Elementary Education Commons^™

Ua1c2/82 Jones-Jaggers Hall Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images of Jones-Jaggers Hall.

Ua1c2/70 Rural Training School Photos, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Images of the Rural Training School.

Building And Maintaining Lgbtq+ Picture Book Collections, Alissa Droog, Danielle Bettridge, Alyssa R. Martin, Ashleigh Yates-Mackay

FIMS Publications

The LGBTQ+ community has had to continuously fight for their rights, including their right to be represented in the library. This toolkit provides instruction on how to develop and manage a library collection of LGBTQ+ children’s picture books. It is split into four sections that include a guide to evaluating materials, recommended picture books, a guide to fighting censorship, and a list of recommended resources.

Electronic Field Trips For Science Engagement: The Streaming Science Model, Jamie Loizzo, Mary J. Harner, Deborah J. Weitzenkamp, Kevin Kent

Southeast Research and Extension Center: Reports and Administration

While institutions of higher education work to engage PK-12 youth in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts and careers via in-person programming, PK-12 teachers and students face many logistical and access constraints for physically traveling to sites off of school grounds during the school day. Throughout the years, electronic field trips (EFTs) have offered a digital way for schools to engage in meaningful ways with museums, parks, laboratories, and field research sites. In order for EFTs to be effective, they should be cost effective and created collaboratively with teachers, students, subject matter experts, and instructional design and communication professionals. …

The Exploration Of Social Anxiety, School Relationships, And Building A Sense Of Community In The Classroom: Molding A Classroom Community., Nicole Hinton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to add a sense of community to a primary level classroom and allow students an opportunity to share their progress with peers. Having a sense of community in the classroom will help the teacher and the students build relationships and reduce the amount of stress and anxiety that students feel, which could impact student learning. This thesis explores programs that have been created to help students build social and life skills that contribute in a community. This thesis also focuses on how the students can make thesis changes within themselves rather than as a …

Parent Involvement In Contested Times: A Brief Analysis Of The Effects Of Anti-Immigrant Policies On Latinx Immigrant Parent Involvement, Maria Isabel Morales

CGU Theses & Dissertations

How do perceived community and school cultural values affect Latinx immigrant parents’ decisions to engage with their children’s schools? What lessons might their experiences have for our understanding of parent involvement beyond the parameters of traditional models of parent involvement? Engaging parents as advocates for school success in the home is particularly important for English Language Learners (ELs). Tapping into the experiences of EL parents is a resource educators can use to increase parental involvement and, consequently, student academic achievement.

This qualitative case study grounded in Critical Inquiry and Cultural Historic Activity Theory examined the perceptions and experiences of 5 …

Utilizing Journaling In The Mathematics Classroom: A Handbook Guide For Teachers, Audrey Nicole Wilson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A handbook designed for teachers to illustrate how to utilize journaling as an effective teaching practice in the mathematics classroom. This thesis was written to illuminate educators about the powerful research and proper strategies for implementing journaling in mathematics. The handbook provides three lesson plan samples using journaling in the mathematics classroom for grades 3-5, strategies and idea for implementing journaling in mathematics, and tips and activities for mathematical journaling. The goal of this handbook is to give teachers clarity, examples, guidance, and strategies on mathematical journaling.

Symmetry Is Not A Universal Law Of Beauty, Helmut Leder, Pablo Tinio, David Brieber, Tonio Kröner, Thomas Jacobsen, Raphael Rosenberg

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

Scientific disciplines as diverse as biology, physics, and psychological aesthetics regard symmetry as one of the most important principles in nature and one of the most powerful determinants of beauty. However, symmetry has a low standing in the arts and humanities. This difference in the valuation of symmetry is a remarkable illustration of the gap between the two cultures. To close this gap, we conducted an interdisciplinary, empirical study to directly demonstrate the effects of art expertise on symmetry appreciation. Two groups of art experts—artists and art historians—and a group of non-experts provided spontaneous beauty ratings of visual stimuli that …

Teachers Make The Difference: Accessing A Black Woman's Specific Funds Of Knowledge To Make A Difference In The Classroom, Morgan Goodman

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnography was to examine the elements of my personal goals and aspirations of being an elementary school teacher with the real experience of teaching students within my classroom. Through the lens of an ethnography, and grounded in the research components of culturally inclusive education and, this thesis provides a critical and needed pedagogical approach to how teachers can make a difference in the lives of their students, and in the process learn that they are really the ones being taught.

