The Relationship between Work Engagement and Organizational Trust: A Study of Elementary School Teachers in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gülbahar, Bahadir

2017-01-01

The relationships based on trust which are established by a teacher with a school's internal stakeholders can provide greater engagement in work. Teachers who are engaged in their jobs can be decisive in turning their schools into successful and effective schools. It is important to research the relationship between work engagement and…

Bullying Victimization and Student Engagement in Elementary, Middle, and High Schools: Moderating Role of School Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Chunyan; Sharkey, Jill D.; Reed, Lauren A.; Chen, Chun; Dowdy, Erin

2018-01-01

Bullying is the most common form of school violence and is associated with a range of negative outcomes, including traumatic responses. This study used hierarchical linear modeling to examine the multilevel moderating effects of school climate and school level (i.e., elementary, middle, and high schools) on the association between bullying…

Classroom Peer Relationships and Behavioral Engagement in Elementary School: The Role of Social Network Equity

PubMed Central

Cappella, Elise; Kim, Ha Yeon; Neal, Jennifer W.; Jackson, Daisy R.

2014-01-01

Applying social capital and systems theories of social processes, we examine the role of the classroom peer context in the behavioral engagement of low-income students (N = 80) in urban elementary school classrooms (N = 22). Systematic child observations were conducted to assess behavioral engagement among second to fifth graders in the fall and spring of the same school year. Classroom observations, teacher and child questionnaires, and social network data were collected in the fall. Confirming prior research, results from multilevel models indicate that students with more behavioral difficulties or less academic motivation in the fall were less behaviorally engaged in the spring. Extending prior research, classrooms with more equitably distributed and interconnected social ties—social network equity—had more behaviorally engaged students in the spring, especially in classrooms with higher levels of observed organization (i.e., effective management of behavior, time, and attention). Moreover, social network equity attenuated the negative relation between student behavioral difficulties and behavioral engagement, suggesting that students with behavioral difficulties were less disengaged in classrooms with more equitably distributed and interconnected social ties. Findings illuminate the need to consider classroom peer contexts in future research and intervention focused on the behavioral engagement of students in urban elementary schools. PMID:24081319

Bullying victimization and student engagement in elementary, middle, and high schools: Moderating role of school climate.

PubMed

Yang, Chunyan; Sharkey, Jill D; Reed, Lauren A; Chen, Chun; Dowdy, Erin

2018-03-01

Bullying is the most common form of school violence and is associated with a range of negative outcomes, including traumatic responses. This study used hierarchical linear modeling to examine the multilevel moderating effects of school climate and school level (i.e., elementary, middle, and high schools) on the association between bullying victimization and student engagement. Participants included 25,896 students in 4th to 12th grades from 114 schools. Results indicated that, after controlling for student and school demographic factors, positive school climate was associated with higher behavioral/cognitive and emotional engagement of students across all grades. This highlights the critical and fundamental role of positive school climate in bullying prevention and intervention, among students across all grade levels, including those with frequent bullying victimization experience. Results also showed that negative associations between student-level bullying victimization and engagement were intensified in more positive school climates. This finding suggests that, in comparison with students in schools with less positive school climates, the engagement of bullying victims in schools with a more positive school climate might be more negatively influenced by their victimization experience. Additionally, the relation between student-level bullying victimization and emotional engagement was significantly different across middle and high schools. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Changes in Elementary Teachers' Implementation of Comprehension Strategies While Engaged in Collaborative Coaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Teresa J.

