Early Childhood Education Commons^™

The Impact Of One Can Impact The Majority: Benefits Of Social And Emotional Learning, Melissa Perez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For my 2022 senior Capstone Project, I chose to focus on looking at the benefits of implementing and teaching Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills to today’s students, their families and educators. Social and Emotional Learning involves teaching students: self awareness, self management, responsible decision making, social awareness and relationship skills. With these skill sets, communities that are composed of students, families and educators, can create beneficial impacts amongst each other as a butterfly effect. One teacher was interviewed on how they incorporate social and emotional learning into their classroom and what they think could be done to improve it. …

The Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round: Rethinking The St. Louis Busing Program, Tango Walker, Ketosha Harris

Dissertations

This autoethnography shares our personal experiences and counter-narratives in the St. Louis busing program. Through our mission we expound on experiences and real-life situations as seen through our lens as a student and a mother in the St. Louis busing program. Critical race theory (CRT) was used as an essential framework allowing us to focus on the following four tenets: counter-stories, permanence of racism, whiteness as property, interest convergence. (Anderson, et al., 2017). Critical race theory (CRT) is the framework in social sciences that examines society and culture as it relates to categorization of race, law and power (Lynn & …

Life Beyond Bars: Nine Prisoners And Their Families, And Faith-Based Efforts To Recognize And Avoid-Cross-Generational Criminal Habits., Alfreda Reese

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

The aim of this study is to examine prisoners’ firsthand experiences and their underlying family issues to bring awareness and delete current cross-generational criminal habits. Through analyzing a series of individual experiences and exploring underlying family issues, the study intends to bring awareness and exposure to the implications of the criminal justice system on prisoners and their families. This study will analyze personal stories of prisoners and their families to identify, interact, and intervene in best practices to avoid criminal habits. The research gathered aims to empower prisoners and their families in suggested ways to delete repeated criminal patterns and …

Perceptions On Charter Schools In West Virginia, Donna R. Dixon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In 2018 and 2019, the public school teachers in West Virginia walked out of their classrooms to protest charter schools opening in the Mountain State. During a special legislative session in the summer of 2019, the state's first charter school law was passed, paving the way to open West Virginia's first charter school. This research provides data on whether the COVID-19 global pandemic changed how individuals in West Virginia view charter schools. A concurrent nested mixed-method approach was used for this research. A twenty-one-question survey, Perceptions on Charter Schools in West Virginia, was developed using both Likert scale and …

How Do Parents Of Typically Developing Children Perceive And Interact With Children With Exceptionalities?, Zurisaday N. Decker

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to examine how parents with children displaying typical development, perceive and interact with children who have exceptionalities or disabilities and explore parents’ openness to having discussions about exceptional children in inclusive classrooms. Given that parents function as foundational sources of knowledge to children in their early childhood years, understanding parents’ perceptions of and interactions with children with disabilities may help to understand how these parents’ children will, in-turn, perceive and interact with classroom peers with disabilities. This line of inquiry is supported by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which views microsystems such as the family, …

Strategies For Supporting Professional Growth In Early Childhood Team Members, Kristin Goetz

Graduate Teacher Education

Early childhood education (ECE) teachers, including pre-service and in-service workers, have reported the need for ongoing professional development support (Boyer, 2004; Buettner, Hye Hur, Jeon & Andrews, 2016; Brown, Cheddie, Horry, & Monk, 2017). Specific targeted support for professionalism was addressed as a retention strategy for the future of ECE (Boyer, 2004). The lack of consistent minimum qualifications for ECE teachers has contributed to a number of teachers in the field having little understanding regarding professionalism as a whole when teacher careers commence. The quality of learning and teaching in the classroom has been said to be largely determined by …

The Lived Experiences Of Latinx Parents And Their Perception Of Bilingual Programs: A Phenomenological Reflection, Manuel O. Adrianzen

Dissertations

The aim of this study is two-fold. First, to better understand and capture the lived experiences of Latinx parents as they navigate the registration/enrollment process at the school and select a language program for their Pre-kindergarten child. Second, to understand what lived experiences influence their perception about bilingual education programs. Using Van Manen’s (2016) concept of human sciences and phenomenology, data was collected through the use of conversational interviews. The responses provided by the parents and school clerk revealed five themes, fear & anxiousness, hope for things to come & for a brighter future, use of social networks to understand …

An Evaluation Of A School District’S Mental Health Services Program Designed To Ensure A Safe And Positive Learning Environment For All, Jasodra Suba

