; Solomon & Asber, 2012). A review of literature on this topic concluded that currently, Child …

Fostering Children’S Academic Development Through Movement-Based Learning Environments, Hannah Martin

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

This study investigated how play and movement affect young children’s learning in order to provide educators with teaching strategies that are effective and developmentally appropriate in supporting the whole child. Academics, standardized testing, and school readiness have been buzzwords in education since No Child Left Behind was enacted in 2001. The term “school readiness” has been interpreted to indicate worksheets, memorization, and direct instruction to increase academic scores on standardized tests (Klein, 2015). The Common Core Standards for reading have dramatically increased in recent decades, including the expectation that children leaving kindergarten be comprehensive emergent readers (Carlsson-Paige, Bywater-McLaughlin, & …

Character Education In Prekindergarten, Lori Clark

Graduate Teacher Education

The outcomes of teaching character education in pre-kindergarten (PK) classrooms were researched for this paper. Challenging behaviors have become commonplace in PK classrooms; Edge, Rose, Honeycutt, McKelvey, Swindle, Courson, and Forsman (2018) reported more than 40% of early educators surveyed had suspended at least one child during the previous year. With changes in family structure, the rise in violent acts, and other ethical issues in society it has become necessary for schools to teach values that will help lead children to academic success and keep children in classrooms (Heidari, Nowrozi, & Ahmadpoor, 2016). Research was analyzed to report the effectiveness …

A Case Study Regarding Induction Supports And Activities And Their Impact On Successful Teacher Retention, Alicia Ponds

Doctorate in Education

At the end of every school year, new teachers either stay or leave public classrooms. Multiple challenges drive these new teacher choices. State, district, and local administrators struggle to fill teacher vacancies. New teacher departures challenge schools with the maintenance of an attractive work environment and provision of quality student education. This case study shares how five successful Minnesota educators apply extrinsic activities and intrinsic supports to not only meet these challenges, but effectively respond to the 2019-2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through research interviews, this qualitative study analyzes intrinsic supports and extrinsic activities in relation to positive teaching …

What Factors Contribute To The Turnover Rate In The Field Of Early Childhood Education?, Paige Novey

Graduate Teacher Education

Approximately 27 percent of early childhood professionals leave positions or the field entirely on an annual basis (McMullen, Lee, McCormick, & Choi, 2020). Although the majority of early childhood educators report that the work is valuable and meaningful, other stressors are driving nearly a third of the field to seek other opportunities. These stressors include low compensation, lack of benefits, and poor work conditions. With nearly twelve million infants, toddlers, and preschoolers participating in early childhood programming, their experiences are impacted by this high turnover rate. In comparison, elementary educators experience an annual turnover rate of seven to eight percent …

How Does Child Maltreatment Impact Social Emotional Development In Children Under Five?, Jazmine Fennig

Graduate Teacher Education

Research examined in this paper found that children under the age of five years old who are victims of child maltreatment, can display hindered development in social emotional behavioral domains. Being that the brain develops so rapidly and is fragile during this age, there is a plethora of developmental, mental struggles, personal struggles, and complications that children can face during the remaining years of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood as a result (Campbell, Walker, & Egede, 2016; Kahr Nilsson, Landorph, Houmann, Olsen & Skovgaard, 2019; & McKelvey, Edge, Mesman, Whiteside-Mansell & Bradley, 2018). Effects can range from short term to long …

Behavioral Engagement Of Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Anna Stevens

Graduate Teacher Education

This review of literature focused on managing the behavior of students in a classroom. Furthermore, it was acknowledged that students come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Educators have known that without being able to manage behavior, specifically that of students with EBD, addressing academics would be challenging. Thus, the need for strategies to improve behavior was evident. The research question was how can educators foster the behavioral engagement of students with EBD? Analysis and synthesis of the research produced three themes: praise, social and emotional support, and individualized attention. Within the themes were specific strategies educators could implement …

The Alignment Of Student Support Services In Minnesota Pre-K-12 Public Schools, Jacqueline Trzynka

Doctorate in Education

A significant amount of literature exists on student achievement, social emotional learning, student mental health, and related student developmental needs. There are recommendations and research about best practices and research around successful programs schools can utilize to address and support student needs. However, the author found in her research that there is very little, if any, research about how school districts organize and implement comprehensive systems to support these needs and even less about why they should. The research questions explore student support services structures, policies, processes and roles as they relate to supporting equitable student outcomes. The qualitative study …

