Education Commons^™

The Apple Trees School : Adapting The Developmental-Interaction Approach In South Korea, Jeffrey B. Rogers

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In August 2016, one year from this writing, a team of educators will embark on adapting the developmental-interaction approach to a newly founded early elementary school in Gyeongsan, South Korea. This paper seeks to address the challenges and rewards inherent in such a project through examining critical issues such as intercultural competence and teacher relationships

A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Bullying In The Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Vanessa Cristina Cantu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this paper was to describe the study concerning special education students in middle school who were bullied. Many students in the special education program are being bullied, whether it is due to their disabilities or other factors (Mishna, 2003; Rose, Espelage, & Monda-Amaya, 2009; Coloroso, 2008; Christensen, Fraynt, Neece, & Baker, 2012). While several quantitative studies have been conducted addressing this worldwide phenomenon, few qualitative studies have been performed. A phenomenological approach allowed the participants to share their own experiences with bullying. Twenty-five students from several middle schools (6th, 7th, 8th grades) in a city in the …

Student Participation In The Arkansas Better Chance Preschool Program Versus No Participation On Academic Achievement, Netlla Cureton

Dissertations

Education is the key to success and is vital for participation in a global society. With access to the internet, students in the United States are competing with students around the world. Providing excellence in education, pre-kindergarten through graduation, is vital to the success of America. To achieve excellence in education, students must have a solid educational foundation. In building this educational foundation, the groundwork must begin with rich early learning experiences in preschool settings.

In 1991, the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) preschool program was created to help Arkansas students succeed academically by providing them with access to early childhood …

Effect Of Instruction And Textbook Adoption Procedures On Kindergarten Students' Learning Of The Concept Of Rectangle, Francisco Rivera

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study was to produce scientific knowledge about the ability of kindergarten children to learn the correct mathematical concept of rectangle. The subjects of this study were kindergarten children in a public school district whose population had a large proportion of Hispanic and economically disadvantaged children. A Solomon Four-Group Design as described by Campbell and Stanley (1963) was used. Both the control and experimental groups received instruction using a district adopted curriculum. A description of how the district's curriculum addressed the concept of rectangle was included in the results. The experimental group received additional instruction using a …

Causes And Consequences Of Bullying, Molly Maloney

Honors Theses

What causes people to bully others? Some evidence suggests that being the victim of bullying can cause a person to become aggressive, but research on the topic is flawed. The current research attempts to improve on prior research to examine (1) whether being bullied causes individuals to become bullies, themselves, and (2) whether there are personality traits or situational variables that predispose individuals to respond to bullying by becoming aggressive. Participants were either included in all three rounds of an online game (Cyberball; Williams et al., 2012), or ostracized to varying degrees. I hypothesized that participants who were ostracized would, …

The Benefits Of Art For Children With Special Needs : A Guidebook For Teachers, Rachel Rothberg

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis gives information to educators about the benefits of art with children, specifically those who require special education. It will examine different lessons and activities that can help achieve positive results for children. It includes specific lesson plans, sample artwork of children, brief assessment of these sample works, a personal narrative of individual experience, and interviews with an occupational therapist and art therapist.

Testing The Global Ratings Of Environments [Groe] In South Africa, Melissa Aives

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The author retested an observational tool called the Global Ratings of Environments. The tool was used in nearly six early childhood development (ECD) centers across two provinces. A detailed report of observations and findings are included in this paper. Also included are recommendations and revisions of the GROE for future use.

A Closer Look At The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Childcare, Dawn Campbell

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Discusses how childcare quality varies visibly across the five boroughs of New York City and how the quality of childcare centers is very different for families of lower socioeconomic status.

An Invitation To Rethinking Early Childhood Learning Spaces : Museums As Young Learners' Classrooms, Charissa Ruth

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Many museums are now offering more opportunities and incorporating services to encourage families with young children to explore and enjoy museums. One of these opportunities is the creation of preschools located in or as part of museums. The author focuses on two institutions to provide a picture of how the museum preschool experience has been shaped to fit the institution.

