Elementary Education Commons^™

Status Of Women In Nevada: K-12 Education Snapshot, Aika Dietz, Ana Rosas, Brenda Cruz Gomez, Caryll Batt Dziedziak, Jean Munson

Research Briefs

There has been a sudden increase in Nevada K-12 student population since 2003 ballooning student-teaching ratio and straining the educational system.

The Fresno State Transportation Challenge, Christian Wandeler, Steven Hart

Mineta Transportation Institute

The goal of the “Fresno State Transportation Challenge” was outreach to schools and community engagement, to provide K-8 students opportunities to learn about transportation and transportation-related careers, and to practice 21st century skills by solving a transportation-related issue in their community. Through the pedagogical frameworks of action civics and eduScrum (a method to facilitate self-managed teamwork with a visual board), teachers and students worked on solving issues in their community. They learned design thinking to identify issues and develop solutions while using eduScrum to manage their work. University students from transportation engineering visited the schools regularly to support the K-8 …

Assisting Children With Velocardiofacial Syndrome Who Have Developmental Disabilities And Delays Associated With Speech, Communication, And Education, Mckenzie K. Holty

Honors Thesis

Children with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) have a variety of complex needs. Research shows that VCFS is characterized by a combination of medical problems, developmental delays, and learning disabilities, which vary from child to child. This syndrome also puts adolescents at a higher risk for developing psychiatric and psychotic disorders. The complexity of symptoms that can arise from VCFS can influence the ability of these children to communicate, socialize, and learn effectively. This literature review aims to discuss literature for caregivers, educators, and physicians to aid children effectively and understand their challenges relating to speech, communication, and education. This topic is …

Book Review: Thinking Tools For Young Readers And Writers, Jennifer Steil

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Abstract:

This article offers a book review of Thinking Tools for Young Readers & Writers (2018), by Carol Booth Olson, Angie Balius, Emily McCourtney, and Mary Widtmann. The book presents the cognitive strategies tool kit, which includes strategies such as: planning, goal setting, tapping prior knowledge, asking questions, making predictions, making connections, summarizing, inferencing, forming interpretations, adopting an alignment, monitoring, and clarifying. The teachers share lessons for how they teach these strategies to students in their various grade levels. For each lesson, the authors include research, connections to Common Core State Standards, and examples of classroom lessons putting …

The Beliefs And Practices Of Second Grade Teachers Who Implement Independent Reading And Its Effect On Students’ Reading Achievement And Reading Volume, Lauren R. Brannan, R Burke Johnson, Rebecca M. Giles, Andrea M. Kent

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

The purpose of the present study was to explore the beliefs and practices of teachers who implement independent reading in their classrooms. Results showed that teachers who implemented independent reading believed in the importance of both the quantity and quality of student reading. The teachers’ practices of independent reading showed students selecting books that were “just-right” for them to read, social experiences around reading, guided practice through reading conferences with the teacher, and setting a purpose for reading through response activities. A nonexperimental comparative design was used to examine the effects of independent reading on reading volume and reading achievement. …

Developing Strategic Learners: Supporting Self-Efficacy Through Goal Setting And Reflection, Zoi A. Traga Philippakos

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

When students face academic challenges, when they receive poor grades on a subject, and when they see unchanged performance -even though they put effort on a task- they often develop the belief that they are not capable of overcoming challenges. Continuous underperformance affects students’ self-efficacy and belief that success is an achievable goal. The purpose of this paper is to explain the process of goal setting with continuous reflection to support students’ writing growth and persistence. The paper further comments on teachers’ goal setting for instructional and professional goals in order to support their instructional delivery and their growth as …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of A Social Emotional Learning Program On Transient Students’ Competencies And Perceptions Of School Climate, Kevin W. Nanney

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

With the passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (2016), schools are now expected to assess more than just the academic achievement of their student body. While states can choose how they meet this expectation, many choose to focus on school climate. This change is important because, while crime in schools has gone down, feelings of being unsafe or bullied have gone up. To support schools in both assessing and improving their student’s perception of safety, schools have the opportunity to use social and emotional learning to improve measures of school climate, which provides indicators of student perceptions of the …

“A Lot Of Stories In My Mind”: Perspectives Of Children And Elders Living With Dementia On Intergenerational Collaboration In A Participatory Music Project, Cameron Dusman