Learning Through Privilege: My Teaching And Educational Journey, Grace Birkenbeuel

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This ethnography traces my journey teaching kindergarten in the Pico Union neighborhood in Los Angeles. Its purpose is to understand the macro and micro levels of the community to inform my teaching practices and support my students and families. On a micro-level, I conducted case studies on three specific students. Data analysis of in-home interviews, personal interactions, and assessments allowed me to create action plans to best support these students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. On a macro level, I studied my students’ environments: community, school, and classroom. Attending community events, learning about my school’s mission, and reflecting on my …

The Continuous Journey, Bailey Jackson

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The following work has compiled over the course of my time spent at Claremont Graduate University. Through my time in the program I have not only developed as an educator but an individual as well. My journey began simply by looking at myself and who I am. I thought I knew who I was, but as I continued with my courses, spent more time in the classroom, and engaged in professional relationships I began to wonder. Throughout this ethnography, I will share my experiences and journey through this roller coaster year. However, as I reflect now, I can begin to …

The Case For Universal Mental Health Screening In Schools, Emily Goodman-Scott, Peg Donohue, Jennifer Betters-Bubon

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

“Be Calm, Keep Calm”: A Study Of Fourth-Grade Students’ Experiences Of High-Stakes, Marcinda Asburry

Ed.D. Dissertations

The researcher examined the experiences of fourth-grade students as they prepared for and took the TNReady assessment, which is considered a high-stakes test. The sample size consisted of three boys and two girls who attended a private school located in rural Southeastern Tennessee. Through drawing protocols, interviews, and student writings. The researcher found the boys in this study experienced more anxiety as compared to the girls when it came to preparing and taking the TNReady assessment. The researcher also found that students emphasized the role of the teacher in helping them deal with anxiety that they experienced. Research regarding how …

Teachers' And Administrators' Perceptions Of Departmentalization In Elementary Schools, Mary Day

Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine administrator and teacher perceptions of the two primary classroom organizational structures in kindergarten through second grade within a rural East Tennessee school district: 1) departmentalized and 2) self-contained. Data were collected from seven elementary schools. The number of survey respondents were: 25 kindergarten through second grade teachers and eight administrators represented a 63% return rate for teachers and an 80% return rate for administrators. This researcher determined three primary categories among the administrator and teacher responses from both organizational structures: 1) student and teacher relationships, 2) classroom transition, and 3) academic …

The Relationship Between The Supportive Principal Behavior Dimension And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy In Rural Schools, Elizabeth Lackey

Ed.D. Dissertations

Abstract

The researcher focused on the principal behavior dimensions that principals exhibited in interactions with staff members and the relationship those behaviors had on teachers’ sense of self-efficacy in rural schools. In this study, the researcher surveyed 96 rural elementary school teachers in a southeastern state to examine the relationship between the principal behavior dimensions using the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire-Revised for Elementary Schools and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy using the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale. The researcher used a Pearson r to analyze the results of three research questions related to the relationship between the supportive principal behavior dimensions …

Teacher Perspectives Of Their Implementation Of Guided Reading Instruction, Kristi Presley

Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of guided reading in the classroom and the perception teachers had related to their own self-efficacy in their implementation of guided reading instruction. Using an interpretative qualitative methodology, this researcher interviewed twelve teachers in Tennessee concerning their implementation of guided reading instruction in their classrooms. This researcher designed and utilized a Guided Reading Fidelity Checklist for the purpose of analyzing the collected data. This researcher identified misalignments regarding the fidelity of the implementation of guided reading instruction. The findings of this study demonstrate a need for teachers to have further …

The Effect Of Advanced Stem Certification On Elementary Achievement, Christopher Stotts

Ed.D. Dissertations

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education has become a panacea for many woes in our country’s educational and economic systems. Each year schools struggle with judiciously allocating their limited funds to various STEM programs in hopes that they may reap academic returns. This study examined the effect of a STEM certification from the AdvancED educational accreditation organization on elementary student achievement. The researcher analyzed extant student achievement data from twenty Georgia elementary schools that earned the AdvancED STEM certification to investigate any statistically significant difference between pre-certification and post-certification scores. The researcher analyzed scores from four content areas: English …

The Effect Of Comprehensive Instructional Program On Grades 3-8 Student Achievement, Marcia Shortt

Ed.D. Dissertations

Student achievement and the state Standards of Learning testing was a critical criterion for success for school districts, administrators, and teachers. The researcher in this study investigated the efficacy of the Comprehensive Instructional Program in improving student achievement in reading and mathematics and whether school configuration impacted student achievement. The population consisted of all students in District A in Virginia who took achievement tests in reading and math in 2012-2018. The researcher determined there was a significant difference in reading and math scores between pre‑implementation and post-implementation in grades 3-8 as measured by the Virginia Standards of Learning testing program …

Spacescape – How A Mobile Game Impact Science Learning - 2019 Presidential Research Grant Report, Sa Liu, Mina Gabriel

Harrisburg University Presidential Research Grants

This project used a laboratory trial to examine learner problem-solving in a mobile Serious Game (SG) environment designed for learning space science in middle school. It intends to understand if and how mobile game could impact learner problem-solving. To conduct the study, a team of 12 members worked together for six months on the design, development and testing the SpaceEscape mobile game for Android devices. The data was collected in a local middle school, and over 250 students participated in the study. We will share the highlights, findings, and future research in this report.

