Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Unlocking The Behavior Code: How Function-Based Behavior Skills Coaching Empowers Teachers And Reduces Tier Iii Referrals In Mtss, Erin C. Smith-Harrah

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of behavior skills coaching on the percentage of students receiving Tier 3 intervention at an elementary school in South Carolina using a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework. The research site for this study has experienced a significant increase in students referred for and receiving Tier 3 instruction. Whereas Tier 3 instruction typically accounts for 5% of a student population, data indicate that the percentage of students who received Tier 3 instruction at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year at this campus was 39%, with 14% identified as students …

Shaping Writers, Shaping Pedagogy: Elementary Teachers’ Writing Identities And Instructional Change Within Literacy Coaching Contexts, Elizabeth T. Besch

All Dissertations

Despite the central role of writing in literacy development, many elementary teachers report limited preparation in writing instruction and uncertainty in how they understood themselves as writers. Increasingly, literacy coaching has been positioned as a form of job-embedded professional learning that supports instructional change; however, less is known about how coaching contexts shape teachers’ identities as writers and how those identities relate to instructional practice.

This qualitative multiple-case study examined how elementary teachers’ writer identities were constructed and enacted within a literacy coaching context. The study addressed the following research questions: (1) How do literacy coaching contexts, as figured worlds, …

Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Mystery Box Berbantuan Papan Jam Materi Sudut Kelas V Sekolah Dasar, Amala Nurlika Putri, Rahmad Setyo Jadmiko, Nourma Oktaviarini

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

This study aimed to develop a mystery box learning medium supported by a clock-face board for teaching angles to fifth-grade elementary school students. The study was motivated by the limited use of concrete learning media in mathematics instruction, particularly for angle concepts, which contributed to students’ difficulties in understanding the material and participating actively in classroom activities. This research employed the Research and Development method using the ADDIE model, which consists of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The developed product was a mystery box learning medium equipped with a clock-face board and an integrated protractor. The product was validated …

Preparing Teachers To Read The Data: Strengthening Data Literacy For Early Literacy Decision-Making, Tevia Q. Strand

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Teachers are increasingly expected to use literacy screening and benchmark data to guide instruction, identify student needs, and participate in multi-tiered systems of support. However, pre-service and early-career teachers may enter the profession without sufficient preparation to interpret assessment data or connect benchmark patterns to instructional action. This white paper examines the gap between teacher preparation and the realities of K-12 data use, with particular attention to early literacy decision-making. Drawing from Bradbury’s discussion of teacher preparation and the changing realities of education, this paper argues that data literacy is an essential part of preparing teachers for equitable classroom practice. …

Pengembangan Diorama Dunia Mini Kita Sebagai Media Pembelajaran Ipas Pada Materi Denah Lingkungan Di Kelas Iii Sekolah Dasar, Sunya Tiara Putri, Aditya Pringga Satria, Leny Suryaning Astutik

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

The present study aimed to develop the Dunia Mini Kita Diorama as a learning medium for the topic of neighborhood maps in Grade III Natural and Social Sciences (IPAS) and to determine its validity and practicality. This study employed the Research and Development (R&D) method using the ADDIE model, which consists of five stages: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The participants included two media experts, two subject matter experts, one Grade III teacher, and 28 Grade III students of SD Negeri 1 Kalidawir. Data were collected through observations, interviews, documentation, expert validation sheets, and teacher and student response questionnaires. …

Vocabulary Acquisition Through Developmental Play, Amy Storlie

Graduate Teacher Education

As the population of English learners in the United States grew, there was a greater need for linguistically and developmentally appropriate instructional approaches for young learners. The question that guided this research on appropriate instructional approaches was: How does developmental play support the acquisition of academic vocabulary among early-emergent multilingual students in kindergarten and first grade? The research review examined peer-reviewed research across three interconnected bodies of literature: play-based learning, interactions in developmental play, and vocabulary instruction. The findings indicated that purposeful, guided play strengthened executive function, expressive language, and academic growth. In addition, collaborative practices such as translanguaging supported …