A Study Of The Evolution Of Mindfulness Practice In An Early Childhood Classroom, Katherine Berninger

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper studies the use of mindfulness practice in a preschool classroom. Combining participant observation, personal journaling, and interviews with children, this study explores the relationship between the introduction of mindfulness practice, changes in classroom culture, and growth in emotional vocabulary.

Improving Pre-Service Teachers' Preparation To Integrate Music And Movement In Early Childhood Classrooms, Elaine Myrianthopoulos

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study examines student teachers' fieldwork experiences, in order to better support their efforts to integrate music and movement in early childhood classrooms.

Quality Of Early Childhood Development Services Across Contexts : Experience With The Sithuthukile Trust, South Africa, Rachel Warren

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The purpose of this paper is to understand how the quality of early childhood development (ECD) programs is determined within two different contexts: western and South African.

Romps, Riots, And Revels In The Land Of Make-Believe : Imaginative Play As A Prerequisite For Social And Emotional Development In Early Childhood Through Adolescence, Shoshana Balk

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper explores the impact of imaginative play on child development, as well as its educational benefits when incorporated into the learning environment.

The Role Of Child Life Specialists In Meeting The Needs Of Children With Chronically Ill Siblings, Jenna Mathis

HIM 1990-2015

The purposes of this study were to explore the needs and concerns of the siblings of children hospitalized with a chronic illness and to explore the role that Child Life Specialists play in the lives of siblings. Face-to-face and telephone interviews with Child Life Specialists from three central Florida pediatric hospitals were conducted and analyzed. Through these interviews, I gained the perspective of the Child Life Specialist’s role concerning the needs and concerns of siblings as well as their role in meeting those needs. The interviews were tape-recorded and later transcribed and analyzed with a qualitative approach. I predicted that …

The Benefit Of Field Trips, Michaela D. Kennedy

Honors College Theses

Episodic memory is commonly described as a person’s unique recall of a specific event (Joordens, 2012, p. 105). Episodic memories can be triggered from senses such as sights and smells. People have been known to have detailed episodic memories, allowing them to remember extremely specific details from witnessed or experienced episodes in their lives. If episodic memory can be so strong in helping people remember given information, it is thought that they may be able to help people retain specific information when learning about new subjects. If this is the case, it is reasonable to wonder whether or not helping …

Parental Influence On College Students’ Career Aspirations, Kristen Tillman

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of influence parents had on the career decision making process for their children who are pre-service teachers. Participants were pre-service teachers in their final year in the teacher education program. Data were collected using both a survey and interviews. The data were then divided into two groups consisting of responses from the pre-service teachers who are children of educators and those who are children of non-educators. In comparing these two groups, this study revealed that the children of educators indicated a slightly greater parent influence on their career choices than …

Implementing Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Strategies Using Children's Literature In The Urban Multicultural Preschool: Examining Teachers' Language Dialect Beliefs And Practices, Nicole Victoria Bailey Austin

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This study examined preschool teachers' implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive strategies using children's literature in an urban multicultural preschool. Through a qualitative phenomenological design, this research aimed to expand understandings of language dialect and achievement in early childhood education and examine preschool teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and instructional practices regarding identified home languages—African American Vernacular English and Hispanic American English, Academic Language, and code switching. The phenomenon under investigation was early childhood professionals' beliefs and frequency of home language dialect use within the classroom and implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive strategies within the classrooms of an urban multicultural preschool …

The Effects Of Incorporating Interactive Questioning During Shared Electronic Book Reading On Preschoolers' Comprehension, Lynda Gail Salmon

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential effects of parental interactive questioning during shared electronic book reading on preschoolers' comprehension outcomes and secondly to assess the effects of parent training on post-intervention parental interactive behaviors during shared electronic book reading. Four parent-child dyads participated in this seven week multiple baseline study. Participants were recruited from a suburban preschool in southeastern Virginia and child participants' ages ranged from 48 to 68 months ( M = 55.75). Pre-intervention and post-intervention assessments evaluated the child participants' comprehension skills and the parent-child dyad's interactive behaviors during shared electronic book reading. Child …