Dissertations

A key component to academic success is comprehensive mental health services for students. The intended purpose of this evaluation was to study the implementation of strength-based performance standards in one school district’s mental health training for all individuals preparing to work in a school-based environment. The context of my program evaluation was one large public school district in the United States operating in a state that mandates that each public school district implement a mental health services program. As part of this study, I examined the underlying concerns surrounding the large public school district’s implementation of evidence-based Mental Health Assistance …

A Quantitative Study Of Mathematics Anxiety In First-Generation Pre-Service Teachers, Wendi Malenfant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many pre-service teachers suffer from mathematics anxiety which can lead to mathematics avoidance, poor mathematics performance, and the potential to pass on mathematics anxiety to their future students. More and more first-generation college students, who also suffer from math anxiety, are attending four-year universities and studying to be teachers. School leaders, educators, and researchers must recognize the serious nature of mathematics anxiety, how it negatively impacts learners, and how the cycle is perpetuated if the root causes of mathematics anxiety are not mitigated, especially in elementary teachers.

This quantitative study, which utilized an anonymous mathematics anxiety survey, examined the prevalence …

Tennessee's Voluntary Prekindergarten (Vpk) Program And Kindergarten Achievement, Kindetta L. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between Tennessee's Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program and kindergarten achievement. I compared the academic growth of who attended a VPK program to students in Title 1 schools who did not attend a VPK program. Kindergarten gives the first easyCBM assessment in the second semester of school. I compared the easyCBM scores of the students who attended a VPK program to the ones who did not attend a VPK program. This could reveal if attending the VPK program is related to the students’ academic growth and the amount …

Social-Emotional Supports For African American Males: An Examination Of Strategies And Practices That Inform Persistence For College And Career Readiness, Kamilah Hampton

Dissertations

African American males are faced with many challenges because of the lack of social-emotional supports and current society. African American males experience trauma as a result of their exposure to violence, mistreatment in most environments, and implicit biases in obtaining an education. Social-emotional programming designed specifically for African American males is proven to positively impact their learning outcomes. This study found that the implementation of programming can have a direct impact on African American male’s ability to achieve at high levels. This must be addressed through continuous professional learning and support to challenge and improve a teacher’s instructional practice with …

Technology As A Tool For Support: Classroom Teachers And Resource Specialists In Collaboration And Communication Practices, Mackenzie Jones

Education | Master's Theses

Classroom teachers and resource specialists face hectic schedules that include supporting students and meeting the core curriculum standards. In order to support students with disabilities in the classroom, collaboration between classroom teachers and resource specialists is essential. With busy schedules and increasing demands that teachers face, there is an urgent need to support teachers with effective systems of collaboration. This research focuses on the problem of unorganized and ineffective systems of support, which teachers face when trying to collaborate and communicate with their colleagues. While many prior studies address the significance of providing time for educators to collaborate in the …

K-12 Economically Disadvantaged Students, Poverty, And Education: Ecological Narratives Of Successful Raised-In-Poverty, Texas Educators, Rebecca N. Morris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study aimed to understand how successful Texas educators who grew up in poverty understood and improved the educational experience of economically disadvantaged students. This study utilized a structural ecological theory and three theories of social relationships (Social Identity, Standpoint, and Cultural Capital). This phenomenological and qualitative study used a cross-sectional, descriptive, online case study design rooted in narrative nonfiction. Virtual interviews with six successful Texas educators that grew up in poverty were conducted. A narrative method of analysis was utilized to generate codes then organize them into themes, and to construct and compare the narrative findings. The results …

The Importance Of Visibility In Curriculum And Teaching Practice, Jasmine Bailey

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

I am arguing that it is absolutely necessary for all teachers and administration to see the importance of making all children visible and valued and that they should include this idea into their curriculum plans and teaching practices. Despite the focus on representation, visibility in the curriculum is still lacking. I will detail how visibility is affected by the differences in how children learn, children who have experienced trauma and power dynamics and oppression.

