A Phenomenological Study Of Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Students In The Age Of Kindergarten Readiness., Adam Nelson Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kindergarten has changed dramatically from a play-based, social experience a generation ago to the literacy- and numeracy-based curricula of today. With this shift in academic expectations, children now take a kindergarten readiness assessment at the beginning of the school year to determine their likelihood of success based on their pre-kindergarten preparation. While previous studies have examined teachers’ perceptions of current kindergarten practices, expectations, and students, few use teachers’ descriptions as the data (Abry et al., 2015; Hustedt et al., 2018). This phenomenological study reports how kindergarten teachers at three Central Kentucky elementary schools describe their attitudes about their own kindergarten …

Veteran Teachers’ Perceptions On The Negative Implications Of Classroom Disruptive Behavior And Redirection Strategies, Charvelia Sharae Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Classroom teachers are responsible for creating an environment where all students are able to receive an optimal educational experience. However, disruptive behavior demonstrated by students in classrooms often makes it more difficult for teachers to provide quality instruction to all students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perceptions of veteran teachers related to student disruptive behavior as well as the redirection strategies utilized to decrease the occurrence of such behavior during instructional time. Along with completing an open-ended survey related to strategies used to address disruptive behavior, the veteran teacher participants shared their experiences in …

Exploring North Texas Elementary Principals’ Viewpoints Regarding The Influence Of Culturally Responsive Teaching On School Climate And School Culture, Monica Latrice Tatum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Public schools in the United States have become more diverse due to immigration and the mass exodus of the White population to the suburbs. Growing demographic changes and a consistently White educational labor force raise concern regarding how schools address the needs of their diverse student populations. Much research exists concerning teachers’ implementation of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices. However, a void remains in the literature regarding the role of school leadership in this process. An understanding of culturally competent principals’ perspectives on CRT needs more attention to address how school leaders create safe and equitable environments for diverse …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Pull-Out Programs For Struggling Readers In Grades K-8, Gloria Agumagu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Gloria Agumagu

Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Mentor: Gibbs Kanyongo, Ph.D.

Reading is one of the most important fundamental skills for academic success, yet the teaching of reading is very complex. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of pull-out reading interventions for struggling readers in grades K-8. The objective was to determine if there would be statistically significant mean differences between participants’ performance in reading following interventions. In a sample of immigrant “at-risk” students, n = 253 drawn from Catholic schools in the District of Columbia, dependent sample t tests revealed significant effects of pull-out interventions. …

Determining If Classroom Pets As Part Of An Empathy-Based Intervention Affect Public Elementary School Students’ Empathy, Randa Dunlap

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if consistent exposure to classroom pets in public elementary school classrooms affected children’s empathy. The sample included 44 students (females = 22; males = 22; mean age = 8.3 years) from four third-grade classrooms. A pre-test, post-test design was used to measure students’ empathy levels, and percentage changes in empathy scores were recorded for all groups. The sample was a convenience sample, and random assignment to treatment groups was not possible. Treatment included using classroom pet fish along with empathy-based lessons. Of the four participating classrooms, one classroom was the …

The Academic Success And Beyond-Academic Wellbeing Of High Functioning Autistic Boys: A Policy-Professional Care-School-Parent Ecological Perspective, Evelyn Sauceda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High Functioning Autistic (HFA) boys have significant social, emotional, and cognitive difficulties and unique cognitive abilities that require special support from stakeholders in their ecology (policy makers, care providers, schools, and parents). The quality of such support and its ecological integration are of poor quality. The purpose of this study was to report on the perceptions of parents of HFA boys about their children’s academic and beyond-academic experiences as understood within a policy-care provider-school-parent ecological framework. This study contributes to the limited ecological literature on the topic. This exploratory, qualitative, phenomenological, non-experimental, and cross-sectional research study used a non-probability, purposive, …

Analysis Of The Hiring Process To Ensure That The Best Teacher Candidate Is Selected For A Small Southwestern Pennsylvania School District, Barbara Pagan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine teacher selection through a survey of the top 100 elementary schools in Pennsylvania and analyzing commercially produced screening tools. In order to hire the most effective teachers, districts must pay attention to the characteristics they desire in a teacher and ensure that their measures are aligned with those qualities (Little, Goe, & Bell, 2009). This dissertation examines the teacher hiring practices in Brentwood Borough School District in Pennsylvania, in hopes of improving the current hiring process. The researcher developed two research questions to guide the study. The principal researcher used a combination …

