Elementary Education Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of Contributing Factors And Common Trends Related To Teacher Attrition In Western North Carolina, Preston Clarke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A phenomenological approach was used to identify contributing factors and common trends related teacher attrition by conducting interviews with teachers who decided to exit a North Carolina School District located in Western North Carolina. A qualitative approach allowed the researcher to gain valuable insight into the decision-making process of the 15 research participants. Data collection involved conducting one on one telephone interviews with participants by asking a series of open-ended questions that allowed for probing and follow-up questions. Analysis of researcher notes, evaluation of textual data produced by interviews, and observations allowed the qualitative investigator to identify emerging themes and …

The Value Of Promoting Social And Emotional Learning In Elementary School Students, Valerie Marie Hatcher

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This dissertation will explore how to effectively promote social and emotional learning (SEL) in the elementary school classroom using art as a tool to enhance instruction in other subjects. As noted by art educator Viktor Lowenfeld and others, art helps children become aware of their surroundings and visualize things outside of their everyday experiences. Using art to demonstrate academic concepts also helps engage students in learning and promotes social and emotional growth, but many teachers lack instruction on how to effectively accomplish this goal (Brouillette, 2010; Farrington & Shewfelt, 2020; McCoy, 2016). The need to promote SEL has become even …

The Spirit Murdering Of Black Kindergarteners By The Lock And Load Literacy Routine, Amber Lawson

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

Using Crossover And Traditional Picturebooks To Discuss Emotions, William P. Bintz, Shabnam Moini Chaghervand

Michigan Reading Journal

This article describes how literature, particularly crossover picturebooks, can be used to provide teachers and their students with a helpful perspective on the complex nature of problems, especially human problems with physical and mental health. We begin with an example of a picturebook that provides a unique perspective on the value of problems; namely, problems as unexpected gifts that can promote understanding, the first step in wellness. Next, we introduce crossover literature as an innovative genre for better understanding complex and controversial problems. Then, we share specific examples of crossover picturebooks, along with research-based instructional strategies, that teachers can use …

Virtual Literacy Coaching: A Response To Time, Space, And Resources, Kimberly Peters

Michigan Reading Journal

Athletes use video all the time to carefully breakdown their physical performance while also selecting areas to improve based on video footage. Why should teachers be any less engaged in their instructional performance? Applying these same principles in education has potential to create an awareness in a teacher’s literacy instructional performance. Virtual literacy coaching is a job embedded professional learning model and it was one rural educational district's answer to time, space, and resources.

Applying Patriotic And National Songs To American Elementary Music Education Curricular Standards, Ashley Virginia Finke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite existing literature documenting patriotism and nationalism in education and children’s knowledge of patriotic and national songs, the impact of patriotism and nationalism in American elementary music education through patriotic and national songs has not been examined in the context of current national standards. This examination is important as knowledge of patriotism, nationalism, and patriotic and national, specifically state, songs inform individuals’ understanding of culture and national and personal identities. This study identifies educational perspectives of educational scholars, music educators, and policy makers on patriotism, nationalism, and patriotic and national songs. A qualitative design and historical approach were utilized to …

Incorporating Student Physical Movement In The Elementary School Setting, Andrew Vanderwal

Masters Projects

With the increase in academic demands on elementary students, students are lacking opportunities for physical movement within the classroom which is adversely impacting student achievement. Research was conducted in order to determine the importance of physical movement for children and possible correlations between student physical movement and academic achievement. Jensen (2005) concluded that physical movement is an integral component in brain development for children that supports engagement and focus which positively impacts academic achievement. Rosenstreich et al. (2022), Wiebelhaus & Hanson (2016), and Reed et al. (2011) found positive correlations between groups of elementary-age students, who were provided frequent opportunities …

An Exploratory Multiple Case Study Of Discipline Practices In A Major Metropolitan Public School District: A Look Into The School To Prison Pipeline, Neil French, Kristin Calvert-French, Phyllis Jackson, Erin King