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Trends of music engagement include a shift towards presentational music culture, as well as inequitable access to participatory music-making for some populations. Meanwhile, trends of societal engagement include ageism and age-segregation. Especially for people living with dementia, stigma often prevents equitable access to creative participatory arts. This convergent, mixed-methods case study design explored participation in an intergenerational, participatory creative arts project. Participants included children from an elementary school and senior adults with dementia in a memory care neighborhood. The purpose was to explore the meaning of participation and interaction in the project from participants’ perspectives. Participants collaborated in eight sessions …

Midline Movement: The Positive Effects On Student Behavior In A Kindergarten Classroom, Ashley Ludlow

Education | Master's Theses

Educators are realizing the unrealistic expectations on students to be quiet and sit still for extended periods of their day (Donnelly & Lambourne, 2011). Some educational advocates have been reintroducing movement into the school day in response to research that indicates the importance of extracurricular activities on developing the whole child (Hannaford, 1995). Movement, connection, touch, play, and creative endeavors have been shown to be critical components to teaching students to be well-rounded individuals (Hannaford, 1995). This study explores how movements and activities that cross the midline affect a student's focus and ability to learn in the classroom. Cultivating an …

Community Building In The Classroom To Support Students Dealing With Trauma, Kelcey Scannell

Education | Master's Theses

Unfortunately, many students enter school each day carrying the effects of traumatic experiences with them and many times teachers are the ones given the daunting task of supporting these students. Some schools lack the ability to provide counseling to students, but many schools have been able to adopt special programs to help students with their social emotional needs. Other schools do not have counselors, and do not have the ability to implement these programs for reasons, such as cost. Through this study, the researcher hoped to understand what teachers can independently do in their classrooms to help support their students’ …

Art Therapy, Mass Media And Self-Acceptance With Adolescents: A Literature Review, Samantha Leary

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature reviews provides a synopsis of art therapy its potential benefits in combating negative effects associated with social media and adolescents’ sense of self-acceptance. Using art therapy as a mode of self-expression is found to help negate negative effects of social media and provide adolescents with healthy tools to help them develop and grow. Social media provides a wealth of information that can be detrimental to the emotional growth of young adults. In this literature review lack of face to face connection, idealized beauty standards, instant gratification and social comparisons are correlated to depressive symptoms in adolescents. Through the …

Retaining The Power To Teach And Advocate In The Era Of "Reform", David Aram Wilson, David Aram Wilson

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This qualitative, multi-case study investigates veteran, dual-language teachers in urban elementary schools in the Southwest United States and how these teachers manage to continue teaching despite education “reforms” that have contributed to increased attrition among their peers. Each participant contributed qualitative data through a narrative questionnaire, two interviews, two focus groups., and physical artifacts. Coding and analysis of each case was inductive and involved the identification of patterns and themes that emerged from the data. A cross-case analysis was conducted. Modern Critical Theory served as the theoretical lens.

Teachers as advocates for their students’ cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic well-being emerged …

Exploring Critical Hope And Agency Through Photovoice, Jenae Casalnuovo

Education | Master's Theses

There have been multiple studies including youth in participatory action research, and specifically photovoice projects (Wang, 2006). However, little research has been done connecting youth participatory action research to students’ hope and sense of agency. There is also a lack of existing studies that assess young students’ critical awareness of how social power operates in our culture and in their lives (Christens, Byrd, Peterson, & Lardier, 2018).

Photovoice methodology provided eight of my fourth- and fifth-grade students in northern California – most of whom live in a predominantly Latinx neighborhood in socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances, situated within a predominantly white and …

Videovoice Perspectives Of Beginning Band Students At Home, James Hamalainen

Education | Master's Theses

Research exploring the home music experience of beginning band students shows that a high level of support is critical during the first years of studying an instrument. However, school music programs continue to experience a significant dropout rate in the first few years of study. Much of the current research has been focused on the home music environment as well as the behaviors and strategies of the student. Despite the considerable size of this body of research, it lacks student perspective, as well as the emergence of remote learning resources. This study was designed to examine the beginning band students’ …

Using Mindfulness Techniques In Elementary Schools: Training For Staff, Mariah Linnell