2012-01-01

Students in a rural elementary school in the southeastern United States were not performing well in comprehension development. Educators at the school needed more information on ways to enhance student understanding and performance. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how elementary teachers' implemented comprehension…

A Case Study on the Facilitation of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports in a Public Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shumway, John Todd

2017-01-01

Disruptive behaviors in elementary schools are a serious concern for teachers. With mounting pressure from school district administrations, state and federal government agencies, and the communities in which these schools reside, teachers often struggle to determine the best path to achieve consistent student engagement. When inappropriate…

Turkish Parents' Perceptions of Their Involvement in Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdener, Mehmet Akif

2013-01-01

Parent involvement has an influence on children's educational engagement during the elementary years. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of rural Turkish parents about their involvement in schooling with elementary school students based on Epstein's (1995) six types of parental involvement (parenting, communicating,…

Creative Pedagogies and Collaboration: An Action Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuntz, Aaron M.; Presnall, Marni M.; Priola, Maria; Tilford, Amy; Ward, Rhiannon

2013-01-01

This action research study involves nine elementary school teacher-researchers, one university faculty member, and one graduate student engaged in developing creative pedagogical practices in one elementary school in an urban school in Alabama, USA. Participants found that a teacher's experience of agency and their ability to work creatively…

Parents' Perceptions of Their Involvement in Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdener, Mehmet Akif; Knoeppel, Robert C.

2018-01-01

Parent involvement has an influence on children's educational engagement during the elementary years. The objective of this study was to examine the perceptions of rural Turkish parents about their involvement in schooling with elementary school students based on Epstein's (1995) six types of parental involvement (parenting, communicating,…

J C Nalle Elementary School, Washington, D.C. Schools on the Move: Stories of Urban Schools Engaged in Inclusive Journeys of Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Phil; Blumberg, Richard

This paper describes one urban school in the midst of change and renewal. J C Nalle Elementary School, Washington, DC, is a full-service community school that supports children and families. It is one of 85 schools with which the National Institute for Urban School Improvement is involved in partnerships for change. It is located in an…

Are middle schools harmful? The role of transition timing, classroom quality and school characteristics.

PubMed

Holas, Igor; Huston, Aletha C

2012-03-01

Are middle schools ill-suited for early adolescents, or can school characteristics account for any differences in student functioning? Achievement, school engagement, and perceived competence of children starting middle schools in 5th and 6th grades were compared to those of their same-grade peers in elementary schools in a national, longitudinal sample (NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, n = 855; 52% Female, 82% White). Classroom quality (observed and teacher-reported) and school characteristics (composition and size) were considered as explanations for any relationships between school-level and student functioning. Fifth grade middle school students did not differ from those in elementary school, but students entering middle school in 6th grade, compared to those in elementary school, experienced lower classroom quality, which in turn predicted slightly lower achievement. They also had lower school engagement, explained by larger school size. Classroom quality and school characteristics predicted youth functioning regardless of school type. We suggest reshaping the research and policy debate with renewed focus on classroom quality and school size instead of grade organization.

Linking Teacher and Parent Ratings of Teacher-Nominated Gifted Elementary School Students to Each Other and to School Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothenbusch, Sandra; Voss, Thamar; Golle, Jessika; Zettler, Ingo

2018-01-01

This study investigated teacher and parent ratings of teacher-nominated gifted elementary school students' verbal abilities, mathematical abilities, deductive reasoning, creative thinking, and engagement, and connected these ratings to school grades. Teacher and parent ratings were compared with regard to accuracy levels and halo effects.…

Perceived Norms and Social Values to Capture School Culture in Elementary and Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galvan, Adriana; Spatzier, Agnieszka; Juvonen, Jaana

2011-01-01

The current study was designed to gain insights into shifting school culture by examining perceived peer group norms and social values across elementary and middle school grades. Perceived norms were assessed by asking participants (N = 605) to estimate how many grade mates were academically engaged, disengaged, and antisocial. To capture social…

An elective course to engage student pharmacists in elementary school science education.

