Elementary Education Commons^™

Identifying School-Wide Inequities: Action Research Conducted Using An Equity Audit To Inform Annual School Planning For A Pre-K–8 School, Janine Casella

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study aims to identify and address equity gaps within a PK-8 New Jersey school by leading a professional learning community (PLC). The study will use action research methods to conduct an educational equity audit, which will inform the annual school plan and create a leadership action plan to stimulate organizational change. Traditionally, teachers at the research site have used Data-Driven Decision Making (DDDM) cycles, but this study will integrate Critical Data-Driven Decision Making (CDDDM) cycles, including an equity audit analyzed in PLCs. The audit will identify patterns of inequity and identify strategies to address them. The study …

Human Capital At Home: Evidence From A Randomized Evaluation In The Philippines, Noam Angrist, Sarah Kabay, Dean S. Karlan, Lincoln Lau, Kevin M. Wong

Education Division Scholarship

Children spend most of their time at home in their early years, yet efforts to promote human capital at home in many low- and middle-income settings remain limited. We conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate an intervention which encourages parents and caregivers to foster human capital accumulation among their children between ages 3 and 5, with a focus on math and phonics skills. Children gain 0.52 and 0.51 standard deviations relative to the control group on math and phonics tests, respectively (p<0.001). A year later effects persist, but math gains dissipate to 0.15 (p=0.06) and phonics to 0.13 (p=0.12). Effects appear to be mediated largely through instructional support by parents and not other parent investment mechanisms, such as more positive parent-child interactions or additional time spent on education at home beyond the intervention. Our results show that parents can be effective conduits of educational instruction even in low-resource settings.

Exploring The Practiced Values Of Asta Brata Leadership Style: A Phenomenological Study, Basilius Redan Werang Brw, Anak Agung Gede Agung Aaga, Ni Luh Gede Erni Sulindawati Nlges, I Gusti Agung Ayu Wulandari Igaaw, Anak Agung Putri Sri Aaps, Sandra Ingried Asaloei, Jiang-Bang Deng Jbd

The Qualitative Report

In the ever-evolving landscape of today's world, the realm of leadership finds itself confronted with a tapestry of intricate challenges, each thread contributing to the fabric of modern leadership style dilemmas. In this study, we aimed to explore the integrated values of Asta Brata’s leadership style within the leadership practices of school principals in Bali Provinces, Indonesia. We employed a phenomenological research design and interviewed a cohort of 50 principals from various elementary schools. We subjected the obtained data to thematic analysis and determined four themes: harmony, transformative inclusivity, professional integrity, and moral responsibility. The findings of this study not …

Ucf Pegasus Plan - 4th Grade - Florida Native American Tribes, Omaris A. Millet, Lillian Holtery, Rebekah Anderson, Riley Ramsey

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

During this unit, students will learn about Native American tribes in Florida. To enhance student knowledge, teachers will either facilitate a virtual tour of the “First Peoples” Exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Center that was created by the pre-service teacher authors or organize a First Floridians field trip to the Orange County Regional History for their students. Using a variety of reading materials and resources, students will explore and compare various cultural aspects of the Timucua, Calusa, and Seminole tribes. As a culminating activity, students will apply their new knowledge of Native Floridians by creating roleplay presentations in …

Inquiry Into Equity Practice In A “White Space”: Student-Led Discussions And Academic Discourse, Caran Mullins

Journal of Practitioner Research

In this study I used teacher inquiry to explore how to better engage my Black and Brown elementary students in student led discussions that could enhance academic discourse. The research questions driving my work emerged at the intersection of my beliefs and commitment to creating an equitable learning environment. Specifically, I wanted to know: (1) How do I scaffold my minority students to increased participation in academic discourse?, (2) How might these scaffolds support their development of metacognition, reading comprehension, and deeper critical thinking?, And (3) How do these scaffolds contribute to student feelings about their voice and place in …

