Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Decodable Deliberations In Early Reading Instruction: A Mixed-Methods Study Of First-Grade Teachers’ Perceptions, Selection, And Use Of Decodable Texts, Patricia Gallery

Theses and Dissertations

The fundamental significance of literacy achievement cannot be overstated. However, the 2022 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) divulges alarming findings, with a mere 33 percent of the nation’s fourth graders performing at or above proficiency in reading (NAEP, 2022). Exploring the nexus of research-informed pedagogy and practice is imperative to disrupt this deleterious trajectory. This mixed-method study will examine how first-grade teachers select and use texts for beginning reading instruction with a critical lens on teachers' perceptions of decodable text to fully understand the complex intersection of intentionality and attitude when choosing texts for early reading instruction. This study …

In Support Of A Read-Aloud Accommodation: A Meta Analysis Study, Sarah Elizabeth Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the read-aloud accommodation benefits for students with disabilities (SWD) and students without disabilities (SWOD). In this study, researchers recommend ways in which to remove encumbrances faced by SWD in reading comprehension. In general, research has shown that both SWD and SWOD have met some degree of success from the read-aloud accommodations. Further, this meta-analysis will attempt to reveal important factors that influence the effects of read-aloud accommodations. For example, how the accommodation effect size influences the subject area of reading versus that of math. This study will also show that the effect of read-aloud accommodations is significantly …

Discovery: A Visual Arts Elementary School, Cindy J. Perdomo

Theses and Dissertations

On average, school-age children spend more time in the classroom environment than they do at home. Why not provide environments that stimulate children’s curiosity to learn through visual arts? Including visual arts in educational programs can enhance students’ cognitive development, problem-solving abilities, cultural awareness, and critical thinking skills.

As someone who has attended various public schools in Florida, I’ve found that incorporating arts education into the curriculum can enhance students’ overall engagement with learning. Unfortunately, many students lack access to arts education due to a lack of funding and resources. Traditionally, the arts have been viewed as an opportunity for …

Teacher Perceptions Of Preparedness To Teach A Diverse Group Of English Language Learners With Different Literacy Levels And Languages In The Mainstream Elementary Classroom, Jennifer Mehu

Theses and Dissertations

All across the United States, increased numbers of English language learners (ELL) are entering schools with limited formal education or proficiency in the English language at alarming rates. This new shift has affected school districts that are not prepared to address the needs of these ELL students due to the lack of preparation of mainstream teachers in their districts and schools. The problem addressed in this study was that many ELLs were not making adequate progress academically in mainstream classes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perceived preparedness to teach ELLs in mainstream classes in the …

Elementary Teachers’ Experiences And Responses To Student Engagement While Teaching Eureka Math Virtually During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jamika D. Hill

Theses and Dissertations

The Covid-19 Pandemic shifted the structure of public education by forcing public schools in Georgia and across the world to shift from a traditional, face-to-face model to a virtual model. This study was conducted to explore elementary teachers’ experiences and responses to issues with student engagement in their virtual Eureka Math classrooms during the Covid-19 Pandemic. A qualitative research design was used to conduct a hermeneutic, phenomenological study that included a document analysis, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews using six elementary school teachers as participants. The resulting data was coded and triangulated using the thematic analysis of overarching themes, which …

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Poverty On Instruction And Support With Elementary Students Experiencing Rural Poverty In A Rural Title I Elementary School, Mitzi Mccann Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly 30 million people in the United States live in households with an annual income of less than @25,962 for a family of four. To the United States Census Bureau, this income threshold constitutes a family (or individuals in a family) as being in poverty. Poverty is not solely about income thresholds; rather, how much income levels impact learning, education, and teachers is a greater area of concern. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers’ perceptions of poverty impact how they instruct and support elementary students experiencing rural poverty, what differences exist in instruction and support between …

Social Emotional Learning: Narrative Growth, Christine Alexandra Biskup

Theses and Dissertations

From an early age, we engage in building our narrative language through social interactions. These narrative language skills influence academic success. Many educational establishments focus solely on academic achievement. A focus on supporting emotional intelligence that can support narrative language development is imperative. In this ethnography study, students were taught feeling words lessons from RULER, a social-emotional learning curriculum. Using observations and interviews, I sought to understand how early childhood students apply emotional feeling words into their narrative language. By using inductive analysis and conducting interviews with the students, I coded data to narrate my research question to assist with …

Arts Integration Experiences Of Elementary Educators, Amy E. Jefferson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how elementary teachers applied their professional learning to integrate arts in the classroom. The research questions guiding the study included: (1) What content, skills, and understandings do teachers transfer from professional learning to practice? and (2) How do teachers navigate the implementation of arts integration? Knowles' (1978) Adult Learning Theory was used to examine how meeting the needs of teachers as adult learners during professional learning influenced the implementation experience.

A case study design employing qualitative data collection methods such as focus groups, individual interviews, and the sharing of artifacts from practice …

The Impact Of Training Teachers In Multiple-Intelligences Instructional Strategies, Mary R. Massey

Theses and Dissertations

This research study outlined a professional-development program for training preschool teachers in Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. The program then continued training in practical applications of the theory for instructional use in the classroom. The preschool director and teachers’ perceptions and experiences were documented and provided the data to assess the impact of the training on the instructional strategies demonstrated in the classrooms. Attention was paid to any impact on classroom management, teacher morale, and cohesive instructional vision throughout the school.

The data from this study revealed that the years of experience of the teachers proved to be the …

Language-Supportive Strategies And Their Associations With Child Language Outcomes During Instructional Time, Erin S. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I conducted a correlational study that examined the frequency of educator-delivered language-supportive strategies during instructional time in public Kindergarten classrooms. Additionally, I explored the association between educators’ use of language-supportive strategies and child language outcomes. To index child language, I assessed a sample of 96 children from 10 different classrooms on standardized measures of expressive and receptive language. I recruited 10 educators to participate in the present study and assessed their use of language-supportive strategies during instructional time in the classroom through transcription and coding of audio recordings. The educators completed demographic forms for themselves as well …

Understanding The Expressive Cartoon Drawings Of A Student With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Michael S. Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the highly expressive comic drawings of Amy, a child with autism. This study connects larger fields of research: the study of how people with autism spectrum disorder [ASD] process faces and emotions; and, research about artists with ASD. Amy's understanding of emotion was analyzed by asking her to view and identify humans and cartoon characters expressing different emotions. Her ability to illustrate emotion is tested by asking her to respond to various drawing prompts. The study concluded that Amy has difficulty identifying the emotions of humans and cartoons, but she does have the ability to illustrate …

Using Differentiated Instructional Strategies To Improve Early Elementary Comprehension Skills, Deborah S. Cirincione

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide information to educators about teaching strategies used in the classroom. The researcher opened up a survey to Early Elementary Reading teachers so
they can provide their input in an anonymous manner so as to get as much information as possible so others can find this narrative, qualitative research useful in their careers. The writer researched scholarly and peer-reviewed journals, as well as, commonly used resources such as government websites to acquire and report recent practices of early elementary reading strategies used in classrooms. The study was of qualitative nature, and the survey was …