The Relationship Between School Connectedness And Well-Being Among Racial Minority English Language Learners: Implications For School Counselors, Laura Craven, Jonathan Ohrt, Keeland Lodato

Journal of English Learner Education

Students who feel connected to their school experience better academic performance, social competence, and mental health. English Language Learners (ELL) face unique challenges to school connectedness compared to their English-speaking peers. In this study, we explored the relationship between school connectedness and well-being for 205 racial minority ELL students. ELL students’ perceived school belonging was a significant predictor of well-being. We discuss implications for school counselors, including specific strategies for increasing ELL students’ school connectedness.

Sustained Reading: Multilingual Learners Exploring The Language Of A Text, Priscila J.B.M. Costa, Luciana C. De Oliveira, Meghan Love

Journal of English Learner Education

In US schools, multilingual learners (MLs) are expected to meet the same rigorous disciplinary standards as their English-speaking peers while also developing proficiency in English. This article demonstrates how sustained reading, as part of the Teaching and Learning Cycle, can support MLs' access to disciplinary literacy through the explicit attention to language features. Grounded on the Language-based Approach to Content Instruction (LACI), the article presents a classroom vignette from a 5th-grade social studies lesson in which MLs dissected a mentor text. The lesson illustrates how code-breaking within sustained reading makes disciplinary language visible, helping students notice the linguistic choices common …

The Woman In Hijab: A Performance Autoethnography Of Intersecting Identities In Arabic Language Teaching, Sayonara Tomoum

Journal of Educational Research and Innovation

This performance autoethnography inhabits the pedagogical encounter between a North African Muslim woman in hijab teaching college-level Arabic and an African American Muslim student whose Islam traveled a different racial and geographic history. Race and religion move through every exchange, shaping who holds authority, whose Arabic counts, and how bodies are racialized and read through religious markers. This work draws on Della Pollock’s (2007) concept of error as a site of possibility and her performative question “What now?” to name pedagogical rupture as the moment when the conditions shaping the encounter become legible as knowledge. Through performative writing, this autoethnography …

A Systematic Review Of Writing Interventions For Elementary Pre-Service Teachers, Lindsey Wiggins, Hannah Carter, Katherine L. Wright

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Effective writing instruction in elementary classrooms depends on teachers who are prepared as both writers and instructors. Yet, writing methods courses remain limited in teacher preparation programs (TPPs), leaving many pre-service teachers (PSTs) underprepared to teach writing. This systematic literature review synthesized 20 U.S.-based studies (2011–2024) on writing and writing instruction interventions with elementary PSTs. Two questions guided the review: (a) How have researchers measured the effects of interventions? and (b) What are the characteristics of effective interventions? Findings show that most studies relied on self-reported measures, with limited use of validated or observational tools, raising concerns about consistency and …

An Analysis Of Teacher Quality And Primary School Students’ Learning Achievements In Cambodia, Sreymech Hoeun

International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education : VISIONARIUM

The relationship between teacher quality and student learning achievement remains complex and somewhat inconsistent across the literature. For example, Roorda et al. found that the association between teacher–student relationship quality and student achievement was positive in most studies, but negative in others. Similarly, Yang and Kaiser reported that teaching quality showed significantly positive, non-significant, and even significantly negative relationships with student learning outcomes. In the Cambodian context, Chhin and Tabata examined the relationship between teacher quality and student achievement and found that teacher economic status, job satisfaction, and teaching experience significantly influenced student learning outcomes; however, these variables explained only …

Book Review: Transformational Teaching By Kenneth S. Coley, Deborah L. Maccullough, & Martha E. Maccullough: A Comprehensive Resource For Christian Educators, Michele S. Worley

Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This review of Transformational Teaching by Kenneth S. Coley, Deborah L. MacCullough, & Martha E. MacCullough examines the book as a Christian resource for educators. The book covers four main areas of education: foundational philosophy and learning theory, instructional design, learning community and semantics in discipline content structure in teaching. Each area is biblically founded and combines theory with real-world application and examples from Scripture. This invaluable resource equips current and prospective educators to blend faith with pedagogy and cultivate an individualized Christian worldview while pursuing instructional excellence.