Dissertations

The school to prison pipeline is a phenomenon fed by exclusionary discipline practices that increase the likelihood that a student will have an interaction with the juvenile or criminal justice system at some time in their life; this phenomenon disproportionately affects Black students. Understanding the problem is key to slowing down the school to prison pipeline. This study of a school district in Missouri explores questions about how interpersonal relationships, implicit bias awareness, and school policies influence the learning environment, and how those factors relate to school discipline, which ultimately can lead to the school to prison pipeline. Drawing data …

Cybersecurity Educational Resources For K-12, Debra Bowen, James Jaurez, Nancy Jones, William Reid, Christopher Simpson

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

There are many resources to guide successful K-12 cybersecurity education. The objective of these resources is to prepare skilled and ethical cybersecurity students at the earliest level to meet the demands of higher-level programs. The goal of this article is to provide, as a starting point, a list of as many currently popular K-12 educational resources as possible. The resources provided are broken into five categories: 1) Career Information, 2) Curriculum, 3) Competitions, 4) CyberCamps, and 5) Labs and Gaming. Each resource listed has a link, the K-12 levels that are supported, whether the resource is free or has a …

Toybox: A New Approach For Auxiliary Percussion Instruments At The Beginning Level, Spencer Craig Jones

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Currently, there exist little materials to introduce elementary students to auxiliary percussion instruments. There is a need for the creation of more instructional material for this age group that provides pedagogy descriptions for the instruments as well as playing examples. The purpose of this project is to create a method book that provides pedagogy examples for auxiliary percussion instruments while also providing playing examples to use.

Remote Learning - The Future Of Education: Effective Instructional Strategies Used By Parent Educators And Recommendations For Building Capacity, Raelene Ferguson Haugen

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods Delphi study was to identify the remote learning instructional strategies used by expert Southern California parent educators for implementing the anticipatory set, modeling, checking for understanding, and guided practice elements of Madeline Cheek Hunter’s Instructional Theory Into Practice (ITIP) framework. The study sought to identify how expert Southern California parent educators rated the effectiveness of the remote learning instructional strategies in the aforementioned elements of Hunter’s ITIP framework. Additionally, the purpose was to generate recommendations from expert Southern California parent educators to build capacity in the identified effective instructional strategies.

Methodology: The classical …

When St. Louis School Nature Leaders And Environmental Partners Work Together Nature-Based Learning Inspires Joy And Curiosity In K-2 Students, Julie Frisch, Melissa Politte

Dissertations

This study focused on what values teachers saw in nature-based learning, what outcomes they saw for their students, and what factors have enabled them to do nature-based learning. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study looked at nature-based learning in St. Louis elementary schools with kindergarten through second-grade students.

We used purposive sampling to choose six schools to examine further through case studies. We then conducted interviews with 8 teachers on qualities of nature-based learning captured in 12 words.

We identified five themes from our interviews and observations: Every School Needs a Nature Champion, Community Bridges in Nature-Based Learning, There is Magic …

How The Great Migration Changed Black Children’S Educational Attainment, Cavit Baran, Eric Chyn, Bryan A. Stuart

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

The Great Migration And Educational Opportunity, Cavit Baran, Eric Chyn, Bryan A. Stuart

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper studies the impact of the First Great Migration on children. We use the complete-count 1940 Census to estimate selection-corrected place effects on education for children of Black migrants. On average, Black children gained 0.8 years of schooling (12 percent) by moving from the South to the North. Many counties that had the strongest positive impacts on children during the 1940s offer relatively poor opportunities for Black youth today. Opportunities for Black children were greater in places with more schooling investment, stronger labor market opportunities for Black adults, more social capital, and less crime.

The Casnr L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter: Learning Innovation Network For K-12 Schools, Edition 6, July 2022, Bailey Feit, Tammy Mittelstet

CASNR L.I.N.K.S. Newsletter

The purpose of this L.I.N.K.S. newsletter is to provide a monthly update of opportunities and resources for K-12 schools to connect with the University of Nebraska's CASNR Food, Energy, Water, and Societal Systems (FEWS²) programs and partners.