This thesis will aim to express and display the value that all children should be made visible in the classroom. This includes all backgrounds and ethnicities …

Equitable Strategies: Broadening Opportunities For Students In Public Education, Anthony Ellis

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that public education is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms. Despite the ruling, the American education system is still not equitable for all students. Children of color (Black, Latino, Native Americans) or of lower income are more likely to jump over several hurdles to get to the finish line. Meanwhile, white and wealthy children will cross the finish line without going through a single hurdle. The hurdles begin at early childhood and the final hurdle is college graduation. Some of these disparities include racial bias, the burden of …

Recast The Class, Keira O. Grant

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

ABSTRACT OF PROJECT

Recast the Class

This project outlines how to incorporate education into the classroom. Through the personal reflection of the author’s formal academic and professional experiences, it is determined that creativity is an integral part of education. In this inward reflection, the need to incorporate creativity into the classroom is presented. The project also highlights the significance of speaking with students, parents, and educators to gain insight into their perspectives regarding the classroom. Also highlighted in this project are classroom design, curriculum design, and ways to teach in differentiated classrooms. The classroom is a microcosm of the school …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Self-Efficacy On Stem Implementation, Caroline Buechel

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

In order to equip students with the 21^st Century skills necessary for today’s society, STEM education must be properly implemented in school curricula (Lamb, Akmal, & Petrie, 2015). To do so, it is important for teachers to possess both proficient knowledge of the subject matter and confidence towards the implementation of STEM. A person’s beliefs about their ability is known as their self-efficacy (Bandura 1997). Related to education, Bandura notes that this self-efficacy affects a teacher’s views on their ability to handle tasks, obligations, and challenges related to a challenge (1997). Additionally, numerous studies indicate that this self-efficacy in …

Let Them Be Little: Teacher Perspectives On Developmental Play In Kindergarten Classrooms, Amy Michelle Towne

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Kindergarten is a German term meaning children's garden. In 1837, Fredrich Froebel founded kindergarten and stated, "Children are like tiny flowers; they are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers." Froebel believed that children needed to be nurtured and tended to like flowers in a garden. Kindergarten classes, at this time, encouraged children to develop and blossom freely through play under the guidance, not direct instruction, of the teacher. Through the years, kindergarten has changed drastically. Recent legislation has transformed the kindergarten curriculum even more.

Currently, many kindergarten teachers …

Army Child And Youth Services Early Childhood Educators: A Mixed-Methods Assessment Of The Association Between Workplace Wellbeing And Turnover, Tamara Nuttall

Doctorate in Education

The Department of Defense operates the largest employer-sponsored childcare system in the United States. Army Child and Youth Services is the largest component of the military childcare system, employing over 5,400 early childhood educators who care for and teach soldier and Department of Defense Civilian children aged six weeks to five years old in child development center settings. Early childhood educators’ workplace wellbeing and turnover has long been the focus of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike. Despite extensive research examining these issues in the civilian childcare context, military-provided early education has heretofore been absent from the research literature. This globally …

Compassion Fatigue Among Help Me Grow Care Coordinators: A Case Study, Alexandra Goldberg

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods case study was to explore the perceptions of the prevalence and impact of compassion fatigue among Help Me Grow (HMG) care coordinators throughout the United States. Guided by the compassion fatigue and professional quality of life theories as the conceptual framework, the prevalence of compassion fatigue was explored quantitatively through the Professional Quality of Life questionnaire (ProQOL) and the impact of compassion fatigue was explored qualitatively through semi-structured, open-ended interviews. The ProQOL questionnaire results indicated that no participants were experiencing compassion fatigue. Seven key themes emerged from the qualitative interviews, including (a) …

Kindergarten Entry Assessment Practices In Pennsylvania, Anne Katona Linn Ed.D.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there is significant variation in kindergarten programs and the entry assessment systems used in school districts. There are no reliable data on the kindergarten entry assessment (KEA) systems used in public kindergarten programs across the Commonwealth. It is well-established that comprehensive KEAs should be part of a broader preschool through third grade (P-3) continuum of early childhood education to assess whole-child skills, include families and community partners, be culturally and linguistically responsive, and developmentally appropriate. This study aimed to understand the KEA practices of kindergarten teachers in Pennsylvania. An online survey was distributed to kindergarten …

Parent Perceptions Of Quality Early Childhood Education Programs, Lichelle Jones-Wilkins

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Early childhood education (ECE) programs play an important role in a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. ECE programs strive to prepare the students for kindergarten. The importance and value of ECE programs have increasingly become more important to state and federal officials. As a result, these officials have made significant efforts to make ECE programs more accessible. When it comes to selecting educational programs for their children, parents are frequently the primary decision makers. Rather than parental choice, studies usually focus on stakeholder perspectives on quality care. The goal of this 3-phase study was to better understand the factors …

The Relationship Among Children Born With A Congenital Heart Defect, Effects Of General Anesthesia, And Special Academic Needs, Lorilynn Bowie