Supporting Biracial Students Through An Equity Lens: Multicultural Literature And Advocacy In School Libraries, Jacqueline Ahlborn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biracial students make up a substantial allocation of the school population, and their demographics are only expected to increase within the coming years. With this emergence of a larger Biracial community, schools need to consider how they will implement equitable resources and practices to meet the needs for this unique population. School librarians, serving as instructional leaders, can provide the necessary materials and strategies to support their students who are Biracial in order to foster positive racial identity. The purpose of this study is to explore school librarians’ perspectives on the influence of multicultural literature on students’ acceptance and understanding …

Teacher Expectations, Self-Efficacy, And Collective Efficacy In Three Tennessee Literacy Networks, Amanda Tinker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there was a significant difference in the dependent variables- teacher expectations, self-efficacy, and collective efficacy among the three levels of the independent variable- membership in one three literacy networks in Tennessee- Leading Innovation for Tennessee (LIFT), Read to Be Ready Coaching Network (RTBR), and Tennessee Early Literacy Network (TELN)- and if significant correlations existed between the dependent variables for each network. The population consisted of 161 K-3 Tennessee teachers who had been involved in the work of one of the three networks. Participants responded to an online survey via Google …

Supporting Novice Teachers In Struggling Schools: Exploring A Mentoring Program's Components, Geneva J. Feaster

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the problem of retention for novice teachers in struggling schools. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore a mentoring program in a large school district in Louisiana. Data were collected using questionnaires derived from the teacher questionnaire of the National Teacher and Principal Survey 2015–2016 School Year, in-depth mentor and novice teacher interviews, and mentoring artifacts. Findings indicated that friendships, relationships, common planning times, modeling, feedback, reflection, and training were critical to the success of novice teachers. Additional findings revealed that the end-of-year reflection, cohesiveness, communication, and reciprocity were the most effective components of …

A Qualitative Case Study To Investigate How Educators Promote Parent Collaboration And Involvement For African American Elementary Males With Learning Disabilities, Derek E. Pierce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The disproportionate identification and achievement gap of African American students and their peers are inexhaustible. African American students continue to lag tremendously behind their Asian and Caucasian peers. There is limited research of African American students with disabilities as it relates specifically to various components of special education. To understand the narrative surrounding African American males, their achievement, and the collaboration between their parents and educators, the researcher will evaluate various components in conjunction with educators’ composition and characteristics and various parent’s attributes and behaviors. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate how educators promote parent collaboration …

Educational Achievement, Engagement, And Persistence In Choctaw Nation: A Study Of The Success Through Academic Recognition Program, Suzanne Delap

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has developed a unique initiative to support academic achievement within their tribal territory. The Success Through Academic Recognition (STAR) program is an example of an Indigenously-developed approach to supporting students from grades 2-12, with the hope of promoting achievement, persistence, and engagement. To study the STAR program, a mixed-methods approach was employed to first analyze quantitative demographic and performance data collected from a cohort of high school students from 2014 to 2018. Next, phenomenological interviews were conducted within the same cohort, to describe the lived experiences of STAR students within the Choctaw community. The database …

How 6-12th Grade Staff Support Students With Depression: A Pilot Study To Develop Measures Of Implicit Associations, Explicit Attitudes And Helping Behavior, Paul M. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with emotional disabilities are disproportionately suspended and expelled in K-12 schools. Attribution theory suggests individuals are less likely to provide assistance to others if they believe the individuals are responsible for their own difficulties. To test attribution theory, this study created new measures of explicit attitudes and implicit associations of licensed 6-12th grade staff regarding students with depression as well as a helping behavior measure of staff toward students with depression. The survey was distributed within a single school district in the western United States. A majority of the sample (N = 52) held a mental health license (60%), …

The Beliefs Literacy Specialists Hold Regarding Processes That Assist Struggling Readers With The Comprehension Of Informational Text, Marguerite Haldin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children have a basic human right to read. It is the evolving work of the reading/literacy specialists to provide support and build confidence in readers struggling in all components of reading. The purpose of this study is to explore the beliefs of reading/literacy specialists regarding the processes that assist struggling readers with the comprehension of informational text. The methods used were designed to address the research question: What are the beliefs reading/literacy specialists hold regarding processes that assist struggling readers with the comprehension of informational text? Nineteen members of a professional learning group from an intermediate unit in Southwestern Pennsylvania, …

Preservice Teachers Knowledge Of Adolescent Suicide, Annette N. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher preparation programs have a responsibility to prepare future teachers to teach

and mentor students through their academic years. With the rise of suicide in school age children, responsibility has fallen to teachers to better recognize and understand students who may be suicidal. This study sought to answer the question: to what degree does teaching certification, teaching experience, and suicide awareness embedded coursework predict preservice teachers’ knowledge of suicide awareness and prevention? Data from the Adolescent Suicide Behavior Questionnaire and a demographic survey which asked about participants’ preservice training was sent to universities and colleges in Texas with an undergraduate …

Second-Grade Students’ Perceptions Of Their Classrooms’ Physical Learning Environment, Tsitsi Nyabando

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Guided by the constructivist framework, the focus of the investigation was on second-grade students and their perceptions of their classrooms’ physical learning environment.