Included in this issue:

New editions and archived L.I.N.K.S. Newsletters coming soon

Eye on curriculum and resources

Teacher opportunities

Link to list of new partnerships

Ask an expert

Eye on CASNR research: Judy Wu-Smart

Send your students to campus

Success stories

Teacher Mindset Affects School Culture, Sarah Miller

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Feelhaver Elementary School in northwest central, Iowa, has previously focused their professional learning on academic content which limited its focus on school culture and climate. Due to the limited focus on school culture and climate, there has been a lack of trust, collaboration, and growth mindset within the building. This school improvement plan will be implemented over the course of the next school year. This plan was developed to improve the school culture and climate in the building by increasing opportunities to utilize a growth mindset, build trust, teacher agency, and collective efficacy. Steps taken in implementation include a pre-assessment …

Elementary Science & Engineering Teaching Methods, David Crismond

Open Educational Resources

Syllabus for EDCE 42000 Elementary Science & Engineering Teaching Methods

Perceptions Of Out-Of-School Reading Motivation For Female Middle School Students, Danielle Porch

Dissertations

Literacy engagement and motivation to read is lacking in middle school reading classrooms. Educators struggle with the challenge of motivating students to read and actively engage with text both inside and outside of school. Research indicates that female and male middle school students have unique characteristics and habits as readers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perspectives of female middle school students regarding their out-of-school recreational reading time, their attitudes towards reading, and their reading habits. The themes derived from this study indicated the students’ desires to have their reading instruction personalized and have their reading …

A Need For Social Emotional Instruction, Chelsea Cook

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This article looks at how social emotional learning (SEL) curriculums can improve emotional safety, behavior, and school climate at the elementary school level. The article examines research from twenty-one research papers to show a need for SEL curriculums and outlines a plan for implementing a SEL curriculum school wide.

An Exploration Of Elementary Mathematical Performance During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rachel Sunshine Herron

Doctor of Education (EdD)

School disruptions impacted public schools in Oregon for fifteen months. As a result, mathematical performance may have been impacted. School districts, educational leaders, and policymakers need information on how and to what extent disruptions to in-person learning have affected student mathematical performance. This was a non-experimental, post-hoc quantitative causal-comparative study. Existing i-Ready data was used to explore if there was evidence of significant differences in mathematical performance within and between gender and ethnicity- based groups of fifth-grade students as a result of the pandemic. The results of this study revealed that differences in students’ mathematical performance did change during the …

Sensory Rooms: Increasing Preschool Students’ Focus And Engagement In The Classroom, Tasha Pierce

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This paper analyzes the need for schools to implement a multi-sensory room to help students regulate their sensory needs. Students today require a multitude of experiences and different levels of support in order to effectively learn. Teachers are faced with the challenge of providing this support to students so they can engage in and retain what is learned each day. To overcome this challenge, we looked at the history of multi-sensory rooms, the benefits they have for all students in the classroom, and how one can be properly implemented in a preschool classroom. We put forth an action plan that …

Maximizing Literacy Instructional Potency In A Classical Education Charter School, Rebecca Thompson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Variable research spans several decades on how emergent readers should be taught. Literacy experts and governmental reports document evidence-based reading acquisition. Yet, a wide gap remains between the state of research and a professional understanding and application of how teachers should maximize daily literacy instruction in elementary classrooms. Teaching students how to crack the alphabetic code is crucial and forms the foundation for further reading acquisition as students mature. Robust scientific consensus overwhelmingly supports utilizing explicit, systematic phonics instruction in the initial stages of learning to read. Therefore, educators must prioritize strong foundational phonics skills in grades K-2 to help …

Improving Reading Skills: A School Improvement Project, Riley Mars

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Reading proficiency in American schools has been a topic of conversation for over a quarter of a century. Although much focus and funding has been put towards this topic, many students are still not able to read proficiently. As students progress through their academic careers, lack of reading proficiency becomes more detrimental and more difficult to remedy. This school improvement plan was created to restructure MTSS in a newly formed upper elementary building serving 4th and 5th grade. This restructuring will clearly define the roles of each Tier, ensure data-based decisions are being made, and support students with research-based interventions.