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Mindfulness is a state of mind focused on drawing attention to what is happening in the present moment. Students at all levels, whether it be elementary, middle, or high school can experience numerous academic, personal and social, and behavioral benefits from practicing mindfulness. The training presented in this project will address the need for elementary school staff to be using mindfulness techniques when working with the diverse range of students. The objective is that this training will result in the education of school staff on mindfulness and how to effectively implement these techniques with students, which will have a positive …

Summer Literacy Academy: Evaluating The Impact Of Supports, Book Choice, Incentives, And A Focused, Literacy-Based Summer Learning Program On Reading Outcomes For Rural, Middle School Students, Kathrina Oconnell

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This research explores the effect of the equitable provision of resources and a literacy-focused curriculum on summer learning loss for middle-school students. Using the faucet theory, this mixed methods sequential exploratory study was designed to provide school-year resources during the summer months, for students in grades five through eight, in a rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged school district. Transportation, breakfast, lunch, books, and a literacy-focused enrichment program were provided for all students, and book choice and attendance prizes were used to increase student motivation. The pragmatic approach of the study incorporated both quantitative (e.g., literacy outputs, registration, attendance data, reading observations, and …

Better Serving Students In Foster Care In The Classroom, Emily P. Cihon

Honors Projects

Within this work, I utilize research to educate current and future teachers on the inner-workings of the foster care system and how to utilize this information to inform teaching and better serve students in foster care in the classroom. Through surveying preservice teachers I located common questions about the topic such as reasons for the increase in the number of children in foster care, grounds for removing children from their homes, moving them through hearings, and finding placements, guardians, and advocates. I had the opportunity to learn from and interview foster care alumni and advocates who work within the foster …

"Turn Up The Music!", Caitlyn M. Hinnerschitz, Catherine Scott

Honors Theses

The elementary school classroom provides unique opportunities for teachers to engage students in STEM thinking, using both scientific content and innovative thinking. In today’s world, educators spend time determining how to both conserve resources when engaging students in hands-on experiences, while still bringing relevant experiences into their lessons. In this lesson, we examine the ways that teachers can address student interests in music and technology through an engineering lesson focusing on amplification of sound and recycled materials

Student Perceptions Of The Color Clip Chart Behavior Management System, Elizabeth Alex Poole

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

The color clip chart behavior management system is a classroom staple for many teachers, as it is a simple, quick and effective way to address problematic behavior. But how do students feel about the clip chart? The purpose of this study was to observe and understand student perceptions of the public clip chart method, and to see whether or not student perceptions of the clip chart change when the public aspect is taken away, and a hidden chart is implemented. This study took place in a second-grade classroom composed of 18 regular education students, three English Language Learners, and two …

Math Talks: Focusing On Student Thought In A Second-Grade Classroom, Jessica Parsons

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Math metacognition is on the rise. There is an increase in focusing student thought on the process of computation and problem solving. This study examined what happened when math talks were conducted in a general education second-grade classroom and if students’ perceptions of math changed after they participated in math talks. The researcher’s purpose was to more fully understand students’ thoughts related to math. The data was collected through student interviews, student surveys, and researcher observational field notes. Then, the data was analyzed through coding using the constant comparative method and frequency counts. The main themes to emerge from the …

Further Investigation: A Daily Inquiry Practice In The Elementary Classroom, Cyanna Gonzales

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Researchers have shown that many students lack problem-solving skills. This deficit can be addressed through the implementation of inquiry-based learning. However, many teachers lack expertise in this area. The purpose of this study was to address both issues with a newly created inquiry practice called Further Investigation time, or FI time. The researcher studied what happened when this practice was implemented in a second-grade, self-contained classroom. In addition, student and teacher perceptions of the FI time were studied. Data was collected through the use of observational head notes, student surveys, and individual teacher and student interviews. Qualitative data was analyzed …

Pointless Or Profitable? Perceptions Of Proactive Circles In A Second-Grade Classroom, Jordyn Arendse

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Teachers are plagued with the unfortunate concept of “never enough time” in the classroom, trying to balance meeting the needs of the whole child and meeting the requirements of higher authority. The purpose of this study was to identify student and teacher perceptions of proactive circle and its impact on relationships, as well as its impact on students’ ability to appropriately express their feelings and emotions. The study took place in a second-grade classroom with seventeen students and one classroom teacher. Data was collected through surveys, sociograms, interviews, and field notes. Qualitative data was coded using the constant comparative method, …

