Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons^™

Teachers' Attitudes And Their Effect On Placement Recommendations For Students With Cognitive Disabilities, Kathleen M. Everett

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

The implementation of Public Law 94-142 in 1974 guaranteed that students with disabilities had the right to be educated alongside their peers in the least restrictive environment. However, decades later, administrators, teachers, and parents continue to struggle to resolve the issue on how to include students with disabilities in general education classrooms, as well as how to recognize why students with cognitive disabilities were embodied more in self-contained classrooms than in comprehensive environments. In this study, I aimed to understand how special education teachers’ attitudes about inclusion, LRE, and students with cognitive disabilities influence placement recommendations. Through the qualitative thematic …

The Role Of Technology In Elementary Schools How Has Technology Taken Over?, Alyssa Kersey

University Honors Program

Starting in kindergarten, at the age of five, children are beginning to learn with technological gadgets such as iPads and computers. Society today continuously brings technology into as many aspects of life as possible, even in the elementary schools. Educators need to be aware of this rapidly changing culture to keep up with the times as well as their students. Teachers can integrate this technology into their curriculum to help enhance and differentiate learning for their students. Methodologies used in conducting research on this topic consisted of online journals, books, and a survey written up and handed out to actual …

Stepping Out With The Fop: Literacies Of Embodiment And Becoming In Youth Drama, Treavor Bogard

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Drawing upon perspectives of New Literacy Studies, characterization and gender performativity, this interpretive case study used Multimodal Inter(Action) Analysis and ethnographic methods to examine how a queer youth, Michael, embodied the fop character type as he acted in a youth theatre troupe. The study examines Michael’s embodiment of the fop as a composition process in drama that evoked discourses of queer masculinity and the performativity of selves becoming. Embodied composing of characterizations in the troupe, and specifically the fop, were multimodal designs that intertwined with Michael’s self-cultivation and self-efficacy as a queer youth.

Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives Of Cooperative Learning To Create Music In Orff Schulwerk Classrooms, Nicole A. Chapman

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

The Framework for 21st Century Learning identifies four learning and innovation skills to prepare students for a changing world. The 4Cs identified are critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity (Framework for 21st Century Learning, 2015). With the adoption of this new teaching framework, it is important that music educators evaluate their own teaching methods to meet the needs of their students in a changing society. The purpose of this study was to examine how cooperative group learning is currently integrated in the Orff-Schulwerk certified teachers’ elementary music classroom as part of the creative music process. In this qualitative study, I …

Determining If Custodial Grandparents Of Pre-K - Third Grade Students Perceive Delivery Of Information And Services Offered As Effective In Decreasing Early Chronic Absence, Kimberly S. Cassidy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the delivery of information and services offered to grandparents who had become the primary caregivers of pre-k through third grade students to determine if the information and services were effective in decreasing chronic early absence as defined by Chang and Romero (2008). This mixed-method, multi-case study focused on the perceived needs of custodial grandparents and examined if the school system was meeting their needs through delivery of information and services. The researcher sought participation from 5 custodial grandparents who had grandchildren in pre-k, kindergarten, first, second, or third grades in a Northeast Tennessee school system and whose …

Professional Learning Communities As A Professional Development Model Focusing On Instructional Practices Used To Teach Writing In Early Childhood, Jill T. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the implementation of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) as a professional development model effective in altering teachers‘ perceptions of their knowledge and skill in teaching developmental writing in grades K-3. This research is necessary to examine how offering teachers collaborative support needed for understanding and implementing research-based best practice approaches to teach developmental writing strengthens the quality of instructional practice necessary to meet rigorous standards being imparted from Common Core Standards. Through the development of a PLC, teachers have an opportunity for collaborating within the school building, which provides optimal …

Deaf Children’S Science Content Learning In Direct Instruction Versus Interpreted Instruction, Kim B. Kurz, Brenda Schick, Peter C. Hauser

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This research study compared learning of 6-9th grade deaf students under two modes of educational delivery – interpreted vs. direct instruction using science lessons. Nineteen deaf students participated in the study in which they were taught six science lessons in American Sign Language. In one condition, the lessons were taught by a hearing teacher in English and were translated in ASL via a professional and certified interpreter. In the second condition, the lessons were taught to the students in ASL by a deaf teacher. All students saw three lessons delivered via an interpreter and three different lessons in direct ASL; …

