Education Commons^™

Returning To School After A Pandemic: K-6 Education Teachers Perspectives On Low- Income Students Returning To School With Regard To Academic Achievement, Behavior, Mindset, And Social Connections, Sarah Orendorff

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine K-6 educators’ perceptions of the impact on low-income students returning to school after the trauma of a pandemic for 2 years with regard to behavior, academic achievement, mindset, and social connections.

Methodology: This qualitative study interviewed 12 K6 teachers who taught before, during, and after the pandemic in Orange County, CA. Semi-structured open ended interview questions was the main source of data collection with other sources including observations, and artifacts. Data was coded and the researcher analyzed the data for themes and patterns.

Findings: After analyzing data, codes, and themes …

The Perceptions Of Elementary Educators Regarding Mathematical Discourse Utilization In The Classroom: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Christina Anderson

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Given the lack of proper utilization of mathematical discourse in public elementary settings and the stagnation of mathematical proficiency, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of public elementary K-5 educators regarding the use of mathematical discourse as a pedagogical strategy. Because research indicates there are benefits to facilitating mathematical discourse, this study sought to understand the perceptions of public elementary K-5 teachers regarding the use of mathematical discourse as a pedagogical strategy in the classroom, their perceptions of different pedagogical strategies for facilitating mathematical discourse, and their perceptions of students engage in mathematical discourse …

Inclusionary Practices For Elementary Students With Disabilities, Caroline Brandau

M.Ed. Literature Reviews

This research explores inclusionary practices for elementary-aged students with individualized education plans (IEP) for special education. Three themes were identified: academic achievement through push-in services, secondary benefits of special education services in the general education setting, and power dynamics of stakeholders of inclusion. The paper goes on to examine how practices at Western Washington School District could be aligned with research and then explores implications for future research and transform practice. The paper concludes with a call to action and a positive outlook for the future of special education.

Identity, Access, And Equity: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study Of Mathematics Identity And Socialization In Pre-Service Teachers, Ashley Renaire Davis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Teaching practices in early childhood through post-secondary learning settings continue to reproduce inequities in mathematics education despite recognition of math’s utility and its necessity for competitiveness in the global economy. For reform efforts to be successful, teachers must change the way mathematics is presented in classrooms where students often experience differences in exposure to mathematics content and time spent covering particular mathematics topics. Therefore, teachers represent a critical component in the cycle of reproduction of unequal access to mathematics. This mixed-methods study examined the processes of mathematics identity formation and mathematics socialization in a diverse sample of pre-service elementary and …

Perceptions Of School Through The Lens Of Black Male Elementary Students: A School Climate Study, Erica Peek

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This qualitative case study focused on the perceptions of 5^th grade black males at a suburban neighborhood elementary school in the southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how the participants felt about their teachers and school community. The theoretical frameworks that informed this study were Critical Race Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Several data gathering techniques (qualitative questionnaire, focus group meeting, and student journals) were utilized and analyzed to describe the participants’ experiences regarding school climate at TES. From the data collected, several themes emerged such as Building Relationships & …

The Craft Of Constructing A Classroom Library: Student Collaboration In Book Selection For The Classroom Library, Meredith Murray

All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects

Reading performance has been correlated to time spent in engaged reading. Additionally, positive attitudes toward reading, time spent reading, and reading proficiency have been shown to affect employment options, state of financial wellness, and overall quality of life and health into adulthood. How students contribute to book selection for classroom libraries may critically impact reading performance and attitudes toward reading, as books selected by teachers and school leaders may not be relevant, accessible, or interesting to the students for whom the books are selected. This mixed methods study examined factors around student collaboration in book title selection for the classroom …

Enacting An Equity Framework With A Teacher And Students In An Urban Elementary Classroom: A Qualitative Study, Samantha J. Haraf

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to engage a fifth grade teacher and students in the exploration and application of the EFE (Education for Equity) conceptual framework, and to develop understandings of how EFE functioned in this context. This framework, developed around a decade of equity-focused research in elementary contexts, outlines research-based categories of practices for equity work in elementary schools, and it draws attention to areas lacking attention in the literature. Using and extending from case study methods and participatory methods, I worked with a teacher and her students in this urban classroom for approximately six months in both …

Representation Of African American/Black Men Educators In K-12 Public Schools: Impact On Recruitment, Retention, And Responsibilities To Education, Tekyesha Gault Anderson

