Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Integrating The Fine Arts, Cole Alexander

Honors Projects

This project seeks to understand and apply research to a lesson plan unit regarding the integration of the fine arts (art and music) into the general education classroom.

Importance Of Combining Physical Activity And Health And Wellness In To Physical Education Within Schools., Chandler Mckean

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone project brings to light the importance of physical activity and health and wellness education in connecting a child’s mind and internal body, to their physical outer body. This project examines the physical education curriculum in its entirety and displays the current pros and shortcomings in physical education within schools. Today, the education system strives to educate its students to the best of their abilities. This focus has begun to push away non-academic classes, such as physical education, to devote more time and resources in other areas, e.g. math, sciences, and language arts. Through the use of literature …

Motivating The Unmotivated: How Are We Supporting Struggling Readers In Upper Elementary Classrooms?, Maci V. Wood

Honors College Theses

Motivating struggling students to read is a question considered by many general education reading teachers and special education teachers alike. Since student classroom experiences today differ greatly from classrooms of the past in terms of instructional practices and learning supports, scripted materials that seldom cater to student interest have often been promoted due to the pressure of standardized assessment. With little to no student engagement present in the classroom, it is up to the student to find the will to read or to the teacher to utilize alternative strategies in increasing student motivation (Cambria & Gunthrie, 2008). However, there is …

Teacher-Parent Relationship Building, Alana R. Bray

Honors College Theses

Problems can develop when clashes with culture or daily schedules occur and when communication skills breakdown. In order to build relationships with parents/guardians, teachers must develop the necessary skills to overcome those possible challenges. Teacher education programs should design more successful models to prepare future teachers for relationship building.

Brookings, South Dakota: Learning Lab, Doriane Paso

Empowering Research for Educators

The following paper explores the possibilities of education in one local setting using both an insider and outsider perspective. Education is a part of society, and as society changes, why should education not change with it?

Alexa?: Possibilities Of Voice Assistant Technology And Artificial Intelligence In The Classroom, Patrick D. Hales, Melissa Anderson, Tonya Christianson, Amber Gaspar, Billi Jo Meyer, Beth Nelson, Krista Shilvock, Mary Steinmetz, Makenzi Timmons, Michelle Vande Weerd

Empowering Research for Educators

The following paper represents the combined effort of 10 educators exploring the experience and use of voice assistant technology in classrooms. This reflection and study of our classrooms looks to better understand both our use of technology and students’ use of technology in very specific ways. Is there a place for voice assistant technology in our classrooms? What benefits are there? What obstacles exist? We tell our stories and experiences here with the intent to provide context and continue the discussion among more of our colleagues.

From Assertion To Conversion: Classroom Management For 21st Century Teachers, Benjamin Halbkat

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position paper provides a new teacher's perspective on modern classroom management. Where is there room for improvement? What might the future hold?

High School Biology Preparation: Do Students Feel They Have Been Adequately Prepared For Introductory College Biology?, Mara Neitzel

Empowering Research for Educators

The purpose of this study was to determine how well students are being prepared in high school for introductory college biology courses. Specifically, the objectives of the study are as follows: To gain a better understanding about how well students feel they have been prepared for college science classes based on their high school education, to gain insight on how college preparation in high school impacts students’ self-confidence, and to determine if the accessibility of advanced education courses is influenced by the size of a high school. A mixed methods survey was distributed to freshman in the fall semester of …

In Support Of The Tinker V. Des Moines Decision, Matthew Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position outlines a case for the Tinker v. Des Moines decision, including a historical and modern perspective. With freedom of speech and protest being a regular part of the discussion about U.S. society and schools, now is a good time to look back.

Sr. Nicole: Being A Teacher, Sierra Rood

Ask a Sister: Interview Wisdom from Catholic Women Religious

I interviewed with Sr. Nicole who spoke about her life experiences as a woman religious. This paper includes a portion of the interview where she spoke about her journey of becoming a woman religious and being a teacher.

The Equal Right To Sing: The American Zeitgeist And Its Implications For Music Education, Youngeun Kim

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

According to music educators and proponents of arts education, music education in U.S. public schools seems to be in jeopardy. This thesis brings attention to several issues in current music education. It is a case study of music education in New York City public elementary schools. First, it shows that music education is not equally distributed to all students in the public-school system and is especially unequal among elementary schools. Next, it investigates possible causes for this inequality, from the current system’s limitations to more fundamental causes including the cultural perception of music among the U.S. public. The consequences of …

Sr. Lucille And Sr. Mary Anne: Choice In Ministry, Chris Ray

Ask a Sister: Interview Wisdom from Catholic Women Religious

I interviewed Sisters Lucille and Mary Anne regarding their experience as women religious within the Church. This paper highlights a portion of the interview dedicated to the changes for women religious relating to the choice in ministry and the decreasing number of women entering the church.