PubMed

Woodard, Lisa J; Wilson, Judith S; Blankenship, James; Quock, Raymond M; Lindsey, Marti; Kinsler, Janni J

2011-12-15

To develop and assess the impact of an elective course (HealthWISE) on student pharmacists' skills in communication and health promotion and elementary school students' knowledge of and attitudes toward science. Three colleges and schools of pharmacy collaborated to develop a 1-credit elective course that used online and classroom teaching and learning techniques to prepare student pharmacists to teach science in elementary school classrooms. Student pharmacists delivered 6 science lessons to elementary students over the course of 2 months. In weekly journal reflections and a final paper, student pharmacists reported improved communication and health promotion skills. Elementary teachers reported they were satisfied with student pharmacists' performance in the classroom. On pretest and posttest evaluations, elementary students demonstrated increased science knowledge and enhanced enthusiasm for science following the lessons taught by student pharmacists. The HealthWISE elective course provided positive benefit for student pharmacists, elementary school teachers, and elementary students.

Community Engagement as Catalyst for Professional Learning, Reflection, and Agency in Preservice-Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klehr, Mary

2015-01-01

I am a public elementary teacher currently serving as a school-based supervisor for a Professional Development School (PDS) undergraduate elementary-teacher-education program in Madison, Wisconsin, where our charge is to leverage the intersecting contexts of school, university, and community to prepare skilled and caring teachers for urban…

Too Good for Violence. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2006

2006-01-01

"Too Good for Violence" promotes character values, social-emotional skills, and healthy beliefs of elementary and middle school students. The program includes seven lessons per grade level for elementary school (K-5) and nine lessons per grade level for middle school (6-8). All lessons are scripted and engage students through…

Pathways to Aggression in Urban Elementary School Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozkol, Hivren; Zucker, Marla; Spinazzola, Joseph

2011-01-01

This study examined the pathways from violence exposure to aggressive behaviors in urban, elementary school youth. We utilized structural equation modeling to examine putative causal pathways between children's exposure to violence, development of posttraumatic stress symptoms, permissive attitudes towards violence, and engagement in aggressive…

Elementary & Middle School Teachers' Use and Perceptions of School Connectedness Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidourek, Rebecca A.

2009-01-01

A sizeable percentage of US youth engage in risky behaviors which result in extensive preventable morbidity and mortality. School connectedness is the leading school-based protective factor against youth engagement in risky behaviors including violence, suicide, and substance abuse. A comprehensive review of the literature found no published study…

Peering over the Traditional Rim: A Story from Dayton Catholic Elementary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biddle, Julie K.

Catholic schools in the United States are engaged in a struggle to balance mission and market concerns. This paper presents a survey that explores the reasons why predominantly non-Catholic parents chose to send their children to a Catholic elementary school. The paper also examines the Catholic school's responsiveness to market forces as it…

The Role of Beliefs about the Importance of Social Skills in Elementary Children's Social Behaviors and School Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Kyongboon; Kim, Elizabeth Moorman; Sheridan, Susan M.

2014-01-01

Background: Positive attitudes toward school have been suggested as a meaningful indicator of school engagement among elementary children. The current study was guided by a social cognitive developmental perspective which suggests that social cognitions, including beliefs, play an important role in children's adjustment outcomes. Objective: The…

Latino Students' Transition to Middle School: Role of Bilingual Education and School Ethnic Context.

PubMed

Hughes, Jan N; Im, MyungHee; Kwok, Oi-Man; Cham, Heining; West, Stephen G

2015-09-01

Participants were 204 academically at-risk Latino students recruited into a study when in first grade and followed for 9 years. Using piecewise latent growth curve analyses, we investigated trajectories of teacher-rated behavioral engagement and student-reported school belonging during elementary school and middle school and the association between trajectories and enrollment in bilingual education classes in elementary school and a change in school ethnic congruence across the transition to middle school. Overall, students experienced a drop in school belonging and behavioral engagement across the transition. A moderating effect of ethnic congruence on bilingual enrollment was found. A decline in ethnic congruence was associated with more positive trajectories for students previously enrolled in bilingual classes but more negative trajectories for non-bilingual students.

Latino Students' Transition to Middle School: Role of Bilingual Education and School Ethnic Context

PubMed Central

Hughes, Jan N.; Im, MyungHee; Kwok, Oi-man; Cham, Heining; West, Stephen G.