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Almost seven decades after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v Board of Education decision, African American/Black men are still vastly underrepresented in the K-12 public education profession. For this qualitative, phenomenological research study, a small sample of this demographic of educators, who chose to enter and remain in the profession, shared their lived experiences. Three research questions informed this study: (1) What are African American/Black men’s perceptions of their representation in the K-12 public education profession? (2) What are African American/Black men’s perceptions regarding their entrance and retention in the K-12 public education profession? and (3)What are African American/Black men’s …

Teachers' Interventions To In-Person Bullying And Cyberbullying Situations, Amaia Lojo Novo

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises five chapters, and it is an article-based format that studies teachers’ needs and characteristics regarding bullying intervention. It is divided into two phases that are explained through the different chapters. Chapter One explains the problem's overall background and provides an introduction to the three papers presented in the next chapters. Chapter Two presents the First Phase of the dissertation, which provided information about teachers’ knowledge, concerns, and practice regarding bullying. Findings demonstrate that Idaho education professionals need training and resources to help them intervene appropriately, especially with cyberbullying. Chapter Three focuses on the following potential teachers’ characteristics …

Title I Schools And Strategies That Work, Michelle Manriquez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the strategies principals of Title I schools perceived as most effective in improving English language arts (ELA) scores by at least 10 points, through the lens of WestEd’s Four Domains of Rapid School Improvement.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative methodology to gather data via the California Dashboard and semi-structured interviews of 11 principals from 11 different sites in northern California that showed at least 10-point growth on the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) standardized test. The interview questions were based on the Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: …

Examining The Identities Of White Cisgender Female Elementary Education Pre-Service Teachers: A Qualitative Case Study, Kayla Schroeder

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Each year, elementary classrooms in the United States become increasingly culturally diverse, yet teachers of these classroom remain primarily White and female. While most teacher education programs require pre-service teachers to enroll in at least one course related to diversity education, many of these future educators do not feel adequately prepared to teach students who hold different identities or life experiences. In a qualitative analysis of class observations, participant submitted coursework, and individualized interviews, this case study sought to explore how four White cisgender female pre-service elementary teachers applied knowledge from one undergraduate diversity course to topics of identity, power, …

Finding Math Success District Wide: How Teaching Styles, Classroom Management, And A Positive Approach Can Help All Students, Melissa Meraz-Herrera

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This Capstone researched the methods a teacher could use in their classroom to increase math understanding and establish an encouraging learning environment. A second-grade teacher, Mrs. Meraz, was interviewed. She was known as a successful teacher for many aspects of students’ education. Some of those methods included using authoritative teaching, proper classroom management, and changing students’ perspectives about math, and the value of struggles students have while learning. The research stated positive outcomes in using authoritative teaching over other styles of teaching. The research showed that classroom management was vital in creating a positive learning environment. Several annual test scores …

The ‘ Dialogic’ Of Pedagogical Design: Elementary Teachers Who Consistently Integrate Digital Technologies, Aaron R. Gierhart

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the pervasiveness of digital technologies in society and educational settings, gaps in digital participation for elementary learners and means-end views of the benefits and effectiveness of digital innovations for teaching and learning persist. The focus on digital technologies at the elementary level must shift to critical pedagogy in order to promote effective teaching and learning and equitable student participation in an increasingly digital society. A teacher’s pedagogy continually evolves across their entire life journey and is never fully mastered; therefore, in order to better understand the development of pedagogical design with digital technologies by elementary teachers, it was vital …

Disrupting The Heteronormative Mindset In Teacher Preparation Through Inclusive Children's Literature, Denise I. Donahue

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because of discrimination that presents itself through bullying based on identity, and the lack of positive LGBTQIA+ representation within classroom lessons, there is a need for a higher quality of preparation for teachers in order to create inclusive environments.

All teachers, particularly new teachers, need to know how to effectively work with diverse learners to meet their needs academically, emotionally and socially. This includes preparing teachers to instruct students and work with families who include LGBTQIA+ members. LGBTQIA+ students are often marginalized, discounted, harassed or invisible. (Kosciw, Greytak, Zongrone, Clark, & Truong, 2018). There is a need for a higher …

Know(Ing) Thyself: Examining Complementary Practices Of Health And Wellness Through A Teacher's Standpoint, Ernest Andre Poole

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

How do we know the nature of a thing; of a person? This is not just a compilation of skills, theories, methods, and methodologies but an examination of the various facets of a human being trying to make sense of a single human being: himself. The research presented here is an attempt to gain a better understanding of self through examination of emotions and how they are expressed, movement and how it brings forth and may hold the possibility of inner wellness, pain and its power as a common language, and the relationship between knowing and feeling. Burgeoning spirituality, self-worth, …

Veteran K-6 Public School Teachers: Remaining Committed And Staying Engaged In Their Careers, Leslie Young

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study involved 15 veteran K-6 public school teachers – each having taught a minimum of 24 years - from several districts in Southern California. It identified and examined what factors influenced the ongoing commitment and engagement of these teachers over the course of their careers. Factors mirrored the study’s theoretical framework and included: 1) the teacher’s challenges, 2) the teacher’s personal characteristics or attributes, and 3) the teacher’s professional life phases.

