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 …

Digital Game-Based Learning Activities In Primary Grade Mathematics Achievement, Chris Anderson

Graduate Teacher Education

The research paper has gathered and analyzed research from online databases to find how digital game-based learning activities were used in mathematics and how it influences the affective domains of academic engagement, motivation, and academic self-perception. The paper aims to inform primary educators of the benefits and limitations of digital game-based activities in primary mathematics. Digital game-based learning has positively influenced students' academic engagement through interaction, play, and effort, which had a positive effect on their mathematical achievement. Increased motivation felt by students when doing digital game-based activities resulted in higher mathematical achievement and an increase in learning more mathematics …

Using Student Goal Setting And Individual Student Conferences To Increase Academic Achievement In Mathematics, Amanda R. Mcnamee

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on an elementary school in the Midwest region of the United States; this community serves as a regional center of education, commerce, and health care. Participants in this study are a classroom of 17 fifth grade students; 35% girls and 65% boys. The school district in this study recently adopted a new mathematics curriculum, Bridges. In using this new mathematics curriculum, the teachers have noticed that many of the fifth-grade students are consistently scoring in the red on the assessments. This research study will investigate whether implementing goal setting and individual student conference sessions will …

Examining Motivation And Self-Efficacy In Reading And Writing In Seventh Grade English: An Improvement Science Dissertation In Practice, Jennifer Tuttle

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This Improvement Science study sought to understand and support the motivation and self-efficacy of middle school students for literacy-based tasks using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), Burke Reading Inventory (BRI), and Burke Writing Inventory (BWI) in a pre-and post-format. This study was designed in response to observed course failings and lack of motivation for seventh-grade students in a post-COVID educational situation. The teacher researcher implemented a Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle alongside interested stakeholders to try and support students’ motivation to complete literacy tasks. She also conducted class discussions to clarify and support students’ understandings of motivation and …

Focus, Drive, And Motivation In Secondary School Populations, Lakeshia Cook

Dissertations

This study, Focus, Drive, and Motivation in Secondary Populations, addresses the topic of middle and high school student motivation to succeed in school. The aim was to discover what motivates and inspires student success. In this study, I delved into issues of low levels of student motivation, drive, and focus and the relative effect of these issues on school performance. The central purpose of this research was to find ways to foster greater levels of student focus, drive, and motivation during their middle and high school experience. The context of the study was a medium-sized charter middle school and a …

How Does Different Level Of Questioning Impact Student Performance, Engagement, And Motivation In A 6th Grade Science Classroom?, Mia Bruesewitz

Education Masters Papers

This study was designed to determine how different level of questioning in a 6th grade science classroom can impact student performance, engagement, and motivation. During the study, students were taught three different lessons, balance and unbalanced forces, friction, and mass versus weight. Data was collected in a 6th grade science class of 25 participants and focused on surveys, pretests, exit slips, at-task checklist, and a final summative assessment. The results of the data showed that there was no significant difference in performance, engagement, or motivation in relation to different level of questioning. The data also showed that activities that students …

Impact Of Brain Breaks On Student Engagement, Motivation, And Achievement In A Third-Grade Classroom, Adrianna Gernes

Education Masters Papers

In a third-grade classroom in a highly populated city, a researcher was concerned about her students’ focus level in the afternoon. Students have a long day at school, their brains get exposed to so much information on a typical day, and it is hard to retain the knowledge as well as being able to stay focused and motivated throughout each and every day. This study investigated how brain breaks affect student engagement, achievement, and motivation. For the entirety of a math unit, math instruction was taught incorporating planned brain breaks throughout each lesson. Data was collected from pre-and post- assessment …

Flipped Classroom Effects On Upper Elementary And Middle School Student Motivation Inside And Outside The Classroom, Katarina Kuhlmann

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This action research study focuses on the effects the Flipped Classroom Model has on student motivation in the classroom, as well as at home. Two research questions are utilized in this study and the two research questions are the following: How does the Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) enhance student motivation at home, as well as in the classroom? What obstacles can educators and students face pertaining towards motivation with the Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) and how can they overcome those challenges? The study on the Flipped Classroom and student motivation took place in a 5^th grade classroom consisting of …

Effects Of Student Choice On Student Motivation And Engagement Within An Elementary Classroom, Sarah Theesfeld