Reader Self-Perceptions And Map Reading Scores: Is There A Relationship?, Acacia Browne

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Academic growth of all students should be the focus of education. The Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment measures academic growth and aligns to state standards. The purpose of this study was to understand students’ perceptions of themselves as readers. Another purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between reader self perceptions and their MAP reading scores. Student data was collected through individual interviews, student surveys, and MAP reading assessment scores. The major themes developed from the data were reading preferences, perceptions of reading assessment, reading at school, reading at home, and reading progress perceptions. …

Implementing Writers’ Workshop Into The Special Education Classroom, Taylor Denning

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Writers’ Workshop has developed prominence as a method towards providing authentic writing experiences. The purpose of this study was to determine what happens to student perceptions and quantity of writing when Writers’ Workshop is implemented into a special education setting. This study took place in a self-contained special education classroom of third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders. Data was collected through focus group interviews with the teachers, focus groups with two students from every grade, perception surveys, and writing samples.

Surveys and focus group interviews were completed before and after the implementation. Writing samples were collected at the beginning, middle, and end …

Little Girl In The Country: A Children's Book, Holly Mcginnis

Honors Theses

A Work of Children’s Literature to Address Realities of Childhood in the Southern United States

This thesis investigated the intersection of life’s realities and children’s literature. Representation is an oft-talked-about area of children’s literature. It is coming to light that many groups are underrepresented in writings for children, and recent works are attempting to broaden the types and backgrounds of characters to represent the diversity of readers and authors. This thesis is the author’s attempt to accurately represent the types of students she encountered in student teaching experiences in the Oxford-area. Using inspiration from her own childhood and knowledge of …

Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports, Meredith George

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the history, characteristics, and efficacy of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a substitution for traditional exclusionary discipline practices in response to negative and disruptive behavior in schools. Disruptive behavior is a significant concern for classroom teachers; effective solutions for minimizing disruptions are necessary to curb teacher burnout and improve attrition rates. PBIS relates to an implementation framework as opposed to a singular behavior program, therefore schools have a multitude of intervention options when adopting a PBIS approach to behavior. Three PBIS strategies (restorative circles, token economy, self-monitoring of performance) are …

The Influence Of Visually Rich Technology On The Writing Process Of Elementary Students, Mikala Thomas, Drew Polly

Journal of Practitioner Research

This teacher inquiry project, conducted by an undergraduate teacher candidate with support from a faculty member, explored the use of visually rich technology and its influence on elementary school students’ motivation and learning outcomes in writing. Students used visually rich technology as part of the writing process. We found that when students used technology to support the writing process they showed incremental gains in motivation as well as gains in student learning outcomes. Implications for practitioners highlight a need for teachers to consider how visually rich technology can support students’ aspects of the writing process as well as development in …

Implementing An Enriched Language Development Program For Learning Support Students, Alicia Smail, Linda Kucan

Journal of Practitioner Research

This article describes how middle school students who qualified for learning support performed in an enhanced language development program known as Word Generation (WG). Word Generation is a cross-curricular language development program designed to improve students’ overall literacy skills by focusing on deepening students’ knowledge of academic language. This study was guided by the following question: How does an enhanced language development program influence students’ vocabulary learning and broader literacy skills? Students demonstrated statistically significant positive differences on the pretest/posttest vocabulary knowledge assessment and maintained that learning on a delayed posttest. Engagement with the WG materials positively influenced students’ abilities …

“Bad Inquiry”: How Accountability, Power, And Deficit Thinking Hinder Pre-Service Practitioner Inquiry, Stephanie Schroeder

Journal of Practitioner Research

This study of 30 pre-service teachers’ practitioner inquiry papers explores potential pitfalls of practicing inquiry with pre-service teachers. Focusing on the types of questions pre-service teachers ask about student learning, the challenges they face when engaging in inquiry, and the weaknesses of their inquiry products, this paper finds that accountability culture in education, pre-service teachers’ lack of power in the classroom, and deficit thinking left unchallenged by instructors led to weak inquiries. Implications include the need for teacher educators to work with mentor teachers across university and K-12 boundaries, and the need to teach explicitly about the power inquiry holds …

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, …