Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Education

A Quantitative And Qualitative Investigation Of Content-Area Literacy Instruction Integrated Into Social Studies Content For Kindergarten - 4th Grade Students, Jennifer E. Lee Aug 2016

A Quantitative And Qualitative Investigation Of Content-Area Literacy Instruction Integrated Into Social Studies Content For Kindergarten - 4th Grade Students, Jennifer E. Lee

Master of Education Research Theses

The objective of this study was to research the impact of short term intensive instruction of content-area literacy strategies on students’ academic success, students’ reading attitudes, and teachers’ perceptions of literacy integration into content-area learning of social studies with Kindergarten through 4th grade students at a private, Christian school. The experimental group of students did not show any statistically significant improvement over the control group of students. However, there was a trend in the experimental Kindergarten and 1st grade groups in which their content-area knowledge post-test scores slightly increased (5% and 10% increase in post-test scores, respectively) with additional literacy …


Music, Community, And Cooperation In A Lower Elementary Classroom, Heidi S. James Aug 2016

Music, Community, And Cooperation In A Lower Elementary Classroom, Heidi S. James

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The following research assesses how daily singing and music in an elementary classroom impacted the sense of community, care of materials and cooperation during clean up time. This study involved daily singing of a set of songs with lyrical themes of cooperation and unity, and then playing of recorded versions of the same songs during clean up time. The eight-week study involved 16 participants between the ages of 6 and 9 at a private school in Minnesota. Each individual completed a pre and post-survey. During clean up time, observations of helpful behaviors were recorded, and any relevant quotations noted. Results …


The Effects Of Mindfulness Practices And Activities On Student Attention And Work Engagement In A Multi-Age 4th To 6th Grade Montessori Classroom, Jamie L. Schaub Aug 2016

The Effects Of Mindfulness Practices And Activities On Student Attention And Work Engagement In A Multi-Age 4th To 6th Grade Montessori Classroom, Jamie L. Schaub

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to test whether the implementation of mindfulness exercises would increase focus and work engagement of students. This study incorporated breathing and visualization exercises three times a week. The 5-week study involved 44 children between the ages of 9 and 12 years in a private Montessori school in Northern Michigan. Data collection included daily tallies of on and off task behavior, daily observations of work engagement, pre and post questionnaires about mindfulness completed by each child, and oneon- one discussions with each participant. Results showed an increase in the number of students on task and …


Roleplaying To Develop Self Regulation, Baylen N. Wagner May 2016

Roleplaying To Develop Self Regulation, Baylen N. Wagner

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research study investigated the use of child-led play in an after school club as a means to reduce peer conflict and increase cooperation. Prior literature suggests that children behave differently during imaginative play and exhibit greater natural behavior regulation when adult involvement is limited or removed. A small group of child participants, aged 9-14 years, were given materials necessary for a roleplaying game where players take on imaginary characters and cooperatively complete dangerous quests. One child acted as game leader, designing the adventure’s challenges and providing rules adjudication. The children attended six game sessions and completed questionnaires after …


Multi-Sensory Techniques In Spelling Instruction: An Action Research Study For Students With Dyslexia, Alyssa Ashbaugh Jan 2016

Multi-Sensory Techniques In Spelling Instruction: An Action Research Study For Students With Dyslexia, Alyssa Ashbaugh

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to use instructional inquiry to study multisensory spelling instruction with a single fourth grade student diagnosed with dyslexia. Multisensory teaching techniques and strategies stimulate learning by engaging students on multiple levels encouraging students to use some or all of their senses. To examine the effectiveness of multisensory teaching techniques in spelling, I conducted pre- and post assessments of two spelling inventories, collected weekly dictated sentences, identified writing samples from his classroom, and had conversations with the student and the student’s teacher. The student continued to receive intervention services as previously scheduled twice …


Mindfulness-Based Practice In An Elementary Classroom, Lauren M. Coiner Jan 2016

Mindfulness-Based Practice In An Elementary Classroom, Lauren M. Coiner

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Abstract The purpose of this research was to teach children how to control and deepen their focus through mindfulness practice. The study integrated a daily practice of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) movements, breathing, and focus training. The six-­‐week study involved fourteen children between the ages of 5 and 9 years from a private school in the Bay Area of California. Data collection included a pre-­‐and post-­‐ assessment for each child, daily observations, and parent observations. Results of the pre-­‐and post-­‐assessments revealed mixed opinions on the connection between deepened focus and mindfulness practice. Observation data showed an overall increase in …


The Effects Of Character Education On Social-Emotional Behavior, Diane M. Dodds Jan 2016

The Effects Of Character Education On Social-Emotional Behavior, Diane M. Dodds

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The addition of character education to school curricula has become an increasingly popular response to today’s heightened emphasis for students to succeed on academic high stake tests, leaving little regard for the development of social-emotional competencies. The purpose of this research was to study the effects of character education on the social-emotional behavior of elementary students in a private Montessori school. The study consisted of 18 students in a grade 1-4 classroom over a period of five weeks. Data was collected through daily tallying of negative behavior and through incident forms as well as student pre- and post-test evaluations regarding …