The Impact Of Early Teacher Bias And Academic Risk On Children’S Current And Future Academic Achievement, Damira S. Rasheed

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The racial academic achievement gap continues to plague child academic outcomes in American public schools and teacher bias may be a contributing factor. Through the theoretical lens of critical race theory and the cultural synchrony hypothesis, this study contemplated how longstanding racism in the US may function to hinder the academic achievement outcomes of minority-race children. Moreover, cultural mismatches in the classroom between teachers and students may be associated with lower quality teacher-child relationships and perceived academic risk. A growing body of work has examined the association between teacher bias and child academic-risk factors—with risk defined by children’s sociodemographic characteristics …

Play In The Undercommons: The Transformative Power Of Fugitive Practice In A Multiracial, International Teacher Inquiry Collective, Kushya Sugarman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Though scholars have begun to position youth’s fugitivity, refusal, and disengagement as logical responses to hostile environments, and as part of a larger legacy of Black speculative planning and action, most teachers do not. Elementary teachers, especially in urban contexts, notoriously struggle with “classroom management” and teachers across contexts cite behavior challenges, such as “disruptive” behavior, as the number one challenge facing our schools. In fact, up to 50% of novice teachers leave the profession in the first five years due to students’ behaviors. This dissertation interrogates the common trope of the wayward student who must be controlled. I consider …

Is Science For All An Elusive Goal? Disparities In U.S. Science Education, David Devraj Kumar, John L. Pecore

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

An examination of published reports on Free or Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) regarding Per Pupil Spending, Technology Resources, Science Course Offerings, and Race and Ethnicity Distribution in FRPL Groups shows that science for all remains an elusive goal in the United States. Science for all requires long-term solutions, including adequate fiscal resources for high FRPL quartile schools and effective policies to ensure quality science learning experiences for low-income students. Teachers in high FRPL schools need access to high-quality instructional resources, technology tools, and effective strategies to engage students in science learning. Schools should invest in technology tools like virtual reality and …

Exploring The Post-Covid Lived Experiences Of Parents Of Middle School Children Who Continued Learning In Online Modality: A Phenomenological Study, Gladys Ode Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study employed a hermeneutic phenomenology approach to explore the lived experiences of working parents of school children who transitioned to and continued online learning during and post-pandemic. Twelve parents were selected using criterion and snowball sampling methods, with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory guiding the study framework. Existing literature highlighted challenges faced by parents and schools during the pandemic, such as balancing work and children’s education, connectivity issues, and dissatisfaction with school support and communication. Analysis of interview data revealed that despite ongoing concerns, parents successfully adapted to managing work and online education responsibilities. They reported satisfaction with their children’s …

Elementary Teachers’ Experiences Supporting Struggling Readers Within Social Studies, Kelly Pizani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Success in social studies is imperative, as civic literacy skills are used by students to become critical consumers of information and support making informed decisions. The problem is that teachers are making instructional shifts to support literacy performance and provide instruction for struggling readers in third and fourth grade to read, comprehend, and apply social studies disciplinary literacy skills within social studies text-based sources, but lack the appropriate preparation and support to effectively meet the needs of their students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore third and fourth-grade teachers’ experiences supporting struggling readers to read, comprehend, …

Co-Teaching In The Classroom: Perceptions Of The Student Teacher, Classroom Teacher, And Students, Allison Nicole Dale

Journal of Practitioner Research

Co-teaching, where the clinical teacher and classroom teacher teach using different models, has become widely used in clinical teaching placements. This action research study, conducted in a second-grade classroom, had two purposes: to learn teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards co-teaching, and how different co-teaching models were used in different content areas. Through collecting surveys, interviewing students and the classroom teacher, and composing journal entries, qualitative data was analyzed to find common themes that emerged, while quantitative data from the surveys was calculated to find the mean and mode. The study found that co-teaching enriched the learning experience and provided more …

