Elementary Education and Teaching Commons^™

Including Everyone A Handbook For Lgbt Inclusion In The Elementary Classroom, Shanine Mollentze

HIM 1990-2015

A quick look into the prevalence of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) topics in children's literature and one can easily note the rarity of LGBT presence in elementary classrooms. This topic continually fails to enter the classroom curriculum due to the taboo status it has in society. Some people find it to be inappropriate for the classroom, especially the elementary classroom. However, understanding that the intention is to provide an inclusive environment for LGBT students and/or families is important--not to expose children to explicit sexual discussion, but to establish a community of tolerance and acceptance. The purpose of this …

An Ethnographic Case Study In A British Primary (Elementary) School Classroom Of Academic Self-Efficacy, Kelly Iliff

HIM 1990-2015

An ethnographic case study of a Year 6 (5th grade) classroom in Southwest England was conducted in order to explore factors that contribute to academic self-efficacy in British education, specifically in this classroom. Data was collected through qualitative observations, a teacher interview, and student questionnaires to determine the level of academic self-efficacy in the classroom. The class consisted of 14 female students and 9 male students, ranging from ten to eleven years old. Of the total number of students, parental consent was received to allow 9 boys and 7 girls to complete questionnaires. Data was analyzed by examining critical issues …

Incorporating Graphic Novels Into Social Studies Based Instruction An Effective Means Of Determining Quality Graphic Novels, Lindsey Johannessen

HIM 1990-2015

It is becoming increasing important that teachers educate students about social studies in such a way so that students are interested and motivated by what they read. So often the curriculum is bombarded with physically heavy, incomprehensible, and traditional textbooks. Based upon the need for extensions to the social studies textbooks, my goal to establish a guideline for selecting quality graphic novels fitted for elementary social studies instruction. Therefore, my study will attempt to answer the question: What is an effective means of determining quality graphic novels? Following my adaptation and creation of rubrics established for determining the needs and …

An Exploration Of Materials For Music Integration In Elementary Science Education, Nicole Jennet Mills

HIM 1990-2015

Strong educators always look for different ways to excite and enthrall their students in the curriculum. The field of science education often loses student interest due to the complexities and vocabulary found in the scientific realm. Incorporating music into the classroom has shown positive results as a way to integrate student learning and a different way of facilitating students in the learning process (Brewer, 1992; Davies, 200). Resources for implementing the integration of music and science exist throughout the Internet in a variety of mediums. This study looks at the availability of said resources and the concepts they cover, for …

Acquisition And Transference Of Physics-Based Conceptual Knowledge: An Analysis Of Fourth-Grade Student's Ability, Ashton Dacus

HIM 1990-2015

Distressingly, at the end of the 2008-2009 school year, 53% of fifth-grade students scored the equivalence of a D or lower on Florida's standardized science assessment (NCLB School District and State Public Accountability Report, 2009). One possible way to adapt methods of science education that is becoming more popular is through the use of computer games, as numerous studies have shown positive correlations between the use of computer games and increased learning gains in science.

This thesis not only discusses previous researc concerning computer games as tools for science education but it also provides a description and the results of …

Helping At-Risk Students Solve Mathematical Word Problems Through The Use Of Direct Instruction And Problem Solving Strategies, Lurdes Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined the influence mathematical strategies had on middle school students' mathematical ability. The purpose of this action research study was to observe students mathematical abilities and to investigate whether teaching students problem-solving strategies in mathematics will enhance student's mathematical thinking and their ability to comprehend and solve word problems. The study took place in an urban school in Orlando, Florida in the fall of 2004. The subjects will be 12 eighth grade students assigned to my intensive math class. Quantitative data was collected. Students' took a pre and post test designed to measure and give students …

Listening To Student Voices: Fifth Graders' Perceptions Of Their Mathematics Learning Within The Context Of A Mathematics Reform, Elizabeth Hoffman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored fifth graders' perceptions of their mathematics learning within the context of a reform effort. Students' voices are the focus of this study due to the paucity of literature on student learning from the students' perspective (Erickson & Shultz, 1992), particularly the elementary student (Gentilucci, 2004). The participants of this study, who in the past have been given a variety of labels including "disadvantaged" or "at-risk," clearly articulated, even in nonstandard English, their perceptions of their mathematics learning. They passionately explained what helped them learn mathematics as well as what impeded their mathematics learning and were often …

What Instructional Modification Implementations Bring Adult Education Learners To Success And Retention? Analysis Of An Online Adult Basic Education Program, Bernadette Ann Propst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

What Instructional Modification Implementations Bring Adult Education Learners to Success and Retention? Analysis of an Online Adult Basic Education Program. Adult learners enrolled in my online Adult Basic Education program showed low completion rates for the course. This study's purpose was to discover what instructional modifications would bring these learners to a successful outcome in the program. I implemented the following instructional modifications: asynchronous email communication, weekly progress reports emailed to each participant and a minimum requirement of 10 assignment completions on a weekly basis. Teacher-student interaction increased because of these implementations. I reviewed literature that discussed distance education, adult …

How Does The Use Of Picture Books During Instruction Improve Student Word Choice In Writing?, Laurie Anne Mcadams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of my research was to determine how the use of picture books during instruction would improve student word choice in writing. Donald Graves (2003), a renowned researcher in the teaching of writing, states, "All children need . . . to be surrounded with poetry, stories, information books, biography, science and history, imaginative and factual books." Graves' research presents successful classroom instruction when teachers incorporate literature as a fundamental part of their reading and writing instruction. Likewise, Susan Anderson McElveen and Connie Campbell Dierking (2000) conducted a study with their students using picture books as "precise examples" to teach …

The Effects Of The Teacher's Use Of Guided Inquiry In The Fifth Grade Classroom, Deborah Strickland Spiess

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF THE TEACHER'S USE OF GUIDED INQUIRY IN A FIFTH GRADE SCIENCE CLASSROOM. INQUIRY IS SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL(2000), AND INDICATES THAT ALL STUDENTS SHOULD DEVELOP THE ABILITIES NECESSARY TO DO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND DEVELOP UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY (P.21). THIS STUDY WAS A QUALITATIVE ACTION RESEARCH DESIGN, FOCUSING ON SEVENTEEN STUDENTS AND THEIR RESPONSES TO A GUIDED INQUIRY METHOD OF SCIENCE INSTRUCTION ON MATTER, ENERGY AND MOTION, AND EARTH AND SPACE. AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE AND STUDENTS' ATTITUDES ABOUT SCIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM WAS CONDUCTED ABOUT EACH UNIT OF INSTRUCTION. THE …