Elementary Education and Teaching Commons^™

Supporting Mathematic Achievement For Students With Learning Disabilities Through Enhanced Anchored Instruction, Wendie Lappin Castillo

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Difficulties in mathematical learning are common and significant.The struggle has increased exponentially with the Common Core State Standards in effect. Students with or without learning or mathematical disabilities may respond to continued failure by withdrawing their effort, carrying low self-esteem, and/or displaying avoidance behaviors. Enhanced anchored instruction is designed to provide students the opportunity to construct knowledge and design solutions to problems collaboratively. The approach of enhanced anchored instruction attempts to guide students to become more active in learning through the use of technology. Enhanced anchored instruction provides students the opportunity to work through problems attached to a visual anchor. …

Positive Traits, Perma And Well-Being Of Esl Teachers In Primary Schools, Punithan Shanmugam

Student Works (2020-2029)

With the advancement of Positive Psychology within the field of SLA over the years, research on the emerging positive traits of hope, optimism, grit, and PERMA has been found to yield productive outcomes on health, life satisfaction and meaning in life. Nonetheless, there is a scarcity of research involving the positive traits and PERMA on the well-being of ESL teachers within the Malaysian context. Thus, this paper examines the influence of positive traits on the well-being of the primary level ESL teachers in Malaysia. This paper also analyses the strength of PERMA in predicting the relationships between the positive traits …

An Exploration Of Teacher Preparation Practices With Foundational Knowledge Of Literacy, Marla K. Robertson Phd, Laurie A. Sharp, Roberta Raymond, Rebekah E. Piper Phd

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

The Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 published by the International Literacy Association provide the basis for high-quality literacy teacher preparation. This study used qualitative survey responses to explore the literacy practices that teacher educators use to promote understandings among preservice teachers for each grade-level band (i.e., Pre-K/Primary, Elementary/Intermediate, Middle/High School). The researchers used conceptualizations of teacher knowledge as a theoretical lens to better understand reported preparation practices. Data analysis revealed three themes: Teacher Educator Pedagogy, Course Content, Student and Program Expectations. Researchers posit that teacher educators do not evenly focus on all components of literacy and …

Saudi Elementary Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge For Teaching Fractions, Mona Khalifah A Aladil

Dissertations

Recent reform efforts in Saudi Arabia attend to mathematics instruction with a great deal of emphasis to improve Saudi mathematics education. Studies in different countries have confirmed that teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching plays an important role in mathematical quality of instruction and students’ achievement (e.g., Ball, 1990; Baumert et al., 2010; Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005). Yet few studies about mathematics teachers’ knowledge for teaching have been conducted in the Saudi context. This study investigates Saudi elementary mathematics teachers’ knowledge for teaching in the content strand of rational numbers with an emphasis on fractions, which is an important step …

Civic Education In South Dakota K-12 Schools: The Effect On Students From K-12 To Adulthood, Katrina Marie Callahan

Honors Thesis

The South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) has emphasized the importance of civic education within the past four years. Since then, they have created various surveys and distributed them to the South Dakota K-12 teachers. This report discusses two surveys that were created for the purpose of helping the DOE in their efforts to increase the impact of civic education within the state and determine whether what they are currently doing is working on their students. The first survey was sent to SD K-12 teachers and the second to University of South Dakota students in order to compare the answers …

Copyright Information, Todd Pagano, Sami Kahn

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Call For Manuscript, Todd Pagano, Sami Kahn

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Looking Back To Move Forward: Reflections Of Practicing Teachers On Their Pre-Service Preparation, Brian Bowen

Journal of Educational Research and Innovation

The purpose of this study was to better understand the knowledge and skills related to teaching of mathematics in-service teachers perceived as important for beginning teachers and what knowledge from their pre-service preparation they were able to apply in their instruction. Data was collected from practicing elementary and middle grades teachers who received their undergraduate preparation within the past eight years from a university in the Northeastern United States. Results suggest that even a single learning opportunity can have a lasting impact on the pedagogical practice of novice teachers.