A qualitative multiple case study approach was employed, and data were collected through interviews, participant-generated photographs, and observations. Participants in the study were 16 second-grade students in four classrooms in three school districts in Northeast Tennessee. A physical learning environment tool, Assessing the Pillars of the Physical Environment for Academic Learning (APPEAL), developed by Evanshen and Faulk (2019) was used to select classrooms to take part in the study. The tool focuses on dimensions that help observers …

Ensuring A Holistic And Quality Education For Every Child: A Phenomenological Inquiry Of Principals’ Transformational Leadership, Elijah Granger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have not fully examined how school leaders impact the teaching and learning environment when working toward generating students’ academic success. Balyer (2012) called for more work on understanding the transformational leadership behaviors that create conditions conducive to generating student achievement within educational accountability. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological inquiry is to explore the lived experiences of principals and their perceptions concerning the state accountability system and how it may impact their transformational efforts in ensuring a holistic and quality education for every child. The phenomenological inquiry will yield the opportunity to compare administrators’ in-depth perceptions of the accountability …

Pedagogies Of Possibility : A Study Reconceptualizing The Teacher's Role In A Reggio-Inspired Urban Preschool Classroom., Christina Louise Angleton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education is an innovative and often imitated “way of being” with young children (Rinaldi, 2006). Reggio-inspired teachers enact rich pedagogical stances in their work with young children. In North American contexts, the approach is frequently associated with wealthy, suburban communities. Adopting a feminist methodology, this dissertation explores the pedagogical moves one teacher made as she enacted the identity of a Reggio teacher in an urban preschool classroom. The theoretical framework guiding this study is grounded in feminist poststructural, postmodern, and decolonization scholarship, each of which inform a movement known as Reconceptualizing Early Childhood …

A Qualitative Study Of Teacher Perceptions Of Guided Reading As An Instructional Model For Fifth-Grade Students, Codi Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the multi-case qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of Grade 5 teachers after professional development using a guided reading training model. The study district, a suburban district in South Texas, serves over 600 Grade 5 students. Four Grade 5 teachers from four elementary schools in the same school district were selected to participate. The teachers were trained in the methodology of guided reading based on the protocols and research recommendations by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell. Prior to training in the methodology of guided reading, Grade 5 teachers were not required to teach guided reading. …

Can A Latin-Based Intervention Improve Vocabulary Among Black Early Readers In The Second Grade: An Explanatory Analysis., Zwila Burks Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigated whether a relationship between learning a Latin-based intervention in elementary school and improving vocabulary skills among 2nd grade Black students in low-performing schools. Research conducted 100 years ago revealed that the implementation of a Latin-based intervention improved vocabulary and reading skills (Perkins, 1918). In 2008, the results of a national survey revealed that only 15% of public elementary schools offered foreign language instruction, while more than 50% of private schools provided foreign language instruction. By examining a Latin-based intervention, the researcher hoped to identify positive outcomes in improving vocabulary skills for second grade Black students in low-performing …

Capability Approach And Teacher Quality: An Analysis Of Female Teacher Experience In A Rural, Malawian Community, Annabelle Hardy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used the capability approach as a lens to understand teacher quality from both the perspective of educational leaders and practicing teachers in a rural community in central Malawi. The overarching question of this research study was “How can the capability approach inform our understanding of teacher quality from both the perspective of educational leaders and practicing teachers?” The focus questions to guide this research were:

1. What do national educational leaders value in a quality teacher?
2. What do rural, Malawian, female teachers value in teaching?
3. How do these teachers pursue and achieve what they value in teaching?

This study …

Urban-Ready, Willing, And Able? Collaborative Induction Experiences For New Urban Elementary Educators., Sandra Lynn Hogue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of six first year urban educators who participated in a series of multi-stakeholder induction experiences during the first semester of their first year teaching in high-need urban elementary schools. This study underscores how participation in needs-based induction experiences nurture self-efficacy and encourage teacher retention through the challenging first semester of teaching. Data for this study was collected over a four-week period of new teacher participation in a system of support that included focus group conversations, professional development sessions, documentation of experiences using PhotoVoice, and participant reflective journal entries. The research methodology that structures …

