Elementary Education and Teaching Commons^™

Physician As Teacher: Promoting Health And Wellness Among Elementary School Students, Jill E. Stefaniak, Victoria C. Lucia

STEMPS Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Every day, physicians engage in teaching during their patient encounters. It may be that medical students who are introduced to the principles of teaching and learning are more likely to become good communicators and learners. Service-learning may be an effective way for medical students to practice skills in teaching and communication in a real-world setting, while also filling a need within the community. The purpose of this study was to identify common themes within medical students' reflections on what they learned through participating in a teaching exercise with local elementary school children.

METHODS: As a required component of a …

Effect Of Ebooks On Reading Level, Reading Behaviors, And Attitude Of Second Grade Students, Annette Vanaken

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the effect of ebooks as a tool for providing small group reading interventions and independent reading practice to second grade readers in the classroom. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, non-equivalent control group design was used to compare whether instructional reading environments (ebooks only, traditional books only, or both ebooks and traditional books) affect reading level and attitudes towards reading, while a posttest only non-equivalent control group design was used to measure reading behaviors of second grade students. A convenience sample of 88 English-speaking students at a rural, public elementary school in Southern Michigan participated. Reading level was measured by …

Character Traits In Caldecott Award-Winning Literature From 2002-2012: A Content Analysis, Staci Wagner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined children's books that were honored with the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book from 2002-2012, in an attempt to analyze examples of character elements in these books. Modeled after two previous dissertations in which Newbery books were analyzed, I used similar methodology to further their research to books honored with the Caldecott Medal. Therefore, content analysis was used to determine the presence of the sample character traits, following the acronym C.H.A.R.A.C.T.E.R., developed by researcher Bryant (2008). These elements included: (a) caring/compassionate, (b) helpfulness, (c) acceptance, (d) respect, (e) ambition, (f) citizenship, (g) trustworthiness, …

An Evaluation Of The Penn Resiliency Program For Disruptive Preadolescents In An Elementary School Setting, Mildred Howard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Penn Resiliency Program in decreasing disruptive behavior, modifying negative automatic thoughts and improving academic achievement. Forty-eight students from two Title I schools in Georgia participated in this study. The Behavior Assessment Scale for Children, Second Edition, Progress Monitor, The Children's Automatic Thoughts Scale and report card grades were used to evaluate program effectiveness. Research results suggest the program effectively reduced negative automatic thoughts and improved academic performance.

Veteran Educators' Perceptions Of The Internet's Impact On Learning And Social Development, Matthew Vincent Glowiak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a time where some 2.4 billion Internet users exist worldwide, children are increasingly impacted by the Internet's influence, both directly and indirectly. With technology now playing a significant role in childhood learning and social development, many unforeseen shifts are occurring that will ultimately impact lifespan development. Although researchers have provided mixed results concerning the impact of the Internet on learning and social development, the body of evidence indicates that veteran K-8 educators who are comfortable and experienced with the Internet view it more favorably. This grounded theory study systematically generated the multisystem technological engagement theory (MSTET) to explain the …

Early Childhood Perspective Of The K-12 Common Core State Standards Implementation, Anita Lesh Benson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The importance of school readiness and social-emotional development for children who live in poverty is well established. Head Start programs have championed the development of the whole child across all learning domains. The implementation of the K-12 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) focuses instructional skills on reading language arts, and math. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore Head Start teachers' perceptions and experiences of the CCSS implementation. The study was guided by the constructivist learning framework of Piaget and Dewey. Research questions explored the understanding and effects of the K-12 CCSS implementation from a group of …

The Effectiveness Of Computer-Aided Instruction On Math Fact Fluency, Joseph Scott Bochniak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sixth grade students at a Mid-Atlantic, urban, PreK-8 public school have shown weak mathematical performance. In accordance with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the local district has implemented numerous policy changes to improve performance, but no substantial improvements in test scores have been seen so far. This project study focused on the development of automaticity and fluency of math facts to address this problem. The theoretical framework of the study was based on Haring and Eaton's instructional competency hierarchy framework, which claims that students who master basic mathematics skills are better able to progress to more …

Enhancing Teaching Through Professional Learning: Case Studies Of Professional Learning To Improve Reading Instruction For Year 2 Students With Reading Difficulties In One Australian State, Susan Main

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Reading is internationally recognised as a mediating factor in the life outcomes of individuals and the continuing failure of Australian children to attain the same level of literacy as children in other Western countries is an ongoing concern. Within the continuum of reading development, there are some children who experience more difficulty than their peers in acquiring reading skills and these children are at even greater risk of poor life outcomes if they do not receive appropriate instruction. Research demonstrates that professional learning is an effective way of enhancing teachers’ knowledge and practice and, therefore, the purpose of this study …

Planting The Seed Of Teacher Identity: Nurturing Early Growth Through A Collaborative Learning Community, Ann Harlow, Donella J. Cobb

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Abstract: This paper reports on the findings of a reconceptualised Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme where a collaborative relationship between the university and partner schools saw the shared responsibility for the first year ITE programme. Findings from this study suggests that ongoing, authentic teaching experiences in collaboration with school-based university tutorials provided a strong foundation for the early development of teacher identity. Wenger’s (1998) social theory of learning provides a theoretical framework for understanding why this community of practice has been particularly effective in planting the seed of teacher identity at such an early stage of the ITE programme.