A Theory/Practice Divide: Exploring Perceptions Of Inclusion In Schools, Christine L. Cho

Intersections: Critical Issues in Education

This article explores the theory-practice divide with respect to actualizing how diversity and inclusion can be explicitly addressed in schools. This paper contributes important insights for teacher educators in terms of recognizing and challenging problematic assumptions teacher candidates (TCs) may hold. This research presses TCs to examine the structure of schools through a critical lens, as teachers, particularly those from the dominant group, tend to act in surface ways, avoiding conflict by using seemingly inclusive language and ideas, and either ignoring or not seeing the real challenges many historically marginalized students face. The assignment upon which this study was based …

Educational Leadership, Leader-Member Exchange And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Gabriela Flores, Denver J. Fowler, Richard A. Posthuma

Journal of Global Education and Research

The purpose of this article is to examine social cognitive theory and social comparison theory, and how they are integrated to propose that self-efficacy mediates the relationship between leader-member exchange social comparison (LMXSC) and performance. Furthermore, the article supports the need for development and examination of the effects of educational leadership and teacher self-efficacy. That is, to determine if school leadership has an effect on teacher self-efficacy, and if teacher self-efficacy has an effect on student achievement. The preliminary conceptual model developed within the article includes insightful research questions to be considered for impending future studies. The authors hope this …

A Program Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Fundations And Reading Strategies Professional Development, Cecile Amy Farino

Dissertations

This program evaluation focused on a research-based reading intervention program implemented in a public school district. It also considered the professional development provided in reading strategies and the use of the program to increase students’ reading achievement levels. A problem I identified with using a reading intervention program was it did not identify student deficiencies, and educators lacked the knowledge of basic reading foundational skills to help identify students’ deficiencies. In my research, I examined one elementary school and the administrative team members’ implementation of the reading intervention program. The literature I presented focused on two phases of reading: the …

Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning To Support 21st Century Learners, Nikki Hensley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand teacher perceptions of blended learning as an instructional methodology for addressing the needs of diverse learners. The researcher explored the perceptions of teachers who were participating in an ongoing professional development program within their school district. This program focused on improving teaching and learning through the implementation of a blended learning approach. The researcher examined the experiences of teachers as they learned to adapt pedagogical practices to address the learning needs of 21st century students through blended learning. The researcher sought to gain a better understanding of how teachers perceived that …

Culturally Responsive Science Education And Teaching: Current Literature, Preservice Elementary Science Teachers And Lesson Planning, Lundon Pinneo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

First, a meta-analysis of Culturally Responsive (CR) science teaching characteristics and practices was conducted. Findings revealed that there are a limited number of CR teaching studies at the elementary science level. When studies conducted at the middle, secondary and postsecondary level were included, six themes which encompassed the characteristics and pedagogical practices of effective CR science teachers and teacher development emerged. These themes were academics, cultural competency, social inequities, CR learning environment, rejection of the deficit lens and pedagogical strategies.

Next, the impact of curriculum and practices designed to reflect these six themes on preservice elementary science teachers was explored. …

Teachers' Interventions To In-Person Bullying And Cyberbullying Situations, Amaia Lojo Novo

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises five chapters, and it is an article-based format that studies teachers’ needs and characteristics regarding bullying intervention. It is divided into two phases that are explained through the different chapters. Chapter One explains the problem's overall background and provides an introduction to the three papers presented in the next chapters. Chapter Two presents the First Phase of the dissertation, which provided information about teachers’ knowledge, concerns, and practice regarding bullying. Findings demonstrate that Idaho education professionals need training and resources to help them intervene appropriately, especially with cyberbullying. Chapter Three focuses on the following potential teachers’ characteristics …

Engaging Equity Pedagogies In Computer Science Learning Environments, Tia C. Madkins, Nicol R. Howard, Natalie Freed

Journal of Computer Science Integration

In this position paper, we advocate for the use of equity-focused teaching and learning as an essential practice within computer science classrooms. We provide an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of various equity pedagogies (Banks & Banks, 1995), such as culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995, 2006) and share how they have been utilized in CS classrooms. First, we provide a brief history of CS education and issues of equity within public schools in the United States. In sharing our definition of equity, along with our rationale for how and why these strategies can be taken up in computer science (CS) …

A Quantitative Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of A Global Online Professional Development Course To Enhance 21st Century Skills In Stem Instructional Design, Chris Link

Dissertations

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are becoming increasingly important in the 21st century workforce, but there is currently a shortage of STEM professionals around the world. Even when students graduate with STEM degrees, many lack basic interpersonal skills such as communication and problem solving that would position them for success in the marketplace. The New York Academy of Science developed the STEM Education Framework to help ensure that STEM curricula teach the Essential Skills that students need in order to thrive in the modern workplace. In order for educators to proficiently utilize the STEM Education Framework, they must …