A majority of the teachers interviewed spoke to the escalation of the environmental challenges they confronted while on the job, such as, student behavior, administrative and …

Effects Of Preprinted Response Cards On Disruptive Behavior Of Students In An Inclusive Education Setting, Haley Paulish

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of preprinted response cards on disruptive behavior and rates and accuracy of responding of elementary-aged students in an inclusive education setting with or at risk for Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). An alternating treatments design with an additional baseline phase was used across three teacher recommended students. During baseline, the teacher conducted a group language arts routine as normal, posing questions to the class and prompting them to raise their hands to answer. During the intervention phase, preprinted response cards (two sets: one true/false and one A/B) were passed out to the class to utilize during …

The Effect Of Student-Led Conferencing At School And At Home On Goal-Setting, Goal-Fulfillment, Effort, Achievement, Intrinsic Motivation, And Satisfaction For Montessori Lower Elementary 3rd Year Students., Timothy David Blake Schwartz

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study was designed to determine the effect of weekly student-led conferences (both at-home and at-school) on goal setting, goal fulfillment, effort, achievement, intrinsic motivation, and satisfaction. One teacher, eight Montessori third-year lower elementary students, and eight parents participated in the study for six weeks. Baseline data on goal setting and fulfillment was collected and analyzed. Guiding questions designed to encourage and support the students formed the content of the conferences. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were administered. The results showed that while the intervention did not help the students set and fulfill greater quantities of goals, it did have a …

The Phenomenon Of Teacher Burnout: Mitigating Its Influence On New Teachers, Kaila Sanford

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Burnout is a psychological condition with physical, emotional, and mental dimensions. Burnout often includes feelings of exhaustion, long-term fatigue, negative self-concept, despair or hopelessness, frustration, and a lack of productivity at work.

Teacher burnout is a well-known and researched field. It has been documented in the literature that teachers experience high levels of stress and emotional exhaustion, which leads to high levels of burnout and professional attrition. This study examined the incidence of burnout in new elementary school teachers and offered recommendations for changes to organizational structure that may reduce professional burnout.

For the purpose of this study five new …

Program Implementation And Upper Elementary Writing Achievement, Lisa` Weber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a significant percent of fourth grade students write well below the basic level. In one elementary school, teachers implemented a new writing program for all students at the school. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to determine the effects of this writing program A Language for Learning and Write from the Beginning-?¦and Beyond. Bruner's theory of constructivism formed the theoretical foundation of this study. The study included 172 students in third, fourth, and fifth grades. The research questions examined pre- and post-paragraph writing scores, extended writing scores, grammar and usage …

Creating An Equitable Educational Technology Plan For Elementary Hispanic English Language Learners In Rural California Communities, Lisa M. Ortman

Master's Projects and Capstones

English language learners (ELLs) comprise a large percentage of California’s

public school enrollment and are rapidly changing the cultural diversity landscape

within schools and communities. In rural California school districts where access to

funding and technology is severely lacking compared to larger districts, ELLs face

additional barriers to second language acquisition (SLA) and educational

attainment.

This paper provides insight to educators on the socioeconomic status of Hispanic

ELL students in rural California and how this status affects their SLA and digital

literacy learning. Additionally, this paper provides a presentation for educators on

the steps they can take to establish an …

The Influence Of Length Of School Day On Grade 4 And Grade 5 Language Arts And Mathematics Performance In The State Of New Jersey, Meghan M. Plevier

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this relational, non-experimental, explanatory, cross sectional study with quantitative methods was to explain the influence of length of school day, if any, on Grade 4 and Grade 5 student achievement in Language Arts and Mathematics as measured by the high-stakes New Jersey standardized test entitled New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) 2011. Additionally, the study examined the influence of other student, staff, and school variables such as student mobility, student attendance, percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch (SES), percentage of students with limited English proficiency (LEP), percentage of students with disabilities, …

How Can We Teach About The Holocaust To Seven To Ten Year Olds?, Eleanor Hersh

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Teaching about the Holocaust in a school setting is a debated topic. When and how to approach and teach the subject is not always agreed upon. In this research paper and unit plan you can see how a teacher can teach the Holocaust to children aged seven to ten.