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of allowing student choice on student motivation and engagement in an elementary classroom. Specifically, the study will focus on student engagement during reading instruction and motivation to participate when they are offered choice in reading materials versus when they are not offered choice in reading materials. Students will provide information about their thoughts on lessons; when they are able to choose their reading materials versus when they are chosen for them. This study aims to determine best teaching practices for student engagement and motivation during reading instruction. Student feedback and …

"What Are The Effects Of Goal-Setting On Motivation And Academic Achievement In A Fourth Grade Classroom?", Danielle Mcmillan

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this action research was to study the effects of goal-setting as a strategy on student motivation and academic achievement in a fourth-grade classroom. The study was performed at a rural public elementary school in South Carolina, consisting of eighteen students in a general education classroom. This study used a preassessment/post-assessment set-up in order to collect data for math achievement and reading comprehension. An attitude survey was used to collect data on student’s motivation towards academic work. The data shows that the goal-setting strategy had a positive effect on math achievement and motivation towards academic work and may …

Increasing Motivation Toward Math In A Montessori Lower Elementary Classroom, Caitlin Sweeney

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study investigated how the introduction of math-based games influences children’s motivation to practice math. It was conducted in a Lower Elementary Montessori classroom, serving first through third grade and twenty-one students participated. The students played one of three games every day throughout the study. Their motivation toward math was tracked through observational data and their daily work journals. Additionally, each participant answered pre and post intervention questions to ascertain their mindset toward math. The data shows that the intervention had minimal impact on the students’ motivation toward math, although some students did increase the frequency of their math practice. …

The Effects Of Student-Centered Coaching On The Reading Achievement Of Elementary Students And Teacher Instructional Practice, Merlette Frederick-Williams

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

With student achievement as the focus of educational reform, teachers in today’s classrooms are faced with meeting the needs of a diverse population. These teachers need to have the skill set to meet their students’ varied learning needs. This quantitative quasi-experimental study examined the impact of student-centered coaching on student learning and attitude toward reading using a comparative group (archival data, 2016–2017 school year, of students whose teachers did not receive coaching) and an experimental group (2017–2018 school year, students whose teachers received student-centered coaching). Three teachers and 276 students were taken from a Title I school in a suburban …

El Cuento Como Estrategia Didáctica En El Aprendizaje Del Inglés En Los Estudiantes De Primero De Primaria Del Colegio Liceo El Rinconcito Del Saber, Luis Felipe Ríos Carvajal

Licenciatura en Español y Lenguas Extranjeras

El presente trabajo de grado tiene como fin determinar, ¿Cómo el cuento puede ser una estrategia didáctica en el aprendizaje del inglés en los estudiantes de primero de primaria del colegio Liceo el Rinconcito del Saber?. Por lo cual, el objeto de estudio es describir el cuento como estrategia didáctica en el aprendizaje del inglés, definiendo los elementos teóricos con el fin de establecer el uso del cuento como estrategia de aprendizaje del idioma extranjero, en donde se determine el uso del cuento como herramienta práctica, desarrollando en los estudiantes habilidades en la adquisición de un segundo idioma. Esta investigación …

An Ethnographic Investigation Into The Influence Of Bandura’S Four Psychological Sources Of Information On Late-Career Elementary Teachers’ Self-Efficacy, Ginger Prewitt

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic investigation was to examine and describe the experiences that impact late-career elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs based on A. Bandura’s four psychological sources of information and serves as part of a thematic dissertation with each researcher focusing in a different teacher career stage.

Methodology: Through qualitative methodology utilizing one-on-one interviews of elementary public school teachers with 24 or more years of experience, data was analyzed using the theoretical framework of A. Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy information.

Findings: Analysis of data from interviews of 15 late-career elementary teachers from five school districts in Riverside County, …

A Qualitative Study On The Effects Of Second Grade Students Forming Partnerships With Their Teacher And Peers To Set Reading Goals, Sandra L. Shevlin

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study is for second grade students to form a partnership with their teacher and peers to set reading goals. One goal of the study is to examine how forming partnerships with peers and the teacher helps students better understand themselves as readers. Another goal is to investigate how the created partnerships motivate students to set reading goals independently. A variety of data was collected and analyzed, including notes, observations, student conversations, and charts reported in a teacher research journal, along with the pre and post assessment data, such as the Reading Attitude Survey, student written …

The Effectiveness Of School-Based Interventions On The Fundamental Movement Skill Proficiency Among A Cohort Of Irish Primary School Children, Lisa Bolger