Preservice Teacher Perceptions Of Coding In Literacy Instruction, Denise Frazier, Anastasia M. Trekles

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Coding is a language with many similarities to what is traditionally thought of as literacy. Preservice teachers are familiar with literacy instruction, but were not exposed to computer science during their K-12 education nor in their teacher education course work. Yet, they are responsible for preparing children for future careers, including the growing field of computer science, which should be integrated as early as possible into the general education curriculum to build awareness, interest, and ultimately, skills. In this study, preservice teachers in a K-6 reading interventions class were trained in Scratch and provided a template to use with children …

Practicing Policy: Preservice Teachers’ Experiences With A Proficiency-Based Education Model, Meredith Jc Swallow

Journal of Practitioner Research

Abstract: Varying policy on the implementation of proficiency-based education (PBE) presents a challenge in the preparation of future educators. It becomes critical to include structures and strategies in teacher education programs that support learning and application in different assessment frameworks. This study explores a piloted PBE model in a university teacher preparation course to better understand the enactment of PBE in classrooms, and the associated teaching and learning implications in a university setting. Results point toward reflection, choice, and standards as objectives as benefits of a PBE model, while challenges include time and scalability in classrooms. Implications focus on the …

A Framework And Resources For Measuring Student Needs And Development During Remote And Blended Learning, Ginger M. Reynolds

Practitioner Toolkits and Resources

No abstract provided.

Cultivating Teachers When The School Doors Are Shut: Two Teacher-Educators Reflect On Supervision, Instruction, Change And Opportunity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Crystal C. Loose, Michael G. Ryan

Early & Middle Grades Education Faculty Publications

Seven weeks into our Spring 2020 semester, the Covid-19 pandemic was wreaking havoc on the world. The pandemic caused immediate shutdowns to schools and universities fundamentally changing how we plan for, teach, guide, and work with students. This paper explores how two first-year Assistant Professors navigated the challenges we faced and the learning opportunities we embraced while continuing our work as teacher educators amid a pandemic-induced shutdown. We employed collective self-study to examine our experiences while transitioning to remote learning with pre-service teachers using Moore's (2012, 1993, 1989) transactional distance theory as an analytical framework to review our work as …

Spilling The Lgbt(Ea)Q: A Study Of Lgbtq Youth Early School Experiences, Nicholas Catania

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this arts-based qualitative study, I explore the experiences of LGBTQ youth regarding inclusion during their early schooling. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of youth participants regarding inclusion during their early school experiences to better assist educators and policy-makers at all levels with information to provide safe and equitable learning environments for LGBTQ youth to succeed. The intent of this study was to uncover the ways schools may marginalize or be inclusive of LGBTQ youth by examining school experiences with a particular focus at the elementary level. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, …

If I Knew Then What I Do Now: Fostering Pre-Service Teachers’ Capacity To Promote Expansive And Critical Conversations With Children’S Literature, Stephen Adam Crawley

Occasional Paper Series

In this article, I reflect on my practices as a teacher educator and respond to the following questions: How do I foster the capacity of pre-service teachers to use children’s literature to promote expansive and critical conversations in the classroom? How do pre-service teachers report their stances and sense of preparedness when reflecting on the course? To address these questions, I share two strategies I employed in my undergraduate course for elementary education majors: 1) emphasizing children's literature as windows and mirrors and 2) considering stakeholder responses. For each strategy, I include preservice teachers’ (PTs’) statements that reflect how the …

What Do You Do When You Don't Know How To Respond? Supporting Pre-Service Teachers To Use Picture Books To Facilitate Difficult Conversations, Kathryn Struthers Ahmed, Nida Ali

Occasional Paper Series

In this paper, the authors – a preservice teacher (PST) and a teacher educator – consider how teacher education might better prepare PSTs to use picture books to facilitate difficult conversations in elementary classrooms. They share missed opportunities from their own experiences in a fourth-grade fieldwork classroom and in a graduate-level elementary literacy methods course where they felt unprepared to respond to students’ comments about “controversial” topics. They reimagine how these experiences might have been transformed to be more educative for PSTs, first by considering how they could have responded more thoughtfully in the moment and then by thinking about …

We Are All Learning About Climate Change: Teaching With Picture Books To Engage Teachers And Students, Ysaaca D. Axelrod, Denise Ives, Rachel Weaver