An Investigation Of Multimedia Instruction, The Modality Principle, And Reading Comprehension In Fourth-Grade Classrooms, Laura Angela Sandoval

Doctoral Dissertations

Elementary-school teachers are faced with the responsibility of finding the most effective ways to educate their students using multimedia approaches. The use of instruction with visuals and audio has resulted in positive learning outcomes on retention and transfer tasks for junior-high and high-school students. This approach that results in the modality principle has been tested less frequently in elementary-aged students.

The purpose of this study was to examine two different multimedia instructional approaches to investigate which condition offers beneficial learning outcomes through recall and transfer assessments during a lesson on different types of energy in fourth-grade classrooms using a Powerpoint® …

Training In Summarizing Notes: Effects Of Teaching Students A Self-Regulation Study Strategy In Science Learning, Michelle Mendoza Nebres

Doctoral Dissertations

The last two decades of national data assessments reveal that there has been a sharp decline in nationwide standardized test scores. International assessment data show that in 2012 a very low amount of American students were performing at proficiency or above in science literacy. Research in science literacy education suggests that students benefit most when they are self-regulated (SR) learners. Unfortunately, SR poses a challenge for many students because students lack these skills. The effects of having learned few SR strategies at an early age may lead to long term learning difficulties—preventing students from achieving academic success in college and …

Developing The Whole Teacher: A Phenomenological Case Study Of Student Teachers' Emotional Experiences In One Teacher Education Program, Kathleen M. Crawford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student teaching serves as the culminating field experience in the majority of teacher education programs, and studies have revealed the need to investigate the connection between pre-service teachers and the emotions they experience, express, and manage. Therefore, the overarching purpose of this phenomenological case study was to examine how one Early Childhood (PreK-5^th) Education Program addressed and prepared teachers for the emotional dimensions of teaching, as well as to examine the emotional experiences of the student teachers. The results of this study revealed the need for teacher education programs to amend the ways in which they prepare pre-service …

Differentiation Revealed: A Multiple-Methods Qualitative Study On The Implementation Of Differentiated Instruction In A Mixed-Ability Elementary Classroom, Curtis James Cunningham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Differentiated instruction as a philosophical approach to teaching has been around for decades. In recent weeks differentiation has come under fire as being an approach to teaching that is simply too difficult for teachers to implement. While teachers may attend a workshop or take a graduate class on the topic of differentiation and choose not to embrace the philosophy, there are also teachers who have successfully implemented differentiation. The argument against differentiation is based on the amount of effort required to simultaneously implement all components of differentiation.

To address these concerns the following question provided guidance for the present multi-method …

Economic Literacy: Measuring The Economic Human Capital Of Arkansas K-12 Teachers, June Marie Freund

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Economic literacy is recognized as a deficit quality in the United States, no more prevalent than during the last great recession. It is paramount the K-12 educational system lead the movement to educate the public on economic content and issues, as it is the one institution that has direct contact with all citizens. The question then must be asked, how economic literate are teachers entrusted with the responsibility of imparting economic knowledge to his/her K-12 grade level student. A sample of Arkansas teachers at each grade level K – 12 were tested using national normed economic literacy tests designed to …

Cognitive Function And The Administration Of A Writing Strategy Compendium Incorporating Autobiographical Recall And Art, Jonnie Sue Cleveland

Dissertations

The ability to write is vital in many academic areas (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). Roughly 70 percent of U. S. students in a representative sampling during 2010 (grades 8 and 12) scored only at the Basic (fractional grasp of prerequisite information and abilities) level and below (U.S. Department of Education, 2011).

Fifty-four percent of students in the eighth grade and 52 percent of students in the twelfth grade in the United States scored at the Basic level. Another 20 percent of students in the eight grade and 21percent of students in the twelfth grade scored below the Basic level. …

"I Want To Be The Sun": Tableau As An Embodied Representation Of Main Ideas In Science Information Texts, Margaret Branscombe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study I investigated the process drama convention of tableau to mediate for the representation of main ideas in science information texts. My pedagogical goal was to focus on the body as a tool for engaging with information texts and my rationale for this goal was the belief that the body is neglected in classroom learning. The task of creating caused the students to be active and to think of their own and other bodies as signifiers of meaning.

The methodology was based on a formative experiment that allowed for changes and modifications to be made in response to …