PhDs

Background: Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are basic observable patterns of movement such as running and jumping. FMS facilitate participation in physical activity and sport. The ability to perform FMS correctly (i.e. FMS proficiency) is associated with numerous health benefits and is important for the holistic development of children. FMS proficiency among primary school children worldwide is low. Thus, interventions aimed at improving FMS levels among children are warranted. Therefore, this thesis aimed to assess the FMS proficiency among a cohort of Irish primary school children and examine the effectiveness of a physical activity (PA) (Year 1) and a multicomponent FMS …

An Investigation Into Te Relationship Between Fundamental Movement Skill Proficiency And Markers Of Health Among A Cohort Of Irish Primary School Children, Linda Bolger

PhDs

Background: Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are basic observable patterns of movement. Although FMS are positively associated with health, FMS levels among children worldwide are low. Interventions to improve FMS and markers of health among children are warranted. Thus, the purpose of this research was to firstly evaluate the FMS proficiency and markers of health of Irish primary school children, and to design and implement a programme of interventions to improve both.

Methods: Two interventions (1 Physical Activity [PA] and 1 FMS) were implemented and evaluated using children from 3 primary schools in Cork. Children (N=217, mean age: 7.98±2.00 years) …

Improving Reading Achievement In High Poverty, Rural Schools, Janet Tufts

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine what correlation exists between a student’s poverty coefficient and the daily number of minutes provided for independent reading and third grade reading achievement level as measured by California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in small, rural school districts. An additional purpose of the study was to determine what correlation exists between teacher mindset on student achievement and reading achievement in the third grade as measured by CAASPP scores and teacher perception questionnaires, in small, rural school districts?

Methodology: This study employed quantitative, correlational study, by using data from …

Impact Of Mindset Interventions During Morning Meeting On Student Motivation And Classroom Community, Megan Schoaf

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The(research(question(addressed(is what impact do mindset interventions during Morning Meeting have on students’ motivation and building community in a kindergarten classroom? It studies the work of Carol Dweck and other researchers who have theorized that the human mindset can play a pivotal role in motivation to learn and persevere past challenges. It also examines the effects of teaching about the brain and how the brain can grow and change with effort and persistence. The author used a qualitative method of study using interviews, anecdotal notes, and classroom observations to obtain perspective of preliminary mindsets and mindsets at the end of the …

Engaging Readers, Engaging Families : How Can Current Research And Thinking About Reading Engagement And Motivation Translate To The Family Context?, Erin Gordon

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper will provide a review of the research that pertains to reading engagement and motivation in general and offer some ways of considering the research through the lens of the family as a part of the larger educational community. The author also introduces readers to a website for families called "Engaging Readers." This website aims to empower families with resources, information, and opportunities for conversation and collaboration so that they can support their young readers with enthusiasm, confidence, and heart.

Two Approaches To Measuring The Effect Of The Interactive Strategies Approach-Extended On Student Reading Motivation, Lindsey M. Rosecrans

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The Interactive Strategy Approach -Extended (ISA-X) reading intervention was provided to 3rd and 4th grade struggling readers in three school districts. A first question was to determine if students participating in the intervention showed greater reading motivation than those in a control group. A total of 103 students had been assessed for reading accuracy and comprehension as well as reading motivation using the Reading Engagement Index (REI). An experimental approach to analysis was used. January motivation scores were examined in order to compare a control group (students receiving supplementary AIS instruction) and treatment group (students receiving ISA-X intervention). Although the …

Understanding Fourth Graders' Decline In Reading Motivation From Students' And Teachers' Perspectives, Christine A. Hebert

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Previous research by Chall and Jacobs (2003) documented the phenomena of the fourth grade slump, a period in which students switch from learning to read to reading to learn and the subsequent loss of motivation to read. The purpose of this research is to present a phenomenological qualitative study of whether a sample of fourth grade students, low-achieving readers and average achieving readers, exhibited a loss in their motivation to read. Students' responses to a standardized conversational survey and questionnaire, the Motivation to Read Profile (Gambrell, Palmer, Codling & Mazzoni, 2007) and teachers' responses to a researcher-developed questionnaire were examined …

Inservice For Elementary Teachers: Activities And Techniques To Motivate Readers, Beverly R. Pontius

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study is to provide an inservice course of study for teachers of children in grades one through six. The activities and techniques are designed to motivate children who are below grade level in reading and help them develop an interest in reading in the hope that reading may become a pleasure in their lives.