What I Taught My Stem Instructor About Teaching: What A Deaf Student Hears That Others Cannot, Annemarie Ross, Randy K. Yerrick

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Overall, science teaching at the university level has remained in a relatively static state. There is much research and debate among university faculty regarding the most effective methods of teaching science. But it remains largely rhetoric. The traditional lecture model in STEM higher education is limping along in its march toward inclusion and equity. The NGSS and Common Core reform efforts do little to help university science teachers to change their orientation from largely lecture-driven practice with laboratory supplements. While it is impossible to address all diverse student groups, the need for accommodations tend to be overlooked. As a Deaf …

Modeling Alphabet Skills As Instructive Feedback Within A Phonological Awareness Curriculum, Arnold Olszewski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the use of instructive feedback for modeling early literacy skills. Instructive feedback is defined as the presentation of additional information during the positive feedback phase of learner trials. Thus, it is a way of modeling additional information when students respond to a trial correctly. Previous studies have demonstrated that instructive feedback can facilitate students’ observational learning of skills, such as sight words, numerals, and vocabulary. Instructive feedback has yet to be investigated when modeling early literacy skills.

A modified version of an evidence-based early literacy intervention, PAth to Literacy, was used. Studies examining the efficacy of …

Learning From Finland: A Book Review, John M. Winslade

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

A review of Pasi Sahlberg’s (2015) Finnish Lessons 2.0: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland (2^nd Edn.).

The Power Of Nature: Developing Prosocial Behavior Toward Nature And Peers Through Nature-Based Activities, Ibrahim H. Acar, Julia C. Torquati

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

An early childhood teacher nurtures children’s perspective taking and respect for another living thing. These interactions happen daily at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center (SANC) Preschool in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Experiences like this promote children’s development of prosocial behavior, consistent with the Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence (NAAEE 2010). This article examines the research question, How can teachers nurture the development of prosocial behavior for preschool-aged children through nature-based play and activities? To address this question, five researchers (including the second author) conducted 74 running record observations of children’s behavior and social interactions over the course of two …

How Do We Know A Good Teacher (1948), Barbara Biber, Agnes Snyder

Bank Street Thinkers

In engagingly simple language, the authors illustrate the many facets of personality and knowledge that make up good teachers and good teaching. They also detail the many reasons why evaluating good teaching is so difficult.

What Is Bank Street? (1973), Barbara Biber

Bank Street Thinkers

Biber provides an overview of the Bank Street philosophy. She covers the following areas: the School for Children; the Graduate School's preparation of teachers; Bank Street College's broader role in the world of education through its programs for change; and its educational perspective.

The Insider Perspective: Insights On Diversity From Award-Winning Diverse Authors, Jackie Marshall Arnold, Mary-Kate Sableski

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

There is perhaps no better source to speak about diverse literature than the “insider” authors who have been writing it for years. We were fortunate to speak with three accomplished authors of diverse books for children who invite students into their books—Pat Mora, Kadir Nelson, and Janet Wong. Invited to participate in phone and e-mail interviews based on their reputation for publishing diverse books, each author shares his or her perspective on this timely topic.

Pondering Diversity, Mary-Kate Sableski

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

I heard a story on the radio recently about Misty Copeland and Brooklyn Mack, two African American ballet dancers who starred in a production of Swan Lake by the Washington Ballet. It was the first time ever two black dancers starred in the production, and its significance lay in the symbolism inherent in the story of the beautiful white swan that falls in love with the handsome prince.

The Impact Of Early Numeracy Intervention On Kindergarten Students, Jennifer L. Hill

EDL Sixth Year Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of early numeracy intervention with kindergarten students. In order to grow a stronger understanding of how providing mathematics intervention can benefit students, the intervention was provided to kindergarten students aimed to seek answers to how providing the earliest possible intervention can positively impact the achievement gap and a child’s understanding of number. This study explored the impact early numeracy intervention had on five kindergarten students and compared their growth to those of their peers not receiving intervention to determine the positive impact providing Response to Intervention had on kindergarten students. …