2014-01-01

Participants were 204 academically at-risk Latino students recruited into a study when in first grade and followed for 9 years. Using piecewise latent growth curve analyses, we investigated trajectories of teacher-rated behavioral engagement and student-reported school belonging during elementary school and middle school and the association between trajectories and enrollment in bilingual education classes in elementary school and a change in school ethnic congruence across the transition to middle school. Overall, students experienced a drop in school belonging and behavioral engagement across the transition. A moderating effect of ethnic congruence on bilingual enrollment was found. A decline in ethnic congruence was associated with more positive trajectories for students previously enrolled in bilingual classes but more negative trajectories for non-bilingual students. PMID:26347591

History and Imagination: Reenactments for Elementary Social Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Ronald Vaughan

2012-01-01

In "History and Imagination," elementary school social studies teachers will learn how to help their students break down the walls of their schools, more personally engage with history, and define democratic citizenship. By collaborating together in meaningful investigations into the past and reenacting history, students will become…

Elementary School Counselors' Collaboration with Community Mental Health Providers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moran, Kristen; Bodenhorn, Nancy

2015-01-01

Perceptions and experiences of elementary school counselors' collaborative efforts with community mental health providers are examined through this exploratory phenomenological study. Ten participants engaged in two in-depth interviews. Collaboration was considered an effective way to increase services to students and their families. Six themes…

Professional Development in Elementary School Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scoggins, C.

2010-01-01

This study was an investigation of mathematics instruction and professional development at a rural elementary school. The Department of Education in a southern U.S. state implemented a new curriculum in 2007 that required major changes in mathematics instruction. The problems were that teachers engaged in different levels of training and many…

Science in the Elementary School Classroom: Portraits of Action Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Jane B., Ed.; Gilmer, Penny J., Ed.

Teacher knowledge and skills are critical elements in the student learning process. Action research serves as an increasingly popular technique to engage teachers in educational change in classrooms. This document focuses on action research reports of elementary school teachers. Chapters include: (1) "First Graders' Beliefs and Perceptions of…

Employing Popular Children's Literature to Teach Elementary School Chemistry: An Engaging Outreach Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wally, Laura M.; Levinger, Nancy E.; Grainger, David W.

2005-01-01

A chemistry outreach program to enthuse students of elementary school levels through employing popular children's literature Harry Potter is presented. The outreach activity performance found the students discovering new skills, learning more about science, and participating enthusiastically in the program without any added incentive from their…

Making the Grade: The Importance of Academic Enablers in the Elementary School Counseling Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barna, Jennifer S.; Brott, Pamelia E.

2014-01-01

Elementary school counselors can support academic achievement by connecting their comprehensive programs to increasing academic competence. One valuable framework focuses on academic enablers, which are identified as interpersonal skills, motivation, engagement, and study skills (DiPerna, 2004). In this article, the authors (a) discuss the…

An Elective Course to Engage Student Pharmacists in Elementary School Science Education

PubMed Central

Wilson, Judith S.; Blankenship, James; Quock, Raymond M.; Lindsey, Marti; Kinsler, Janni J.

2011-01-01

Objective. To develop and assess the impact of an elective course (HealthWISE) on student pharmacists’ skills in communication and health promotion and elementary school students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward science. Design. Three colleges and schools of pharmacy collaborated to develop a 1-credit elective course that used online and classroom teaching and learning techniques to prepare student pharmacists to teach science in elementary school classrooms. Student pharmacists delivered 6 science lessons to elementary students over the course of 2 months. Assessment. In weekly journal reflections and a final paper, student pharmacists reported improved communication and health promotion skills. Elementary teachers reported they were satisfied with student pharmacists’ performance in the classroom. On pretest and posttest evaluations, elementary students demonstrated increased science knowledge and enhanced enthusiasm for science following the lessons taught by student pharmacists. Conclusions. The HealthWISE elective course provided positive benefit for student pharmacists, elementary school teachers, and elementary students. PMID:22345722