Seeing The World Differently. An Exploration Of A Professional Development Model Bridging Science And Lay Cultures, Michael D. Garrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the rationale, efficacy, and social validity of a professional development model designed to move elementary school science activities closer to the practices of working scientists as required by the United States’ “Next Generation Science Standards.” The model is culturally sensitive and aims to create experiences with high subjective task value. The formal theory of change uses scaffolding, Piagetian agency, and Vygotskian learning opportunities to argue that culturally familiar representational tasks in culturally natural intersubjective contexts can lead to work prototypical of scientific modeling under particular facilitation conditions: when participants (a) are allowed free use of their cognitive …

Characteristics Of High Quality Teachers: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Kelli Barnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the characteristics of high quality teachers. This study used a phenomenological methodology, enabling the researcher to gather information from a purposeful selection of people directly identified as high quality teachers by their principals. This study employed processes of data collection commonly used in observational analysis and included the use of interviews found in qualitative design.

The researcher was able to extract meaning using the coding process and the constant comparative method. Information was sorted into themes that supported and aligned with the research questions leading to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. This …

Kindergarten Is Not Child's Play: An Exploration Of Pedagogical Approaches Related To Learning In A Play-Based And A Contemporary Classroom At A Title I Elementary School, Karyn Allee-Herndon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is divided into three separate, related, naturalistic, quasi-experimental research studies, all using data from two kindergarten classes at Gator Elementary, a public Title I elementary school in Sunshine District in Central Florida. Each of these studies tested hypotheses that kindergarten children, especially those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, will show greater gains in receptive vocabulary, executive function, and academic achievement when purposeful play is used as a pedagogical approach than similar children in typical, contemporary kindergarten classrooms. The first study explored the effects of play-based and contemporary pedagogical approaches on students' receptive vocabulary using the PPVT-4, the second explored …

Early-Childhood Computer-Based Testing: Effects Of A Digital Literacy Intervention On Student Confidence And Performance, Benjamin-David Christopher Legrand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Early-childhood digital students grow up in a fast-evolving age of technology requiring them to use and create with technologies and demonstrate core content knowledge. Although third grade students are mandated to master a new language of standardized testing, a large percentage must also learn a language of technology to complete new computer-based tests to measure content mastery. Krashen (1982) defines high affective filter as negative emotional/motivational factors interfering with understanding and cognition. This high affective filter reduces confidence and negatively impacts measuring content mastery on new computerbased tests. Two third grade classrooms at a high-poverty metropolitan school participated in a …

A Study Of The Purpose And Value Of Recess In Elementary Schools As Perceived By Teachers And Administrators, Vickie Beard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children spend at least seven and a half hours or 46.9% of their waking hours in the school setting, which brings a unique responsibility to schools (Beighle, Erwin, Morgan, & Alderman, 2012). School systems are expected to educate children according to adopted state standards and encourage a healthy, active lifestyle. The concept then is to increase knowledge by putting focus on academic achievement as well as promoting good citizenship by developing children’s social, emotional, and physical development, which happens during recess. Yet, recess and free play opportunities are on the decline in school systems across our nation. This reduction or …

Pre-Kindergarten And Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of The Student Growth Portfolio Model In Tennessee, Amanda Pickens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this quantitative study was to discover perceptions of pre-K and kindergarten teachers within public schools in Tennessee regarding the appropriateness of the student growth portfolio model. This study explored teachers’ perceptions of the appropriateness of the math standards, English language arts standards, and the scoring guide included within the SGPM. A quantitative survey was used to understand pre-K and kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of the appropriateness of the 2017-2018 student growth portfolio model. There were 16 pre-K teachers and 51 kindergarten teachers who participated in the survey. Single sample t-tests were used to analyze responses. Research indicated that …

School Climate: A Comparison Of Teachers, Students, And Parents, James A. Jacobs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to examine the benefits of positive school climate and to measure the perceptions of school climate for intermediate grades in a Northeast Tennessee School district. An online school climate survey was used to collect responses from participants in intermediate grades and focused on the 3 major components of school climate: school engagement, school environment, and school safety. Data were collected for 2 consecutive years in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Response totals included 1,955 student responses, 116 teacher responses, and 210 parent responses that were analyzed and used for this study. Of the student totals, some students that …

A Case Study Of Teacher And Principal Perceptions Of A School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention And Supports Framework In An Urban Elementary School., Cassaundra Lynn Watkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This single site case study examined the perceptions of teachers and the principal of a persistently low achieving elementary school in a large urban school district. Using the Concern-Based-Adoption-Model (CBAM), which originated in Fuller’s (1969) study of perceptions of pre-service and practicing teachers and used by Roach, Kratochwill and Frank (2009) as a tool to ascertain support for the implementation of research-based practices, teacher and principal perceptions of the effectiveness of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) framework were examined. Interviews and document analysis were utilized to collect data and triangulate teacher and principal perceptions of obstacles and supports …