Unfreezing Language: A Decolonial Reframing Of Translanguaging Pedagogies In English As A New Language & Dual Language Bilingual Education Settings, Cristian R. Solorza

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This qualitative multi-case study examines how elementary teachers in English as a New Language (ENL) and Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) settings conceptualize, implement, and reflect upon translanguaging pedagogies, with particular attention to translanguaging rings as tools for language differentiation. Grounded in a rearticulation of language as a dynamic, socially, politically, and historically constructed subject and object, this study challenges monoglossic ideologies that position named languages as bounded systems at the center of language education. Instead, it centers students’ lived, embodied, and agentive language practices as foundational to language learning and to their participation as knowledge producers in ENL and …

Why Theory Matters In Infant And Toddler Practice: Unpacking Pikler, Gerber, Gesell, Piaget, & Vygotsky, Derrick Toups

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

This article is intended to help infant and toddler educators deepen the why behind the what and how of their daily interactions by unpacking and connecting the seminal early childhood theories of Pikler, Gerber, Gesell, Piaget, and Vygotsky, what they look like in the classroom, and why they benefit children.

Yoga And Young Children, Jayapriya Ranganathan, Cynthia F Dicarlo

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Abstract:

This article examines the role of yoga as an effective pedagogical tool to support social-emotional learning (SEL) and physical development in early childhood education settings. Grounded in current understandings of mindfulness and executive functioning, the integration of yoga practices—such as breathing exercises, meditation, and developmentally appropriate postures—can promote self-regulation, attention, and emotional resilience in young children. Drawing on classroom-based observations from a toddler program, the article outlines practical strategies for incorporating yoga into daily routines, emphasizing accessibility, consistency, and engagement through imaginative play and storytelling. The findings suggest that regular yoga practice fosters a calm, focused learning environment and …

Leading With Heart: How New Directors Can Build Trust And Morale Among Child Care Staff, Kamille Watson, Cynthia Dicarlo

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

For both new and seasoned directors, leading a new childcare center requires navigating the complex work of building staff trust and sustaining morale, particularly when teams have endured repeated leadership changes or existing internal concerns. Because early childhood programs rely heavily on relational, emotionally demanding work, effective leadership must be rooted in connection, transparency, and compassionate engagement. This article provides a practical framework to help novice directors cultivate strong, trust-based relationships that support both staff well-being and program quality. Drawing from current research on compassionate leadership, emotional intelligence, and organizational consistency, the article outlines actionable strategies for building rapport, fostering …

Pa 146: What Is Clear, What Is Fuzzy, And What Should We Do Next?, Jenelle Williams, Nicole Peterson

Michigan Reading Journal

Michigan’s Public Act 146 (PA 146), the state’s K–12 Literacy and Dyslexia Law, establishes new requirements for screening, evidence-based instruction, structured literacy practices, professional learning, and strengthened multi-tiered systems of support to improve reading outcomes. While the law provides detailed and prescriptive guidance for elementary schools—particularly regarding decoding-focused instruction aligned to the science of reading, universal screening, and intervention planning—its implications for grades 4–12 are less clearly defined. This article examines what is explicit in the legislation, what remains open to interpretation in secondary contexts, and how districts can move forward strategically as they prepare for full implementation by 2027–2028. …

Development And Preliminary Effectiveness Of Sel-Based Puzzle Media For Improving Emotional Regulation In Second-Grade Elementary Students, Kun Widya Nurfiani, Diana Septi Purnama