Modeling the Influences of Upper-Elementary School Students' Digital Reading Literacy, Socioeconomic Factors, and Self-Regulated Learning Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Shin-Feng

2017-01-01

Background: Reading is an interactive and constructive process of making meaning by engaging a variety of materials and sources and by participating in reading communities at school or in daily life. Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the factors affecting digital reading literacy among upper-elementary school students. Method: A…

Dancing through the School Day: How Dance Catapults Learning in Elementary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Kelly Mancini

2013-01-01

The necessity for engaging the body in learning, the need for students to move throughout the school day, and the positive effects that dance has on students' development are all good reasons for dance to be included in the elementary curriculum. There are many ways for teachers to integrate movement into the school day, using math, science,…

Increasing Academic Engagement during Writing Activities in an Urban Elementary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aitken, Angelique; Harlan, Alison; Hankins, Katy; Michels, John; Moore, Tara C.; Oakes, Wendy P.; Lane, Kathleen Lynne

2011-01-01

In this study, the authors examined the effects of a systematic functional assessment-based intervention (FABI) to identify the function of a third-grade student's off-task behavior and create a plan to increase academic engaged time (AET). The FABI was designed and implemented in an urban elementary school with a comprehensive, integrated,…

Check & Connect: The Importance of Relationships for Promoting Engagement with School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Amy R.; Christenson, Sandra L.; Sinclair, Mary F.; Lehr, Camilla A.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the closeness and quality of relationships between intervention staff and students involved in the Check & Connect program were associated with improved student engagement in school. Participants included 80 elementary and middle school students referred to the Check & Connect program for poor…

Teacher performance goal practices and elementary students’ behavioral engagement: A developmental perspective

PubMed Central

Hughes, Jan N.; Wu, Wei; West, Stephen G.

2010-01-01

We investigated growth trajectories for classroom performance goal practices and for student behavioral engagement across grades 2 to 5 for 497 academically at-risk elementary students. This study is the first longitudinal investigation of performance goal practices in the early elementary years. On average, teacher use of performance goal practices increased and students’ behavioral engagement declined across the four years. Using autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) models, we examined the synchronous relations between teacher-reported performance goal practices and teacher-reported student behavioral engagement. As expected, as students move into classrooms with a new teacher with less emphasis on performance goal practices, they become more behaviorally engaged in school. Gender did not moderate these results. Implications for teacher professional development are discussed. PMID:21215834

Engineering in Elementary STEM Education: Curriculum Design, Instruction, Learning, and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Christine M.

2018-01-01

Bolstered by new standards and new initiatives to promote STEM education, engineering is making its way into the school curriculum. This comprehensive introduction will help elementary educators integrate engineering into their classroom, school, or district in age-appropriate, inclusive, and engaging ways. Building on the work of a Museum of…

A Phenomenological Study on Reflective Teaching Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Disu, Abimbola

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of teachers who engage in reflective teaching practice. This study was conducted at two elementary urban charter schools in New York City (NYC). A phenomenological research design was used to investigate the perspectives of twenty-one elementary school teachers who use reflective…

Truancy Assessment and Service Centers (TASC): Engaging Elementary School Children and Their Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, Judith L. F.; Thomas, Johanna M.; Lemieux, Catherine M.; Cain, Daphne S.; Guin, Cecile C.