Investigating Early Childhood Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Preschool Yoga Program, Kenya Wolff, Alicia Stapp

Faculty and Student Publications

© The Author(s) 2019. Yoga for young children has become a growing area of interest in early childhood settings across the United States. Evidence suggests that yoga has the ability to improve young children’s physical development, executive functioning, self-regulation, and can aid in decreasing stress and anxiety. While the scope of research on yoga for young children has primarily focused on the experiences and outcomes of the children who participate, far less is known about the experiences and perceptions of teachers who have engaged in such programs with their students. This study utilized a qualitative case study to investigate teachers’ …

Differential Benefits Of Prekindergarten For Low-Income Black Children : A Quasi-Experimental Study, Janice Marie Parker

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Cyberbullying In Education: A Literature Review, Harvey Kenworthy

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will analyze different pieces of literature on the topic of Cyberbullying and how it affects education. The project will outline the differences between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. The various psychological, social, and academic outcomes of cyberbullying. Some of the current intervention strategies used in schools to combat cyberbullying. This project will also include interviews from administrators and educators from Summit County Schools about anti-cyberbullying programs that are implemented in their schools and analyze whether or not these programs are consistent with what the literature suggests.

The Assessment And Evaluation Process In Third Grade, Cassandra Amato

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For my honors research project, I will be focusing on the process of Early Childhood Education assessment and evaluation. To so, I will conduct a series of literacy-based assessments to 3^rdgrade students at Woodridge Elementary School. In a group of three to four students, I will assess various literacy skills such as fluency, comprehension, word recognition, sight words, letter recognition, phonics, vocabulary, and affective surveys. I will present each student with the varying assessments, recording anecdotal notes as they complete the assessments. Will gather the data found in each assessment and use it to find each student’s instructional …

Developing Children’S Physical Literacy: How Well Prepared Are Prospective Teachers?, Judith Dinham, Paul Williams

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

While the known health impacts of sedentary lifestyles have focused attention on children’s outdoor activity, the development of their physical literacy – the physiological, social, cultural, cognitive, expressive, and psychological dimensions of their physicality – is much less in focus.

Developing children’s physical literacy is embedded in the Early Years Learning Framework and Primary curriculum: Health and Physical Education, and the performing arts subjects within The Arts. This study asks “How well prepared are pre-service teachers to implement a program that contributes to developing children’s physical literacy?”

This mixed methods study includes an environmental scan of BEd courses at 12 …

Storytelling Study, Samantha Irene Pepe

Honors Theses and Capstones

Expressive prosody (i.e., a manner of communication that is characterized by lively rhythm and tempo) and inexpressive prosody (i.e., monotone speech) present different environments for listening to a story during a read-aloud session. This study aims to assess whether there are visual attention differences for preschoolers in these varied prosodic environments and how this affects comprehension.

Developing Social And Emotional Skills In Early Childhood Instruction: A Delphi Study, Tess Breen

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to explore social and emotional learning in early childhood instruction with an emphasis on identifying the methods expert early childhood teachers use to support and promote the development of empathy and emotion regulation, to have the teachers rate the impact of these methods, and to identify the specific activities used to implement the six most highly rated methods.

Methodology: This study utilized the Delphi method which is an iterative process used to collect and distill the judgments of experts using a series of questionnaires interspersed with feedback. Fourteen participants recommended strategies to …

Currey, Cathy (Fa 1210), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1210. Student folk studies project titled “The History of African-American Education in Christian County, [Kentucky].” Narrative history which includes historical and architectural information, photographs, and other documentation regarding African American schools in Christian County, Kentucky.

The Relationship Between Toddlers' And Their Primary Caregivers' Perspectives On Gender, Marc Strawderman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative case study was to discover the relationship between the views of gender between toddlers and their primary caregivers and between those toddlers and their teachers at an early childhood education center, or daycare center, in south-central Pennsylvania. The Child-Rearing Sex-Role Attitude Scale (CRSRAS) and Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale (SRES) assessed and evaluated how the adults perceive gender. The Sex-Role Learning Index (SERLI) had the toddlers gender-type toys. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the adults’ scores on the CRSRAS and SRES, and explanation building was used after that to link the adults’ perceptions to the toddlers’ …

Authentic Learning Environments: Designing A New Standard For Public Education, Stephanie Griffith, Stephanie J. Griffith