Preservice Teachers’ Constructivist Teaching Scores Based On Their Learning Styles, Zeynel Kablan, Sibel Kaya

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examined the relationship between pre-service teachers’ constructivist teaching and their learning styles based on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. The Learning Styles Inventory-3 was administered at the beginning of the semester to determine preferred learning style. The Constructivist Teaching Evaluation Form was filled out by pre-service teachers following the microteaching session. Bivariate correlation and ANOVA anayses were conducted to evaluate the learning style-teaching relationship. Results showed that students’ teaching evaluation scores were positively correlated with their active experimentation (AE) and negatively correlated with their reflective observation (RO) scores. ANOVA results showed that accommodating students had significantly higher self-evaluation scores …

How A Teacher Educator In The Field Of The Education Of Hearing-Impaired Children Provides Feedback To A Student Teacher, Hasan Gürgür

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The aim of this article was to investigate how an experienced teacher educator (TE) specialized in the education of hearing-impaired children provides feedback to a student teacher regarding a planned, one-to-one conversation activity. This case study was conducted at Anadolu University, Education and Research Center for Hearing-Impaired Children with the participation of a TE, a student teacher, and a hearing-impaired student. Based on the study results, main themes relating to the TE’s activities before, during, and after the conversation and his feedback were identified. The study findings were discussed in light of the current literature, and various recommendations were proposed.

Investigating The Literacy, Numeracy And Ict Demands Of Primary Teacher Education, Helen De Silva Joyce, Susan Feez, Eveline Chan, Stephen Tobias

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The pre-service programs delivered in Australian teacher education institutions are expected to graduate students who meet externally determined standards, including standards in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. These programs are also expected to educate future teachers in professional knowledge and practice, as well as prepare them to engage in professional learning continuously throughout their careers. This paper reports on the first phase of a project that investigated the literacy, numeracy and ICT demands of assessment tasks across the four years of the Bachelor of Education (Primary) program at a regional university.

Prospective Elementary Mathematics Teacher Content Knowledge: An Introduction, Christine Browning, Eva Thanheiser, Alden Edson, Patrick M. Kimani, Dana Olanoff, Jennifer M. Tobias, Ian Whitacre

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This Special Issue on the mathematical content knowledge of prospective elementary teachers (PTs) provides summaries of the extant peer-­‐reviewed research literature from 1978 to 2012 on PTs’ content knowledge across several mathematical topics, specifically whole number and operations, fractions, decimals, geometry and measurement, and algebra. Each topic-­‐specific summary of the literature is presented in a self-­‐contained paper, written by a subgroup of a larger Working Group that has collaborated across several years, resulting in this Special Issue sharing the final work. The authors hope this summative look at prospective teacher content knowledge will be of interest to the mathematics education …

The Effect Of A Professional Development Model On Teachers' Knowledge, Beliefs And Instructional Practices In Teaching Early Reading, Gemma Scarparolo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The release of several major evidence-based reports and reviews worldwmilcatide in the last 15 years on teaching reading, have reported that one of the most effective ways to teach the necessary decoding skills for beginning readers is to include and teach phonological awareness and phonics in an explicit, direct and systematic manner. To achieve this, researchers and educators have placed an emphasis on the key role that evidence-based professional development plays in providing teachers with the necessary knowledge, understandings and instructional skills to be able to teach these skills effectively to beginning readers. Professional development has three aims: to change …

The Perceptions Of Caucasian Female Elementary Teachers And The Overrepresentation Of African-American Males In Special Education, Thomas Seaberry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a disproportionate amount of African-American males in special education programs. Several factors have been offered by researchers as to why this phenomenon continues to be a problem throughout the county. The purpose of this study was to understand how Caucasian female teachers' perceptions of African-American male students might influence their overrepresentation in special education. This qualitative study employed an ethnographic case study method, and relied primarily on a pilot study and teacher interviews to obtain data related to this phenomenon. Using this research design, the researcher established six themes related to the research phenomenon: (1) cultural discontinuity between …