Dissertations

Abstract

I initiated this study due to experience in the public education system in one state in the United States. I noted a lack of understanding among educators on how to meet the educational needs of children born with a congenital heart defect (CHD) who had undergone general anesthesia related to their CHD. A lack of communication between the medical sector and the educational world led to extensive delays in children receiving the educational support they needed to be successful academically. There were two primary exploratory questions that drove my study: 1.) Is there a relationship between children born with …

Weaving The Braid Of Culturally Responsive Leadership Within Policy And Governance To Improve Indigenous Student Success, Shelly L. Niemi

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores a Problem of Practice (PoP) that highlights the need for why the Board of Education and the Senior Administration team within the Raven Bay School Division (RBSD, pseudonym) would benefit from using a culturally responsive leadership approach when making decisions and how this may be achieved through policy and governance to guide their practice. The goal of this OIP is to examine why this leadership approach would be relevant for the Board of Education and the Senior Leadership team when they are making any policy and governance decisions, as it relates to Indigenous …

Investigating Leadership Styles Of Childcare Directors, Michelle P. Grantham-Caston

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this study was to contribute to the literature on childcare director’s leadership styles and director’s self-perception. For leaders in childcare to be effective they must possess skills, characteristics, and traits of effective leadership which have been identified in the seminal literature of Bass (1995) and Burns (1979). This quantitative study examined early childhood leaders self-identification with the leadership styles in The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) (Bass & Avolio, 1995) as well as other demographic variables which could contribute to early childhood leaders’ self-perception of leadership styles. This study was to break apart the three overarching leadership styles …

The Primary Dilemma: Determining And Overcoming Barriers To A Focus On Prekindergarten Through Grade 3, Sarah Turner Lukas, Sarah Turner Lukas

Dissertations

In 2017, reporters of national data in regard to reading ability among American, fourth grade students indicated low proficiency and achievement gaps. These results were also consistent within the state and district under study. There is a need to increase the focus on prekindergarten and primary grade education taking place prior to the grades in which federally mandated, accountability assessments for student learning take place. The purpose of this study is to determine the potential barriers to a paradigm shift at the state and district levels from a focus on state-assessed grade levels to prekindergarten and primary grade levels. The …

The Effectiveness Of The Implementation Of Social And Emotional Learning Programs Program Evaluation, Cynthia Treadwell

Dissertations

Students today are faced with more challenges due to the nature of the society in which they are growing up. Children are experiencing more depression, anxiety, fear, and hopelessness—which impacts their ability to be successful academically. Social and emotional learning programs have proven to positively provide students with the necessary social and emotional skills. This study found that implementation of programming can have a direct impact on students’ social and emotional skills, as well as their academic success, when it is effectively implemented and adults have a strong awareness of their own social and emotional competency level. This must be …

Beginning Reading: A Comparative Study Of Beginning Reading Phonics Programs, Michelle Lee Beishline

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

There is a gap in our understanding of effective early reading instructional approaches, particularly regarding identifying which specific core systematic phonics reading programs provide longer-lasting impact on literacy achievement. The purpose of this causal comparative study was to examine the effects of two distinct pre-kindergarten phonics programs, a linguistic phonics program and a basal phonics program, on short and long-term literacy outcomes. The overarching question addressed in this study was whether the type of literacy instruction in pre-kindergarten predicts outcomes in kindergarten and grade 3 and to what extent, if any, these relationships are moderated by demographic variables. More specifically, …

Assessment Of Inclusive Practices In Head Start Preschool Classrooms: Access, Participation, And Supports, Ifthika "Shine" Nissar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess inclusive practices in Head Start preschool classrooms. In 1972, Public Law PL 94-242 mandated Head Start enrollment to include 10% of students with disabilities (Allen & Cowdery, 2009). Research on assessment of inclusive practices within Head Start preschool classrooms is limited (Gallagher & Lambert, 2006; Muccio, 2012).

This study implemented a quantitative, descriptive design approach. Correlational analysis was conducted to explore answers to the research questions according to access, participation, and supports constructs (DEC/NAEYC, 2009). An Inclusion Crosswalk model was introduced. Data revealed that the underlying factor structure of the …

Origins Of Self-Compassion: The Impact Of The Early Caregiving Environment, Nicoleta Dragan

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of early attachment on self-compassion in early adulthood utilizing a causal model to assess the mediating effects of emotional regulation and shame (Figure 1). Participants were 133 undergraduate students (143 females and 90 males) between 18 and 28 years old (M = 22.7 yrs.) from a Southern California university. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using EQS (version 6.1) was used to analyze the data. Results showed an indirect effect of early attachment on self-compassion through emotional regulation and shame; a direct, moderate effect of early attachment on emotional regulation and …