Chatgpt Can Write My Class Assignments, Right?: A Guided Classroom Activity For Teaching The Strengths And Weaknesses Of Generative-Ai Tools, Dr. Peter J. Kalenda Assistant Professor, Elementary Science & Math, School Of Education

Artificial Intelligence, 2024-25

This module is designed to support your undergraduate or graduate students with developing an understanding of:

• How to use generative-AI tools, like ChatGPT,
• The strengths and weaknesses of generative-AI tools for completing different tasks,
• How to design and revise a classroom presentation that is aligned with course topics and objectives by using generative-AI tools as a resource, and
• How to engage in prompt engineering and prompt revision for generative-AI tools.

Your students are being tasked with creating an engaging presentation they will deliver to their peers that aligns with the topics and learning objectives of your course. However, they will …

The State Of Elementary School Recess In Georgia: Policy, The Pandemic, And Patterns Of Play, Karyn A. Alee, Erica Decuir, Dawn M. Robinson

Education Faculty Publications

While we continue to see a growing push for the restoration and codification of recess in elementary schools, policy does not necessarily equal practice. Georgia recently passed legislation requiring at least 20 minutes of recess per day for students in PK-5. The purpose of this research study was to survey elementary school educators to reveal the temporal (i.e., duration, frequency, and cancellation practices) and descriptive (i.e., type, equipment, place) characteristics of recess in Georgia’s public elementary schools. The results of this study, which can be summed up statistically and descriptively as less recess overall, and less free play specifically, as …

Diverse Book Finders: Diversifying A Children’S Picture Book Collection By Integrating Acquisitions Into A Classroom Experience, Mitchell Scott, Melanie E. Hughes, Niyetta Williams-Hill, Cathy Johnson

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Two recent trends in collection development include finding new ways to bring patron voices into collection development and developing strategies for increasing the diversity and representation within collections. Indiana University Southeast (IU Southeast) Library recently developed a project that combined these two strategic directions by embedding an acquisition experience that used students enrolled in a sophomore block elementary education course to use the Diverse Book Finder (DBF) to select diverse picture books for the IU Southeast collection. While diversification strategies and projects around children’s picture book collections in academic libraries are nothing new, IU Southeast’s project is unique in its …

Teacher Implementation Profiles: A Response To Top-Down Mandate Of Movement Integration, Zack Beddoes, Jeanne Barcelona, Darla Castelli

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

This study examined teacher implementation practices to meet a state mandate requiring 135 minutes of student physical activity (PA) weekly. Teachers were required to implement a video-based movement integration (MI) program. Using an embedded mixed-methods design, provider characteristics of 42 teachers and the organizational capacity of six schools were developed from interviews, surveys, observations, and artifacts. Data analysis revealed three teacher profiles (a) Dynamic Experientialists, (b) Coachable Constructivists, and (c) Cautious Behaviorists, and three school profiles (a) Whole Child Approach, (b) Grade Level Champions, and (c) Back to Basics. Findings suggest that school, teacher, …

The Effect Of An Instructional Strategy Based On The Writing Processes On Improving Some Writing Skills Of Ninth Grade Students فاعليّة إّستراتيجيةّ تّدريسيّة مّستندة إّلىّ عمليّات اّلتّعبير اّلكتابيّ فّي تّحسين بّعضّّ المهارت اّلكتابيّة لدى طلبة الصّف اّلتاسع اّلأساسيّّّ, عبد الكريم سليم الحداد

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Education and Psychology

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using the writing processes on improving the performance of ninth grade students in some writing skills. To answer the questions of the study, a 175 ninth grade students was selected, A strategy based on writing processes approach, and a writing test were implemented. The results of the study indicated that, there was a significant difference in writing skills (p≤ 0.05) that can be attributed to the strategy based the writing process approach, and to the male students, no significant differences attributed to the interaction between the strategy used and …