Exploring Teacher-Parent Communication: A Qualitative Analysis Of Secondary Early Career Educators' Experiences, Kama J. Konda-Varilek

Doctorate in Education

Teacher-parent communication (TPC) is considered a professional responsibility for all teachers, yet it is most often associated with teachers of elementary-aged students; comparatively less is known about how secondary teachers communicate with parents or how they learn to do so. The qualitative study conducted in May 2020 used semi-structured interviews to examine how South Dakota secondary early career educators (ECEs) learned to communicate with parents and their experiences with TPC. The research questions focused on the definition of effective TPC, experiences from teacher preparation programs (TPPs) with TPC, experiences from in-service years and TPC, recommendations for preparing secondary ECEs for …

Blended Learning Showing Gains, Jessica Lynn Becker

Graduate Teacher Education

In light of what is known about how children learn and the use of technology in society, blended learning is proving to be an effective teaching strategy to improve student academic achievement. Blended learning is a combination of digital technology with face-to-face direct instruction. The purpose of blended learning instruction is to combine the benefits of face-to-face direct instruction with the personalization and collaboration of digital technology. Blended learning comes in many different models that meet the many needs of teachers and school districts. It has succeeded in improving student academic achievement in different subject areas by allowing students to …

How Can Teachers Support School Readiness Skills Through Social And Emotional Development For Male Students?, Tara Funseth

Graduate Teacher Education

Gender has an influence on how children learn. According to data, preschool males fell behind females in social and emotional development (Kent and Pitsia, 2018). Teachers support school readiness skills through social and emotional development for male students. To ensure male student learning styles are supported, teachers need to modify teaching methods. One challenge is educators are female dominant and expectations of children may have been designed for females. This paper synthesized peer reviewed journal articles and book research on why children needed social and emotional skills and how males and females differed in social and emotional development. The research …

How Can Play-Based Learning With Authentic Assessment Practices Support Healthy Development In Preschool Classrooms?, Megan Nelson

Graduate Teacher Education

Early childhood educators need to recognize the importance of implementing play-based learning as a developmentally appropriate practice to support young children’s development. Play provides children opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and understandings through materials in the environment, expand on prior experiences and learn alongside peers. Teachers can authentically gain valuable information from children’s play to plan appropriate lessons to foster development (NAEYC, 2009). Instead of using natural routines to assess and gather information about a child’s knowledge and behavior, educators use standardized methods to determine a child’s capabilities. This paper synthesized available research on qualitative and quantitative studies that analyzed the …

How Can Play-Based Learning In Primary Grades Be Used To Support Teaching Of State Standards?, Laura Smith

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

Although data supports the benefits of play and play-based learning as instructional tools for children birth to age eight, many teachers of children in grades kindergarten-second grade succumb to a narrow selection of tools chosen for academic teaching and learning. Lack of common play definitions, the pressure of accountability standards, high stakes testing, lack of training in play theory, and conflicted feelings about how to implement play-based learning all contribute to this. The research focus question for this paper was: How can play-based learning in the primary grades be used to support the teaching of state standards? This document, …

School-Family Partnerships And Teachers, Parents And Children, Anna L. H. Wieser

Graduate Teacher Education

Early childhood educators are bound by ethical duty and guided by developmentally appropriate practice to foster opportunities for meaningful parent involvement that contributes to building partnerships with families. However, misalignment of state standards and national expectations send mixed messages about how early childhood educators can effectively engage parents and families and cultivate school-family partnerships. This paper synthesized a collection of quantitative, qualitative, mixed method, meta-synthesis, and meta-analysis studies concerning the relationship between parent involvement, children’s learning and development, and school-family partnerships. The studies examined support the idea that parent involvement was a significant contributor to young children’s learning and development …

Social And Emotional Development To Foster Academic Growth In English Language Learning Preschoolers, Donna Mangone

Graduate Teacher Education

The fastest growing population of students entering preschool classrooms are English language learners (Winsler et al., 2014). Not only is the population of English language learners growing (Winsler et al., 2014), but there is a steady increase in the academic achievement gap. Further, the growth of ELL students corresponds with the gap. Related to both is social and emotional development. Social and emotional skills provide the apparatus for all learning. The early childhood educator is well-versed in teaching these skills. Therefore, an early childhood educator teaching social and emotional development to English language learners provides opportunities to remedy the academic …