2010-01-01

This article reviews literature describing truancy and its correlates, and it analyzes the current research on truancy prevention programs. Few truancy prevention programs exist in elementary school settings. This article describes Truancy Assessment and Service Centers, a theory-driven program providing case management services to children in 85…

Perceived Teacher Factors in Relation to Students' Achievement-Related Outcomes in Science Classrooms in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakiz, Gönül

2015-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the roles that perceived teacher affective support (PTAS), perceived teacher mastery goal orientation (PTMGO), academic emotions, self-efficacy and behavioural engagement play on students' science achievement in elementary school science classrooms. The potential relations of different levels of…

Survey of Physical Activity in Elementary School Classrooms in the State of Virginia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elmakis, Gail Smith

2010-01-01

Elementary school age children engage in levels of physical activity that are well below recommended guidelines. It has been suggested that classroom teachers can assist in remedying the problem by providing physical activity breaks and physical activity embedded in instruction. This study utilized the instrument, Physical Activity in the…

Open Concept School for Indian Education. Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, 1973.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sault Sainte Marie Public Schools, MI.

The product of an Elementary Secondary Education Act Title III project produced by the staff and administration of the Finlayson Elementary School in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan for American Indian students, this handbook is designed as a guide to educators engaging in open concept education. Constituting a model, this handbook incorporates the…

Running an Elementary School Astronomy Club: Engaging Children in the Wonders of Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, L.; Odenwald, S.; Lundberg, C.; Dimarco, A.

2000-10-01

``At the elementary school level, children are motivated by two things, dinosaurs and space" (Dr. Harold Williams, Montgomery College Planetarium Director). Yet, many elementary school science objectives include only the most basic astronomical concepts. Some ignore the subject all together in favor of more traditional courses (e.g. math and reading) or Earth science based curricula such as weather and local ecosystems. In addition, most elementary school teachers are unfamiliar with astronomical concepts and are poorly equipped to teach the subject. With teacher requirements increasing due to increasing class sizes, state competency exams, and a back to basics political climate, there is often little room to capitalize on the natural sense of curiosity children have about the universe during the normal school day. An after school astronomy club can provide a solution. In this paper, we present a model for setting up and running an after school astronomy club for students in grades 3-6. Our model was developed at two Maryland schools, Sligo Creek Elementary and Holy Redeemer Elementary/Middle School and incorporates national education standards as well as NASA OSS guidelines for effective education outreach programs. We propose here, a Community Based Learning (CBL) approach with the goal of engaging multiple elements of the community in the learning process including local amateur astronomy clubs, industry, community colleges, parents, and teachers. Methods for using astronomy as a basis for teaching reading, writing, math, and presentation skills are introduced. Resources, teaching methods, preparation guidelines, discipline, and safety are discussed and a list of grade appropriate, hands-on astronomy activities is presented along with procedures and expected outcomes.

Playing fair: the contribution of high-functioning recess to overall school climate in low-income elementary schools.

PubMed

London, Rebecca A; Westrich, Lisa; Stokes-Guinan, Katie; McLaughlin, Milbrey

2015-01-01

Recess is a part of the elementary school day with strong implications for school climate. Positive school climate has been linked to a host of favorable student outcomes, from attendance to achievement. We examine 6 low-income elementary schools' experiences implementing a recess-based program designed to provide safe, healthy, and inclusive play to study how improving recess functioning can affect school climate. Data from teacher, principal, and recess coach interviews; student focus groups; recess observations; and a teacher survey are triangulated to understand the ways that recess changed during implementation. Comparing schools that achieved higher- and lower-functioning recesses, we link recess functioning with school climate. Recess improved in all schools, but 4 of the 6 achieved a higher-functioning recess. In these schools, teachers and principals agreed that by the end of the year, recess offered opportunities for student engagement, conflict resolution, pro-social skill development, and emotional and physical safety. Respondents in these four schools linked these changes to improved overall school climate. Recess is an important part of the school day for contributing to school climate. Creating a positive recess climate helps students to be engaged in meaningful play and return to class ready to learn. © 2014, American School Health Association.

Teacher performance goal practices and elementary students' behavioral engagement: a developmental perspective.