Mathematics For Whom: Reframing And Humanizing Mathematics, Cathery Yeh, Brande M. Otis

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"In this paper, we share a process in which we, as mathematics teacher educators and education researchers, have worked in collaboration with K–6 teachers and students to analyze the purported neutrality of mathematics textbook word problems and to consider ways to use mathematics to analyze social inequities in the world. In the sections that follow, we describe the framework that grounds our development of justice-oriented mathematics curriculum and share an example of how textbook analysis can serve as an entryway to investigations that raise students’ awareness of social issues while developing their power as mathematics thinkers and doers. Drawing from …

The Use Of Children's Literature And Reflective Writing As A Means To Help Primary Elementary Students Cope With Natural Disaster, Connie T. Zenz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes frequently happen across the world. Many of these natural disasters bring destruction to homes, loss of loved ones, and emotional or physical trauma. For children who are still developing coping skills, these natural disasters can bring them emotional distress because they are unable to processes their experiences in a healthy way. In a review of literature on the topic of bibliotherapy and reflective writing to help children learn coping skills, I discovered a need for these processes to be introduced in normal settings, such as school and home, to help …

An Exploration Of Integrating Visual Arts To Enhance Narrative Writing In The Elementary Classroom, Diana C. Herrera

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to integrate visual arts to enhance narrative writing. In this study I address three questions: (1) Why should educators integrate the arts in their classroom? (2) How does the content benefit the student's participation? and (3) How can we connect visual arts into narrative writing? To answer these questions, I researched several elementary teachers across the United States who have integrated the arts in their lessons. I also have researched and found multiple benefits to educators integrating the arts in their classroom. For example, a former middle school teacher used visual representation to help …

Three-Year Health-Related Fitness Knowledge Growth In One Curriculum Context: Impact Of Sociodemographic Factors, Xihe Zhu, Justin A. Haegele

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study aims to (a) examine elementary school students' health-related fitness knowledge growth under one curriculum condition and (b) examine the impacts of student/school-level factors on health-related fitness knowledge and its growth rate in physical education. Method: We used an observational, longitudinal repeated-measures design, and conducted analyses on an existing dataset. Participants were 7,479 third, fourth, and fifth graders (48.9% girls) from 152 elementary schools. Measures were a knowledge test and sex at the student level, and socioeconomic data, academic performance, and student–faculty ratio at the school level. We ran three-level hierarchical linear models on the data. Results: Fitness …

การศึกษากระบวนการพัฒนาการเรียนรู้ทางอารมณ์และสังคมสำหรับเด็กในช่วงรอยเชื่อมต่อทางการศึกษาจากชั้นเรียนอนุบาลสู่ชั้นเรียนประถมศึกษาปีที่ 1, รัตนมน เกษจุฬาศรีโรจน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยแบบผสมนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อ (1) ศึกษาสภาพการจัดกระบวนการพัฒนาการเรียนรู้ทางอารมณ์และสังคมสำหรับเด็กในช่วงรอยเชื่อมต่อจากชั้นเรียนอนุบาลสู่ชั้นเรียนประถมศึกษาปีที่ 1 ของโรงเรียน 4 สังกัด ในเขตกรุงเทพมหานคร และ(2) เพื่อเปรียบเทียบสภาพการจัดกระบวนการพัฒนาการเรียนรู้ทางอารมณ์และสังคมสำหรับเด็กในช่วงรอยเชื่อมต่อจากชั้นเรียนอนุบาลสู่ชั้นเรียนประถมศึกษาปีที่ 1 ของโรงเรียน 4 สังกัด ในเขตกรุงเทพมหานคร ตัวอย่างในการศึกษาวิจัย ได้แก่ ครูระดับชั้นประถมศึกษาปีที่ 1 ของโรงเรียนทั้ง 4 สังกัด ในเขตกรุงเทพมหานคร รวมทั้งสิ้น 302 คน เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในการเก็บข้อมูล ได้แก่ (1) แบบสำรวจการปฏิบัติเพื่อส่งเสริมการเรียนรู้ทางอารมณ์และสังคมสำหรับเด็กประถมศึกษา และ(2) แบบสัมภาษณ์ครูเกี่ยวกับแนวทางการส่งเสริมการเรียนรู้ทางอารมณ์และสังคมสำหรับเด็กประถมศึกษา ผลการวิจัยพบว่า ครูมีการปฏิบัติงานที่ส่งเสริมกระบวนการพัฒนาการเรียนรู้ทางอารมณ์และสังคมด้านการสร้างปฏิสัมพันธ์ระหว่างครูกับเด็กอยู่ในระดับ มากที่สุด (M = 4.54, SD = 0.39) รองลงมาคือด้านการสังเกตพฤติกรรมและประเมินผลการเรียนรู้ของเด็ก (M = 4.42, SD = 0.47) ด้านการชี้แนะโดยตรงเพื่อช่วยให้เด็กเกิดการเรียนรู้และการปรับตัว (M = 4.41, SD = 0.39) และด้านการเป็นแบบอย่างในการประพฤติตนสำหรับเด็ก (M = 4.28, SD = 0.36) อยู่ในระดับมาก และครูมีปฏิบัติงานที่ส่งเสริมกระบวนการพัฒนาการเรียนรู้ทางอารมณ์และสังคม ด้านการจัดบรรยากาศการเรียนรู้ที่เอื้อให้เด็กเกิดการเรียนรู้อย่างอิสระน้อยที่สุด (M = 4.03, SD = 0.44)