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study developed and evaluated the feasibility, practicality, and preliminary effectiveness of the Social Emotional Learning (SEL)-based Puzzle Expression Emotion media to improve emotional regulation among second-grade elementary school students. The study used a Research and Development design following the ADDIE model. Feasibility was assessed by subject-matter and media experts, practicality by classroom teachers, and preliminary effectiveness through a one-group pretest-posttest field trial involving 51 students from two public elementary schools in Surakarta. Data were collected through interviews, observations, validation sheets, practicality questionnaires, and an emotional regulation instrument. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, followed by a paired-sample t-test and N-gain …

Elementary Residents And Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy In Mathematics, Quayisha F. Clarke

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative interpretive embedded case study examines how seven preservice elementary mathematics residents in a Northeastern teacher residency program identify and enact culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) (Paris and Alim, 2017) in their math instruction, and how their intersectional identities shape these enactments. Drawing on CSP, intersectionality, and discretionary spaces (Ball, 2018), the study explores how residents interpret, reason through, and make moment-to-moment decisions that affirm students’ learning in mathematics.

Data were collected across two semi-structured interviews, three classroom observations, post-observation debriefs, lesson plans, coursework artifacts, and a researcher's reflexive journal. Analysis followed a hybrid inductive–deductive approach, using thematic and axial …

An Equity-Based And Culturally Responsive Bill Of Rights For Early Childhood Students Of Color With Exceptionalities, Evette Simmons-Reed, Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott, Gloria Tardash, Mildred Boveda, Donna Y. Ford

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing disparities in early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) disabled children, exposing critical gaps in access, services and support. systemic inconsistencies in implementation, training, and funding, remain barriers limit opportunities for CLD students to benefit, despite the aims of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA). To address these inequities, this manuscript proposes an expanded and updated Culturally Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for EI and ECSE. Building upon Ford and colleagues' (2018) work, this revised document extends protections to children aged zero to five, emphasizing …

Guest Editor's Introduction: Methodological Innovations For Advancing Early Childhood Educational And Psychological Research, Anthony Mangino Ph.D.

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

The goal of this special issue is to provide you, the inquisitive reader and developmental scientist, with some of the methodological tools to aid in augmenting your analytic capacity.

Exploring The Stress Coping Strategies Of Indonesian Elementary School Teachers: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Anak Agung Gede Agung, I Ketut Gading, Basilius Redan Werang, Ni Luh Putu Agetania

The Qualitative Report

Teachers play a pivotal role in delivering quality education and shaping students’ future lives. The growing demands and responsibilities on teachers can lead to physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, which threatens their well-being—a condition commonly referred to as work stress. Our study aimed to explore the strategies used by elementary school teachers in Bali Province to cope with work-related stress. This study adopts a qualitative research approach with elementary schools in Bali Province, Indonesia, serving as the research setting. A phenomenological research design was employed, involving 25 purposively selected teachers as participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed …

Ai-Enhanced Digital Exhibits As Inquiry-Driven Civic Practice In The Great Lakes Region, Erik Kormos

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

This article presents a pedagogical framework for using AI-enhanced digital exhibits to support inquiry-based civic learning in the Great Lakes region. Students investigate meaningful community questions, use AI tools strategically for research and analysis, and create public-facing exhibits that develop civic reasoning and agency. The framework addresses grade-band applications (K–12) and emphasizes equity, ensuring all students, regardless of school funding, develop AI literacy and access authentic civic inquiry opportunities. The article articulates essential ethical considerations including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and teacher mediation, and provides a practical implementation framework for educators. Drawing on research in place-based education and inquiry learning, …

Learning Through Play: The Effects Of Play-Based Instruction On Literacy Development, Jherica Goodgame

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of play-based learning in early literacy development, emphasizing its impact on student engagement, executive functioning, and overall academic success. Drawing from research and personal experience, it argues that play is not separate from learning but a critical component of it. This thesis also highlights the benefits of play for diverse learners and examines the challenges teachers face in implementing play-based instruction. It provides numerous examples of play-based instruction practiced in a real classroom setting with 17 students who are varying from early kindergarten to late kindergarten levels. This thesis seeks to demonstrate the importance of …