Reading Intervention Using Interactive Metronome Treatment, Denise Lewis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this research study was to examine the effects of Interactive Metronome (IM), a non-academic treatment, when integrated with reading intervention. The intention was to analyze the degree to which IM affected fluency when introduced alongside reading intervention. The research questions that guided this study focused on how internal timekeeping affects reading fluency. This study used a multiple baseline across participant’s single-subject design. Three participants were monitored to determine a baseline using Curriculum Based Measures and Correct Word Per Minute data, and then each received a total of 15 hours of Interactive Metronome treatment. Progress was documented with …

An Exploration Of Infant And Toddler Child Care Consultation: A Multiple Case Study, Christine Marie John

Communication Disorders & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative, multiple case study was an exploration of the professional development (PD) experience of consultation as it occurred within infant and toddler child care settings. Consultation is dependent upon the establishment of a relationship between the consultant and the consultee and offers opportunities for professional growth and enhanced quality child care. This researcher followed four infant and toddler child care consultants working with child care centers through a quality enhancement PD program in a Mid-Atlantic state. Within each of the four participating centers, a member of the administration and one infant and/or toddler caregiver along with their consultant contributed …

Spiritual And Religious Capabilities For Catholic Schools, Christine Mcgunnigle, Chris Hackett

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

The Australian Curriculum articulates the role of general capabilities across all learning areas in the schooling years. The function of these general capabilities is to ensure that students have the dispositions and skills that provide for deep learning and the ability to function successfully in the 21^st Century. Within Catholic schools, these same general capabilities apply. Catholic schools, in recognising the mission of the Church, are however, called to ensure that not only are students able to participate in the 21^st Century context, but that they are able to evangelise through the integration of faith, life and culture. …

Children's Picky Eating And The Role Of Family Environments, Maureen Lyons

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Picky eating is often seen as a temporary phase that children go through in the developmental process. While some children never exhibit picky eating behaviors, others seem to get stuck in the tendency of judging foods, which they have never tried, based upon a pretense that the food might not meet with their satisfaction. Learning more about children’s preferred food groups and types of foods, along with the family environmental factors experienced by these children may help to understand ways to support children who struggle with picky eating. Introducing children to new foods within a positive atmosphere, where they are …

No.4, September 2015: Incorporating Scaffolded Dialogic Reading Practice In Teacher Training: An Opportunity To Improve Instruction For Young Dual Language Learners In Transitional Kindergarten, Carola Matera Ph.D.

Education and Policy Briefs

Findings from a joint collaborative between the Center for Equity for English Learners (CEEL) at Loyola Marymount University and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to provide professional development and coaching to Transitional Kindergarten (TK) teachers on the Scaffolded Dialogic Reading (SDR) are presented in this policy brief. SDR is a method to enhance language skills through dialogue and research-based scaffolds between teachers and small groups of children mediated through repeated readings of storybooks. The purpose of this brief is to: 1) state the opportunity to ensure Dual Language Learner (DLL) support within California’s TK policy; 2) provide a …

Media-Educational Habitus Of Future Educators In The Context Of Education In Day-Care Centers, Henrike Friedrichs

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This doctoral research study has three research questions: (1) How are the forms of media-educational habitus of future educators shaped? (2) What conditions influence whether or not media education is done in day-care centers? The qualitative study (9/2011-6/2012) consists of six semi-structured interviews with media education teachers in educator training, four focus group discussions with future educators in the second year of their courses and four group discussions with future educators in their third year. The analysis using the documentary method shows two different forms of habitus: ‘The day-care center as shelter against 'bad' electronic media’ (type I) and ‘media …

Assessing Young Children's Literacy And Mathematics Understandings, Collette Taylor, Joanne Mulligan, Maurice Walker, Prue Anderson, Marion Meiers

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Current research indicates that young children are capable of developing mathematical concepts and reasoning much earlier than previously considered. Moderated by Professor Collette Tayler, this symposium on assessing young children's literacy and mathematics understandings is in three parts. Firstly the authors explore the Pattern and Structure Assessment (PASA). PASA is an early mathematical assessment interview which focuses on a range of concepts and processes and is linked with mathematical attainment in the ACER Progressive Achievement Tests in Maths (PATMaths). Secondly, the authors report on the piloting of an early-years technology-based tool called the Digital Early Reading and Mathematics Assessment (DERMA). …