Occasional Paper Series

The topic of climate change and climate justice is politically charged, doesn’t sit neatly within a single subject or content area, and raises concerns of not being ‘age appropriate’ for young children. In this paper we describe how teacher educators in an elementary education program support a student teacher who took up the topic of climate change and climate justice in her 1st grade teaching placement. She designed a unit around a picture book that focuses on the words and work of Greta Thunberg, and used a diverse set of texts to support students’ understanding of the complexity of climate …

Classrooms As Workplace: “Early Pre-Service” Stem Teaching Experience In A University-Based Summer Stem Institute, Daniel Choi, Antoinette S. Linton

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

The focus of study is to examine the impact that The Orange County Teacher Pathway Partnership (OC-TPP) at CSU Fullerton has had on participants’ (community college transfer students) skills and experiences gained in each of the program years from years 2015-2018. Students who participated in the STEM Institute gained pre-professional skills and teaching experience through various activities in the program. Students remained on the teacher pathway because the program allowed them to break out of their comfort zones, build social connections, and adjust to various groups of people. Attending the program increased college student confidence in content knowledge and content-based …

The Classroom As A Catalyst For Change: Promoting Anti-Racist Pedagogy Through Tolerance In The Elementary Classroom, Madison Setchell

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing research on anti-racist education and synthesize that information to develop lesson plans that teachers can use to promote tolerance in their classrooms. Review of the literature in this area reveals gaps in current curriculum and teaching practices. The literature on teaching tough topics concludes that difficult subjects should be used as a guide for discussion within the low stakes environment of a classroom. Three tolerance-centered lesson plans were developed using the Inquiry Design Model (Grant, 2017). This model highlights key ideas of a topic, presents three supporting questions related to …

An Evaluative Study Of The Rural Elementary Teachers’ Perspective On The Partnership Between Rural Public Elementary Schools And Nebraska Extension, Tammera Mittelstet

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

Science education reform is a new reality for Elementary Teachers who have found themselves in a paradigm shift as Nebraska implements its NCCRS-S standards. This reform and implementation process might benefit from the support of Nebraska Extension. The purpose of this evaluative study was twofold: (a) determine elementary teachers' awareness, current use, and future recommendations regarding extension resources in Nebraska’s rural elementary schools and (b) inform guidelines for future development of community partnerships and distribution of Nebraska Extension resources for elementary science instruction.

Data for this study was gathered using Qualtrics and was analyzed with SPSS version 27 software. The …

Leveraging The Science Of Learning To Enhance Student Success: An Application Of Syfr Learning’S Principles Of Practice, Jennifer S. Jones, Christopher L. Thomas

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of the current article is to describe a set of empirically validated principles of practice with the potential to enhance student learning and academic performance. Specifically, we provide an overview of Syfr Learning’s principles of practice – a collection of scalable instructional techniques derived from decades of research in the domain of learning science. Further, we provide an illustrative example of the benefits of Syfr Learning’s principles of practice when incorporated into existing curricula in a K-12 setting.

Brain Science And Parent-School Relationships In A Title 1 Elementary School In Massachusetts: A Basic Qualitative Study, Arij Rached, Simone Elias, Linda Wilson-Jones

Journal of Research Initiatives

Bandura's (1977) social cognitive theory contends that people think, learn, and perform based upon a sum of personal (e.g., beliefs, emotions, behaviors), social (home-school relationships), and environmental (school culture). Also, research has already determined that collaboration between home and school leads to better children's social-emotional learning (SEL) (August, Anderson, & Bloomquist, 1992; Cooper & Redfern, 2016; Grant & Ray, 2018). Thus, a basic qualitative research tradition was used to better understand elementary public-school parents' perceptions of the impact of parent-school relationships on children SEL development in a Title 1 school in Massachusetts (MA). Thru the lenses of brain science, a …

The Dimensions Of Teachers Who Write And The Essence Of A Writing Life, Shari L. Daniels, Pamela Beck

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

The purpose of this grounded theory case study was to explore the perceptions among ten K-12 teachers who teach writing and also write themselves. What are the key essentials for teachers to sustain a writing life? What habits of mind or attitudes are necessary for teachers to sustain a writing life? Interviews served as the primary data source along with writing artifacts from the participants’ own writing life. Findings indicate that teacher-writers committed to a writing life do so for the purpose of 1) discovering meaning, 2) connections to others 3) commitment to learning and 4) well-being, with an overall …