The Effect Of Deep Learning Strategies On Strategic Thinking And Life Efficiency Skills, And The Desire To Learn Among Students Of The Fifth Scientific Students In Mathematic أثر استراتيجيات التعلم العميق في التفكير الاستراتيجي ومهارت فعالية الحياة والرغبة في التعلم عند طلاب الخامس العلمي في مادة الرياضيات, Salwa Mohsen Hamad

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Education and Psychology

The aim of the research is to know the effect of deep learning strategies on strategic thinking, life-effectiveness skills and the desire to learn among students of the fifth science in the subject of mathematics. To verify the goal of the research, three hypotheses were formulated. The research sample consisted of (64) students, randomly selected, and distributed to two groups (31) control students, (33) experimental groups, and equivalence between them was performed with a number of variables. The researcher prepared a strategic thinking test, a measure of life effectiveness skills, and the psychometric characteristics of the research tools were verified. …

Interactions With New-To-Teacher Language Resources: Supporting Translingual Composing In A Multilingual Elementary Classroom, Lindsey W. Rowe

Publications

Educators should support multilingual students’ translingual writing. However, it can be challenging for teachers to support students’ composing in languages that teachers do not speak. Drawing on a community translanguaging lens, this paper explores this issue by asking: How did teachers talk about and interact with language resources that were new to them while supporting translingual writing in an English-medium classroom? Data were collected using ethnographic and practitioner research methods across 1 year in one second-grade writing workshop in the U.S. Students spoke Spanish, Korean, French, Tagalog, or English, and classroom teachers spoke English and Spanish. Data analysis first involved …

Educators’ Perspectives Of Science Instruction In Title I Elementary Schools To Improve Achievement, Sidonye Maria Coaxum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that students in upper elementary at four Title I elementary schools did not meet district achievement standards in science for four consecutive years, which could impede their educational and employment futures. Little is known how teachers in these elementary grades taught science content to improve student achievement. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore five upper elementary educators’ perspectives of science instruction to improve achievement in Title I elementary schools in a southeastern state. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was a three-dimension concept of science, including scientific and …

An Examination Of The Influences Of Critical Thinking Tasks On Mathematics Instruction: A Qualitative Study, Glen E. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study will be to understand the mathematics critical thinking process for teachers in primary education in northern Virginia. The theory guiding this study is Kolb’s experiential learning theory, which applies to critical thinking processes. The central research question will be: What are the experiences of primary mathematics teachers implementing critical thinking? This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study aims to determine the influences of critical thinking tasks on planning and instruction. Using qualified participants from northern Virginia, this study will collect data through interviews, a focus group, and document analysis. After data collection, the data will be …

Teacher's Experiences Of The Response To Intervention Model Implementation In State-Ranked New Jersey Schools: A Qualitative Case Study, Kimberly Myers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to discover and describe teachers’ experiences of RTI implementation for kindergarten through grade five general education teachers at state-ranked suburban New Jersey schools. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, as it applies to teachers’ experiences of the effectiveness of the RTI process. According to Bandura, self-efficacy is the perception of how well one can execute a task. Self-efficacy can connect to teacher efficacy through the feeling of understanding the job requirements and the intended goals. This case study assessed how teachers’ experiences of the RTI process impact the overall …

Developing Literacy Through Play, Molli Vanderjagt

Masters Projects

The loss of play in the classroom has had a significant impact on children’s foundational literacy skills. It has hindered children’s language development by reducing their verbal skills and language comprehension and decreasing vocabulary. Child development has not changed, and yet we continue to put more academic pressure on our youngest students. This project addresses the need for play in early education classrooms. It then provides research why play is important in developing foundational literacy skills, such as oral language and vocabulary, comprehension and recall and higher-level thinking, and possible classroom applications. The project concludes with a presentation for administrators, …

Research-Based Early Literacy Practices For Lower Elementary Educators, Erica Joy Austin