The Relationship Between An Affective Instructional Design, Children’S Attitudes Toward Mathematics, And Math Learning For Kindergarten-Age Children, Wendee B. White Mrs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the relationship between an Affective Instructional Design (AID), children’s attitudes toward math, and math learning. Participants included 15 kindergarten children at a university K-12 laboratory school located in East Tennessee. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-intervention (AID)-posttest design. Data, including pretest/posttest attitude surveys, and baseline and intervention non-participant video observations of math learning and math attitudes, during 13 math lessons were coded and analyzed. As hypothesized, a significant positive correlation (r = 0.936, p = 0.000) was found between attitude and math learning. Additionally significant differences were found between the baseline (pre-intervention) mean score and the final …

Use Of The Physical Classroom Environment As A Teaching And Learning Tool Including The Impact Of The Ccssi In Kindergarten Through Third Grade Classrooms In Northeast Tennessee, Charity Hensley-Pipkin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The specific goal of this study was to determine the use of the physical classroom environment as a teaching and learning tool in an era of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). This qualitative multi-case study focused on the learning principles and epistemological beliefs of primary teachers with reference to the physical classroom environment and the teaching process in regard to meeting the expectations set forth by the CCSSI. The researcher sought participation from a city school district in Northeast Tennessee which included a total of 8 participating teachers consisting of 2 each of grades kindergarten, …

Interrogating Views On The Evaluation Of The Quality Of Pre-Primary Education In Tanzania: A Stakeholders’ Perspective, Pambas Basil Tandika Dr

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper reports the findings of a study on the evaluation of the quality of education in Tanzania, conducted amidst worries that the quality of education has slumped as learning in pre-primary class is different from that of other education levels. In determining the quality of pre-primary education, a qualitative descriptive design was employed, involving pre-primary school teachers, parents, primary school supervisors, curriculum developers and educational policy-makers who were purposively selected. The study found that self- and external evaluations were means through which the evaluation of the quality was conducted. It further determined teacher-related criteria, the learning environment, and learners’ …

Reading Between The Play Lines, A Play-Based Research Study: Children At Play Acquiring Literacy Skills Socially And Through Self-Discovery, Brianne Siderio

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this qualitative research were to observe a group of kindergarten students during play exploration and determine how kindergarten students acquire literacy skills socially and through self-discovery. Students demonstrated a wide acquisition of literacy skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language during play exploration. Students acquired these skills socially among peers and through self-discovery while experimenting and exploring with play materials. Themes that emerged from play exploration sessions and interpretations of play episodes and student work are discussed. Implications for future research in the area of play in kindergarten are considered.

Improving Student Engagement In Preschool Classrooms With Developmentally Appropriate Read Aloud Opportunities, Kimberly Russomanno

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of various presentations of read aloud and engagement in a preschool classroom in order to improve emergent literacy and listening comprehension. Engagement was looked at as well in respect to teacher expectations and what the research unveiled. The research took place over four weeks in a half day preschool inclusion program. The research looked at traditional story book reading, interactive shared reading, e-books, repeated readings and story props for retelling of familiar stories. Read aloud sessions were recorded over the four week period to look for patterns in student and …

Impact Of A Teacher Training Program To Increase Informative Praise And Decrease Commands And Negative Comments, Lauren A. Binford

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research has found that many children who come from a low socioeconomic background often begin their schooling careers behind most students. Head Start programs around the nation are utilized to close the gap in achievement, by providing those students with the educational support necessary to prepare them for future schooling. However, when assessed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), Head Start programs have been found to be weaker in the area of Instructional Support. As a result, teachers are falling short in the way they provide feedback, incorporate higher thinking skills, and foster language development. In order to strengthen …

Imagination: Active In Teaching And Learning, Christopher Cunningham

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

This autoethnography tells the story of the author’s endeavor to examine my teaching during a sculpture lesson in three 2^nd grade art classes in a mid-western suburban Title I elementary school. I analyze my planning, teaching, reflecting through the lens of Stuart Richmond’s Characteristics of Imaginative Teaching as well as noted educational theorists’ conceptions of imagination and imaginative teaching and learning. These theorists include but are not limited to Maxine Greene, Kieran Egan, John Dewey, and The Lincoln Center Institute’s Capacities for Imaginative Learning. I conclude that imaginative teaching is an intentional act and that there is no …