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The intention of this thesis is to explore the architectural problems of public primary school learning environments and propose possible solutions. This thesis draws from various public blog and public web article accounts and experiences of those working in or studying the institutions of primary education and the problems they are struggling to address. The architectural focus brings to light that while most educators argue that teaching can happen anywhere, this body of research will propose an optimal learning environment in which a set of ideal values are defined as authentic learning and is used to encourage and support a …

Teaching Towards A Culture Of Peace In Early Childhood Education Classrooms, Samantha Ferber

Master's Projects and Capstones

This curriculum guide was conceived keeping in mind the diverse educational settings of early childhood education in the United States. It is especially targeted for preschool classrooms of children aged two and a half to four years old. However, it can be modified for use in early elementary school where teachers hope to incorporate peace education into their classrooms. Early childhood educators are the primary audience for this guidebook, but any educator, parent, or caregiver can benefit from the concepts of peace education.

This curriculum guide should stem from a critical engagement between teachers and the communities within which they …

An Action Research Investigation Into An Early Childhood Digital, Storytelling-Based Solution, Jessica Smith

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The development of literacy skills prior to the classroom has been established as essential for future school and life successes. However, the present achievement gap between lower-socioeconomic neighborhoods and their higher-income counterparts illustrate vast dissimilarities in early childhood provisions for quality reading materials and instructional aides. In an effort to bridge the educational breach, a collaborative, storytelling-based program entitled Kid Forward was introduced to five nationwide families as a means of assistance for early childhood literacy development. Through the use of demographic surveys, interviews completed before and after the program implementation, and exit surveys, the action research study examined early …

Parental Involvement Among Low-Income Filipinos: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Aileen S. Garcia

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Parental involvement in children’s education is an integral component of young children’s academic achievement. In the Philippines, a developing country with high rates of poverty and input deficit in basic education, school dropout rates are high especially among the poor. Given that many children from disadvantaged backgrounds do not get enough support (PIDS, 2012) and many parents are not equipped with skills to support their children’s education, it is essential to investigate how Filipino parents can help and contribute to their children’s academic success. In response to the lack of parental involvement literature situated in the Philippine context, the present …

The Effects Of Meditation/Mindfulness On Elementary Students In Crisis, Nicole C. Bixler

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project explores the effects that meditation and mindfulness practices have on elementary students in crisis. Changing the old methods used during the Time Away period, students will have the opportunity to utilize, explore, and take new risks while they experience the innovative opportunities to help cope with their stress and anxiety. The stressors that occur in school or in their personal life affect their performances and quality of life in school. The ultimate outcome from integrating new therapeutic methods is for student to use creative thinking to help create positive behavioral outcomes.

Early Childhood Teachers' Perception Of Their Principal's Leadership And The Relationship On Their Own Job Satisfaction And Self-Efficacy, Maria F. Rincon

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation exists between Early Childhood teachers’ sense of job satisfaction and their sense of self-efficacy. Teachers in this study participated voluntarily and answered a set of questionnaires that collected data regarding their current opinions and perceptions of their school principal’s leadership, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy beliefs.

An Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of Preschool Participation Upon Kindergarten Readiness, Simone Sellers

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore whether children who attended a full day of preschool were better prepared for kindergarten than those who attended a part-time program or no program at all. Two levels of the independent variable, preschool participation, were utilized: (a) full-time participation and (b) part-time or no participation. Readiness rates among children who attended a public preschool in a large school district in Florida were examined using standardized academic achievement scores as dependent variables. When looking at kindergarten readiness, males who attended preschool scored higher academic levels than males who attended no preschool. However, …

Empathy Institutionalized: Sociocultural Dialogue As A Strategic Peacebuilding Initiative, Emily Owens

Bridge/Work

A common adage used in psychological exploration tells us that “If you want to know the end, look at the beginning.” While typically employed to emphasize the importance of upbringing and environment on personal outcomes, this phrase can be equally applicable in examining the ways in which society has developed over time to produce our polarized sociopolitical culture of today. This work explores from an integrative psychosocial perspective the potential that exists in working to define a new “end” by shaping a new “beginning,” through going directly to the institutions that comprise our own beginnings— schools. Through a combined research …

Reflection And Evaluation Of The “Healthy Me, Healthy Earth” After-School Program, Mary K. Sherman

Honors Theses and Capstones

The “Healthy Me, Healthy Earth” program was an eight week after-school program for first through fourth graders at the Woodman Park Elementary School in Dover, NH conducted during the Fall of 2017. The program used a cost-effective, food system-based curriculum to promote health and environmental literacy to students who participated. An interdisciplinary approach was used to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavioral changes of the students. There was a noted improvement in comprehension of food system concepts.