Masters Projects

Low literacy rates are a significant issue in the United States. Low literacy skills correlate with many notable societal issues including poverty, higher chances of unemployment and incarceration, and even poor health. There are many significant contributors to the issue of low literacy including but not limited to poverty, teacher attrition, chronic student absenteeism and tardiness, lack of literacy practices taking place in homes, and lack of research-based literacy practices taking place in elementary classrooms. Although all of these issues significantly affect the literacy rates in the United States, among all of these issues, teachers have the most control over …

Five A Day, The Rainbow Way: A Nutrition Education Toolkit For Elementary School Aged Children, Sasha Menard

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Learning Outcome: Develop a nutrition educational toolkit based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) for obesity prevention among elementary school-aged children by improving determinants of fruit and vegetable intake.

Background: Poor consumption of fruits and vegetables is a major contributing factor to childhood obesity, increasing the risk for chronic diseases later in life. There is a need for multicomponent nutrition educational tools to influence children to improve their eating behavior by increasing their awareness and self-efficacy. The current project describes the development of a 3-component toolkit for improving participants’ knowledge and values related to fruit and vegetable intake among 6-11-year-olds.

Methods: …

Ucf Pegasus Plan - Kindergarten - Importance Of Rules And Laws, Angelica F. Bryan, Juanita White

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

During this unit, students will compare rules and laws, explore rules at school and home through role playing activities, and explore laws made for the community. Students will learn about the roles that individuals play in making or following rules and laws at school, home and in the community.

Ucf Pegasus Plan - 1st Grade - Goods And Services, Michaela Botelho, Dan Churchill, Gigi Ashi

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

During this unit, students will review needs and wants and explore goods, services, consumers, and producers through a portfolio based summative assessment and collective class market simulation at the conclusion of the unit. Students will also learn about opportunity cost with an introduction to supply and demand. Students will practice applying their knowledge about goods, services, consumers, and producers with the creation and oral presentation of vocabulary based posters, small group research on examples of producers, and create a narrative writing piece in alignment with the class guest speaker.

Ucf Pegasus Plan - 1st Grade - National Holidays, Samantha Johnson, Branyel Anderson, Riley Madden

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

This unit is complete with a daily Instructional Guide for teachers, turnkey student-facing materials, lists of or links to any necessary resources not created by the authors, and a post-assessment.

Coaching And Developing Non-Certified Instructional Staff In Key Literacy Practices, Holly Nicole Bigos

Masters Projects

Paraprofessionals are vital staff members of elementary schools that often provide small group instruction for struggling students to develop key literacy skills. Despite the critical contribution paraprofessionals can provide, schools often neglect to adequately train and develop these staff members to support students’ instructional literacy needs. This project explores the relevant history of paraprofessional staff in schools and the current need for increased development and support of these staff members. Additionally, modern sustainable solutions are explored to develop paraprofessional literacy knowledge and instructional skills for these vital staff members. Programming recommendations are grounded in adult learning theory, feedback and coaching, …

Ucf Pegasus Plan - 4th Grade - The Roaring 20s And How It Led To The Great Depression, Meagan Thibodeau, Brianna Hall, Gabrielle Hines

Pegasus Plans: Social Studies Unit Plans for Florida Teachers

During this unit, students will explore The Roaring 20s and The Great Depression. Students will also explore the culture, women's rights, transportation, and Florida tourism in the 1920s. They will learn about Florida's Land Boom and Bust, life during the Great Depression, and Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.

An Examination Of Positive Impacts On Students' Math Success, Lauren E. Bisher

Masters Projects

In today’s classrooms, some students struggle to achieve at high levels in math. Yet, recent research describing the neuroplasticity of the brain means that, with a mathematical mindset, all students can achieve in math at the highest levels in school. Unfortunately, some capable students disengage from the subject due to a fixed mindset or holding beliefs in math myths, such as only some people are born with a math brain or math is about speed. Achievement in math can open more opportunities in a student’s future. Entrance into college and various careers that require mathematical skills become possible when students …