The Impact Of The Science Of Reading Initiative On Reading Test Scores Among Rural Elementary Students In Arkansas, Julie A. Ferguson

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

This study examines changes in reading achievement among rural elementary students in Arkansas following the statewide implementation of the Science of Reading initiative. Beginning in 2019, Arkansas required educators in kindergarten through sixth grade to receive training in evidence‑based literacy practices emphasizing phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Despite these efforts, rural districts continue to face challenges related to staffing, access to professional development, and instructional resources, raising questions about whether statewide reforms have produced measurable improvements in reading outcomes.

Using a quantitative, longitudinal, quasi‑experimental design, this study analyzes ACT Aspire reading assessment data collected from rural Arkansas schools …

Is The School Environment The Leading Cause Of The Rise In Burnout Rates Among Tenured Teachers?, Jazalyn A. Brown

Honors College Theses

Teacher burnout has become an increasingly significant issue within the field of education, affecting not only teachers themselves but also the learning environments within schools. Many educators face growing pressures, including overwhelming workloads, limited resources, and a lack of consistent administrative support, which can lead to emotional exhaustion and frustration over time. As more teachers report experiencing burnout or leaving the profession altogether, it becomes increasingly important to better understand the factors that contribute to this issue and how schools can respond to it. This thesis explores how school environments and leadership practices influence teacher burnout and why stronger support …

Incorporating Play-Based Learning While Meeting State Standards, Alicia Muer

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper reviews the benefits of incorporating developmentally appropriate practices into the classroom through a play-based approach. This is a controversial topic, as most teachers are more concerned with teaching to the standards than with the needs of students as a whole. Fifteen studies, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and action research, were used to examine what developmentally appropriate practices are. Three themes emerged from the studies: play-based learning, professional development, and teacher-student collaboration. In the play-based theme, a sub-theme emerged which focused on games and gaming. The findings showed that students thrive more in an environment where play-based learning is …

Benefits Of Contemporary Literature On Literacy And Cognitive Development In Elementary School Students, Autumn R. Hemenway

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone research project is to examine the benefits of contemporary literature on the literacy and cognitive development of elementary school students. Contemporary literature includes modern texts that reflect diverse experiences, identities, and real-life issues that students can relate to. This study reviews academic articles and interviews with elementary school teachers and school librarians to explore how these resources influence vocabulary development, reading comprehension, student engagement, and critical thinking. The findings indicated that contemporary literature supports literacy growth by increasing student motivation and connection to reading, while also promoting cognitive development through interpretation, perspective taking, and deeper …

Exploring Teachers’ Lived Experiences: The Impact Of Wellness On Student Engagement And Behavior In Third-Grade Classrooms, Tiffany L. Jackson

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored teachers' lived experiences implementing student wellness initiatives in the classroom and examined their views on how these initiatives affected student engagement and behavior. In this study, participants had the opportunity to express their views on implementing wellness practices in the classroom and on how these initiatives impacted student engagement and behavior. The research was guided by theoretical frameworks related to wellness, emotional and social intelligence, and relational perspectives. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were the primary data source, and interview notes will serve as secondary data. This study addressed three research questions: (1) What are teachers' lived …

The Influence Of Intervention Strategies On Students With Disabilities Who Exhibit Challenging Behaviors In Rural Public Schools: Teacher Perceptions, Ben B. Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study addressed rural teachers' perceptions of the influence of intervention strategies on students with disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the effect of intervention strategies on academic achievement, student behavior outcomes, and teacher self-efficacy through the lens of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. This theory is a complex, dynamic interaction among people, their behaviors, and their environments. Data collection included 14 individual interviews, conducted on Zoom with educators from one school district in Southern Virginia, including seven general education teachers and seven special education teachers. Data analysis strategies …