How Can Play-Based Teaching Strategies Increase Healthy Development Of Kindergarten Students?, Melissa Schooley

Graduate Teacher Education

Kindergarten’s original intention was to be a place where young children could learn and grow through a natural and playful setting. Kindergarten was designed to be a place where children could use various play materials to experiment with and learn about the world around them, all with minimal adult participation (Pyle, Prioletta, & Poliszczuk, 2018). However, with the greater demand on academic learning, assessments, and mandated benchmarks, play and exploration in the kindergarten classroom have diminished. Kindergartners are forced to learn through manners that are not developmentally appropriate, and it has been shown to have detrimental effects on children’s physical …

In What Ways Can Phonemic Awareness Skills Be Targeted Strategically In Early Childhood Classrooms To Support Healthy Developmental Growth?, Karen Groth

Graduate Teacher Education

Phonemic awareness is a skill that is learned prior to learning phonics and reading. Phonological and phonemic awareness activities are taught through games, books, and activities. Exposure to phonological and phonemic activities begin as soon as birth and will continue through kindergarten. As curriculum and teachers moved away from explicit instruction in phonemic awareness activities and toward other standards, it has been important to continue to teach these skills. Children with strong phonemic awareness skills are more advanced readers and more advanced writers. Synthesizing the current research and information available included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies in phonemic awareness …

Supporting Children With Developmental Delays In The General Education Preschool Classroom, Sandra Ling

Graduate Teacher Education

Increasing numbers of preschool-age students with developmental delays and other disabilities are educated in the general education classroom. Legislation, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), has supported the idea of classroom inclusion. In the inclusive classroom, preschoolers with developmental delays are educated in the least restrictive environment and attend class with typically developing peers. Because high-quality preschool programs already include play-based learning and an individualized curriculum, the preschool classroom naturally yields itself to inclusion practices. Although early childhood professionals may feel unprepared and apprehensive about teaching children with developmental delays, there are many methods available for supporting children …

Meeting The Unique Needs Of Twice-Exceptional Learners, Chelsea Feider

Graduate Teacher Education

Differentiating instruction for all learners is a tremendous challenge for educators in the elementary setting. This is especially difficult when students have disabilities or are gifted. In some cases, students have both and are therefore labeled as twice-exceptional. These students need special accommodations to be successful in the classroom. This paper analyzed a variety of qualitative and quantitative studies to determine the importance of using a variety of testing and observation methods to identify twice-exceptional learners, outline appropriate accommodations to support twice-exceptional learners, describe the importance of key stakeholders’ involvement in the process, and describe the effects of identification and …

Effects Of Growth Mindset On A Student's Educational Experience, Darrick Becken

Graduate Teacher Education

While schools focus on a students’ intelligence and academic growth, a lack of self-efficacy and growth mindset may create a larger challenge for kindergarteners through twelfth graders to make proper academic growth. In an attempt to achieve academic success, this paper sought to gain an understanding of growth mindset strategies and interventions by synthesizing available research studies on the topic. Research showed that the implementation and application of growth mindset interventions encouraged growth mindset beliefs and can lead to higher success rates in overall academic outcomes. In addition to a shift in beliefs, students also saw increased levels of motivation, …

Utilizing The Growth Mindset To Boost Perseverance And Academic Achievement, Emily Anderson

Graduate Teacher Education

In order to be successful in academics and life, children must have a certain level of perseverance, or willingness to work through challenges. Without perseverance, a child may quickly give up or request assistance and, thus, stunt his or her learning and potential. Due to its important implications for success, it would be beneficial for educators to develop perseverance in their students. One method for building perseverance in children is by fostering a growth mindset. A growth mindset is a belief that traits, such as intelligence, are malleable, often through effort and perseverance. When fostered by educators, a growth mindset …

Teacher Of Color Retention: Stories Of Staying From Teachers Of Color In A Suburban School District, Andrew Beard

Doctorate in Education

A teaching force which is representative of the student population is critical to creating equitable learning opportunities in the increasingly diverse United States. Both students of color and White students must see themselves represented in their teachers. Additionally, it is important for all students to see people of color as educators as well as in positions of power. Unfortunately, the proportion of teachers of color currently in the field of education does not come close to the proportion of students of color in public schools in the United States.