Increasing Phonemic Awareness Instruction: A School Improvement Plan, Becca Gaffney

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Research findings show phonological awareness is one of the most important skills and predictors of future reading success. Studies have also shown the link between phonemic awareness to reading abilities and the lack of pre-service and in-service teacher knowledge of basic language constructs. While looking at the research findings, a school improvement plan was created to include a supplemental phonemic awareness program to increase student knowledge and skills. It also increased teacher knowledge through a training and additional professional developments based on teacher needs. This project will add to previously collected data which compares proficiency in Lambert Elementary students to …

Elementary Principals’ Instructional Leadership Role In International Schools: The Challenges And Perceptions Of Student Grouping, Hafida Belkacem Becker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Globally, elementary principals have similar responsibilities and duties. Some of their obligations include clerical tasks, other managerial assignments, and instructional leadership duties. All of these jobs require attention and can be time consuming. The researcher aimed to understand the perceptions which challenge elementary principals’ beliefs about student grouping strategies and the impact on reading achievement within a network of 35 schools located around the world. Principals at these schools have the challenge of creating student groups with limited numbers of students and a wide range of abilities. At most of the schools in this network, there are only enough enrolled …

Creating Inclusive Differentiated Classrooms For English Language Learners, Jenifer Geisler

Graduate Teacher Education

There are many English language learner (ELL) students in United States schools. These students have varying needs and abilities, yet they legally and ethically have the right to an equal education. The purpose of this research was to find ways to best meet the needs of ELL students in inclusive classrooms. Research of fifteen studies related to this important topic have been analyzed and synthesized in order to better understand what schools and educators could do to meet the needs of ELL students. These studies included information on ELL family systems and mental health. The research continued with studies related …

It's The Focus On Black Girls For Me: A Mixed Methods Inquiry Into Perceptions Of School Climate, Eshe Price

Theses and Dissertations

Local and national context, along with some educational research, indicate the racialized and gendered challenges Black girls are facing in schools. Although there has been an increase in research centered on Black girls' schooling experiences, few studies investigate the realities Black girls face in rural communities. Accordingly, the aim of this three-article dissertation is to deepen our understanding of Black girls' schooling experiences in order to improve the climate in schools for Black girls in predominantly white, rural communities. The first article is a conceptual paper that unpacks the four tenets of critical race quantitative intersectionality (CRQI). The second article …

Using Multicultural Texts To Help Shape Student Perceptions Regarding Individual Beliefs And Values While Developing Empathy For Diverse Cultures, Megan N. Karpinski

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the effects of multicultural literature in a second grade classroom and how it impacts students' perceptions of other cultures, beliefs and values while showing empathy and acceptance of other cultures. Throughout the study, students read and connected to a variety of multicultural literature. They participated in activities while expressing their own experiences, thoughts and feelings while connecting with the texts. The assessment tools used throughout this study were questionnaires, surveys, observations, interviews, class discussions and student notebooks. Through discussion and analysis of the texts, students were able to make connections while …

Affirming Respect And Kindness Within A Classroom Community Through Discussion And Multicultural Literature, Angelica Gitter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate how students in a third-grade classroom can engage with multicultural texts and learn about cultures that are different from their own. Furthermore, it investigated the impact of multicultural literature on respect and kindness in a classroom community. Throughout the four-week study, students read twelve different multicultural texts and engaged in classroom discussions during Morning Meeting. Students participated in group discussions expressing their ideas, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs related to the context of the books read. The strategies used for this qualitative research were questionnaires, teacher observations, and whole group and small group …

Lessons Learned Recruiting Comparison Elementary Schools For Impact Evaluation Of Snap-Ed Interventions, Amanda Linares, Phoebe Harpainter, Kaela Plank, Gail Woodward-Lopez

Journal of Extension

To determine the effectiveness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program- Education (SNAP-Ed) nutrition and physical activity programming in elementary schools, it is necessary to recruit socioeconomically similar comparison schools not receiving SNAP-Ed programming. We developed a flexible recruitment strategy to tailor our approach to each individual school district and site. Here we discuss the lessons learned during the 10-month recruitment period, including early outreach, emphasizing participation benefits, leveraging and building relationships, and visiting sites.