Parental Expectations And Perspectives As They Relate To Their Children With Special Education Needs (Sen) During Transition From Early Intervention/Preschool To Kindergarten, Arika Spencer-Brown

Dissertations

Parental Expectations and Perspectives as They Relate to Their Children with Special Education Needs (SEN) During Transition From Early Intervention/Preschool to Kindergarten

By Arika Spencer-Brown

The purpose of this study was to define parent perspective and expectation as it pertains to their children with special needs transition process using a descriptive method. This study was designed to assess the perception and expectation of third year and first year Head Start families and provide insight into how effective their special needs transition was from preschool into kindergarten and the individuals related to the overall development of an Individualized Family Service Plan …

Educational Attainment In Guatemala: An Analysis Of Characteristics Related To Youth Perspectives And Households, Nicole Lesniewski

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Throughout the world, policy makers, analysts, and non-profit organizations look at the educational achievement gap among students. This is not a topic specific to any developing or developed country in particular, yet the methods of measuring achievement gaps and alleviating the differences vary widely. T his paper will focus on the achievement gap of students in Guatemala, with a particular interest in rural education and education of the indigenous population. The purpose of this study is to look for relationships between educational achievement of youth in Guatemala and youth perspectives on a variety of issues including education, financial well-being, and …

Examining The Impact Of Pre-K And Kindergarten Classroom Alignment On School Readiness Outcomes, Margaret Deane Franko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored children’s experiences of instructional alignment from prekindergarten to kindergarten and analyzed the impact of those alignment experiences on children’s school readiness outcomes. The study answered the following overarching research question: Does the alignment of children’s learning experiences between prekindergarten and kindergarten impact school readiness outcomes? Three sub-questions drove the research design: (1) How do children’s prekindergarten and kindergarten learning experiences align; (2) To what extent does the alignment of early learning experiences predict children’s school readiness outcomes; and (3) Does the quality of prekindergarten classroom teacher interactions moderate the impact of any PK-K alignment effects? Using cluster …

An Exploration Of The Perspectives Of The Stakeholders On The Early Childhood Care And Education (Ecce) Scheme In Ireland, In Relation To Children’S Transition Into Primary School, Ciara Allen

Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme in Ireland and a child’s transition from a pre-school setting to the formal primary school environment, from the perspective of parents, pre-school practitioners, primary school teachers and childcare organisations. The ECCE initiative was introduced in January 2010 for all children between the ages of 3 years and 3 months and 4 years and 6 months, offering them one year of free pre-school (50/38 weeks) prior to commencing primary school. This research identifies the need to study a child’s transition into formal schooling, as research …

Teacher Influence On Elementary School Students’ Participation In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Courtney Hartman

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of elementary school teachers on encouraging students’ interest and participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The researcher sought to understand what methods teachers use in their classrooms to encourage students to participate in STEM subjects and programs. This mixed methods study consisted of a questionnaire to collect quantitative data, as well as an interview of selected teachers who participated in the questionnaire to collect qualitative data. The data was analyzed to determine the overall perceptions of teachers regarding the importance of encouraging students to participate in STEM. The qualitative …

An Evaluation Of Eligibility, Accessibility, And Social-Emotional Outcomes For Young Children In The New York State Early Intervention Program, Kirsten M. Siegenthaler

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A wealth of interdisciplinary research on early childhood development by the neurobiological, behavioral, and social sciences has occurred in the past 100 years. The findings from this research have led to an understanding and appreciation of the importance of early life experiences, the centrality of relationships in early childhood to support positive development, the complexity of social skills that are learned in early childhood and their long-term effect on adult success and well-being, and the ability to impact the trajectory of children’s development with effective early intervention. The New York State Early Intervention Program (NYSEIP) is one of the largest …