While there are many aspects which add to the problem of …

Student Perceptions Of Mobile Phones As A Potential Academic Tool, Tyler Brackey

Doctorate in Education

Mobile phones offer many features and functions that could potentially enhance and expand student learning. However, practitioners and scholars have identified several concerning issues commonly associated with extensive student mobile phone use. Those who engage in discussions of the potential role for mobile phones in the learning process face a difficult task in deciding whether the advantages of mobile phone use for students in schools outweigh the disadvantages.

This paper aims to contribute to that discussion by offering the perspectives of 11th and 12th grade students in a rural Minnesota community. This study featured a mixed methods research design. In …

Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Goal Orientations, Teacher Self-Efficacy, And Authentic Outcomes-Based Assessments, Tamela W. Hoak

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine middle school teachers’ attitudes towards authentic outcomes-based assessments and to relate teachers’ perceptions of patterns of adaptive learning to authentic assessment scores of middle school students. Multiple learning theories were used to shape the conceptual framework. The correlational portion of this study was designed to seek relationships between the participants’ perceptions of patterns of adaptive learning and their students’ mean authentic assessment scores. The descriptive survey portion of this study was designed to gather middle school social studies teachers’ opinions of authentic outcomes-based assessments used to evidence mastery of intended learning outcomes. …

The Principal–Pastor Relationship: The Experiences Of Principals Working With Pastors In Lutheran Schools, Corey J. Brandenburger

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Principals of Lutheran Schools work in an environment that includes the leadership of a pastor or pastors. Principals and pastors often serve in Lutheran churches with schools as servant leaders. Within the framework of servant leadership (Greenleaf, 1997), this study focused on the experiences of five Lutheran school principals working with the pastors of their congregations. A case study approach was utilized to gather data through interviews of principals selected from Lutheran schools. Five principals were given the opportunity to reflect upon the preparation and training they received to lead Lutheran schools, with a focus on collaboration with their pastors. …

The Language Outcomes Of Hmong Dual-Language Immersion Program, Chao Vang

Doctorate in Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a K-12 Hmong dual-language immersion program on kindergarten through fifth-grade Hmong students’ academic performance in the category of reading Hmong and English. Moreover, the parents of those students were investigated concerning specific factors they used in choosing a dual-language immersion program for their child. Hmong bilingual students have different perspectives about their cultural identities, retaining the Hmong culture, and learning English when the Hmong language was used as the instructional language. It was also imperative to determine the most prevalent factor that parents consider when selecting a program with …

Academic Achievement And Development Of Self-Efficacy Of At-Risk Girls Through Mentoring Programs, Latriace Wicks-Williams

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

At-risk girls of color face a variety of challenges; even more when they are in an urban setting. Girls must gain the tools necessary to transition effectively into adulthood. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the effect participating in a mentoring program had on the academic achievement and self-efficacy of girls of color in an urban setting who have been identified as at-risk. The primary focus of the study was academic achievement and self-efficacy. These two traits have been identified as essential to the successful transition into adulthood. The population of this study is girls of …

Higher Education Executives And Data-Driven Decision Making: A Phenomenological Study, Rose M. Horst

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Higher education organizations gather significant data from their constituents throughout student enrollment to graduation and beyond. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how college executives make decisions for their organizations. The Competing Values Framework (CVF) provided the conceptual framework for this study which focuses on how an organization relates to its environment. Eight executives consisting of five vice presidents, one enrollment executive, one dean, and one director, at higher education institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges participated in this research study. Semistructured interviews, an open-ended questionnaire, and a review of participant college website data …

The Stories Of Middle School Science Teachers’ Teaching Evolution: A Narrative Inquiry, Victoria L. Klahn

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Avoidance of the theory of evolution occurs in science classrooms due to levels of dissonance from challenges that persist in the United States from conflicting worldviews and a lack of support regarding the topic of evolution. The purpose of this qualitative study with a narrative inquiry design was to explore the stories of science teachers teaching evolution in middle schools. This study adopted a qualitative method with a narrative inquiry design. Participants were 10 public middle school science teachers with at least 10 years of science teaching experience in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the Pacific Northwest. The central …