Juxtaposing Primary- And Intermediate-Elementary Trade Books’ Historical Representation Of Amelia Earhart, Rachael A. Burkhardt

Masters Theses

Amelia Earhart can be used in the classroom not only to interest students but can also be used to cover Common Core State Standards (CCSS), National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) framework, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). When teaching Amelia Earhart, textbooks, trade books, and primary sources can be used, however one must be careful with the misrepresentations each resource can portray. To look at what is misrepresented, omitted, and included within primary and intermediate grade level trade books, 32 books were scrutinized. The trade books being analyzed were found to have some historically representative and misrepresentative elements …

The Historical Representation Of Abraham Lincoln Within Trade Books Written Between The Time Frame Of 1930 And 1970, Emily Griswell

Masters Theses

As educators learn to amend to the Common Core State Standards, they are left with little-to-no time for subjects like science and social studies as the focus is primarily on reading and English language arts. History is slowly becoming a background routine for educators and is falling behind centerfold curriculum in classrooms across the country. This is inclusive of the studies of individuals who helped shape our country and nation. This study analyzes a data sample of 11 children and young adult literature trade books about Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth president, in search of patterns and common representations. Within the …

Implementing Reading Strategies With Ell Elementary Students, Nelofar Khamisani

Masters Theses

This study shows the challenges the English Language Learners face in learning reading at the Elementary level; implementing reading strategies for them; and choosing effective strategies for the students to learn reading more easily. The findings of the study show that teachers use different strategies according to the language proficiency level of the students. ELL students face challenges in communication, pronunciation, sound recognition, and vocabulary. As a strategy to overcome these challenges, the teachers emphasize learning phonics and vocabulary. Observations of three teachers in three mainstream classrooms show that teachers implement nearly similar strategies for teaching phonics and vocabulary. The …

Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching In Elementary Pre-Service Teacher Training, Jason Proctor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

I

It was unclear how the teacher education curriculum at a regional university in the south central region of the United States developed mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) in prospective elementary teachers. Understanding how MKT develops during teacher training is important because MKT has been linked to student achievement. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to examine how prospective elementary teachers' MKT developed while enrolled in a math and science strategies course. Guided by Ball et al.'s MKT framework and Silverman and Thompson's development of this framework, this study investigated changes in prospective teachers' MKT levels …

Perceptions Of Coping Strategies Of Young Adults Who Were Bullied As Youth, Latonya Rainwater

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Victims of childhood bullying often use passive coping strategies and experience depression, substance abuse use, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine adults' lived experiences of coping methods they used as victims of bullies during adolescence. Lazarus and Folkman's transactional theory of stress and coping provided the framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 young adults who were bullied as adolescents. Coding analysis indicated 7 emerging themes for coping: confrontation, self-controlling, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, escape-avoidance, problem-solving, and positive reappraisal. Participants reported that some coping methods were perceived as …

Supporting The Development Of Upper Elementary School Students’ Online Research And Comprehension Skills Through A Reframed Guided Reading Framework, Jennifer Van Allen, Vassiliki Zygouris-Coe

Publications and Research

Today’s students are increasingly required to use skills when conducting online research for academic purposes. However, students may be unable to transfer their reading skills with printed texts to reading online texts in upper grades and beyond. Strategic actions required for online research are extended to account for the unique, complex reading environment of the Internet as readers locate, navigate, evaluate, and synthesize information across multimodal sources. The guided reading framework, a popular instructional framework that is widely adopted in U.S. elementary schools, lends itself to supporting students’ use of strategic actions as they conduct online research. Informed by theory …