PubMed

Hughes, Jan N; Wu, Wei; West, Stephen G

2011-02-01

We investigated growth trajectories for classroom performance goal practices and for student behavioral engagement across grades 2 to 5 for 497 academically at-risk elementary students. This study is the first longitudinal investigation of performance goal practices in the early elementary years. On average, teacher use of performance goal practices increased and students' behavioral engagement declined across the four years. Using autoregressive latent trajectory (ALT) models, we examined the synchronous relations between teacher-reported performance goal practices and teacher-reported student behavioral engagement. As expected, as students move into classrooms with a new teacher with less emphasis on performance goal practices, they become more behaviorally engaged in school. Gender did not moderate these results. Implications for teacher professional development are discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Wonder as a Tool to Engage Preservice Elementary Teachers in Science Learning and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Andrew; Byers, Christie C.

2017-01-01

This exploratory project considers the use of "wonder" as a pedagogical tool with preservice elementary teachers (PSETs). An ongoing vexation facing science teacher educators is helping future elementary teachers overcome anxiety and negative associations with science due to their own school science experiences, while simultaneously…

An Application of the Expectancy-Value Model to Understand Adolescents' Performance and Engagement in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yli-Piipari, Sami; Kokkonen, Juha

2014-01-01

The study examined the role of motivation in students' performance and engagement in elementary and middle school physical education. Cross-lagged relationships between performance and engagement were investigated across Grades 6-9. A total of 763 (365 girls, 398 boys) Finnish school students (11- to 12-year old) were followed across three years.…

Teacher Strategies and Student Engagement in Low-Income Area Schools. Research and Development Memorandum No. 105.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Robert D.; And Others

This study identifies effective teacher strategies associated with student engagement in natural classrooms. "Student engagement" is defined as observable interest and/or attention to a learning task prescribed by the teacher. Twenty-four teachers and their students in the third and fourth grades in nine elementary schools in low-income areas in…

The Joint Effect of Peer Victimization and Conflict with Teachers on Student Engagement at the End of Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archambault, Isabelle; Kurdi, Vanessa; Oliver, Elizabeth; Goulet, Mélissa

2016-01-01

The present study examined the unique and joint effects of peer victimization and conflicts with teachers on student behavioral and affective engagement across the school year among a sample of 333 fifth- and sixth-grade students. Results first showed that peer victimization was not a significant predictor of students' affective engagement,…

Parental Engagement Using Effective Communication for K-2 Students in an Urban School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Lynn Renee'

2013-01-01

Parental involvement is a factor in student achievement. Low parental engagement at home and school has created a problem in an urban elementary school. Guided by Epstein's 6 types of parental involvement, the purpose of this case study was to examine and describe the perspectives of 17 parents of K-2 students in an urban school in Michigan. Few…

Graduate Student Outreach: Model of a One-Day "Chemistry Camp" for Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houck, Joseph D.; Machamer, Natalie K.; Erickson, Karla A.

2014-01-01

One-day chemistry camps, managed by graduate students from the Departments of Chemistry at the Universities of Virginia (UVA) and Vermont (UVM), have proven successful as an outreach initiative. The camp model engages kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school students in hands-on, inquiry-based science experiments to educate and excite…

Literacy Instruction in Multilingual Classrooms: Engaging English Language Learners in Elementary School. Language & Literacy Series--Practitioners Bookshelf

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helman, Lori

2012-01-01

This hands-on guide shows elementary school teachers how to create multilingual classroom communities that support every learner's success in reading, writing, and general literacy development. The author provides a practical overview of key ideas and techniques and describes specific literacy activities that lead to vocabulary and oral English…

Professional Development School Triads Inquiring about Student Work in Elementary Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coon-Kitt, Mary Jayne; Nolan, James F.; Lloyd, Gwendolyn M.; Romig, Gail

2015-01-01

This article reports on a case of cross-role triads (mentor, intern, and supervisor) in a professional development school (PDS) setting engaged in the process of looking at student work in elementary mathematics over time. The study represents a significant effort to understand what inquiry-oriented behavior looks like in this context. By…

WWC Quick Review of the Article "Effects of Social Development Intervention in Childhood 15 Years Later"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2009

2009-01-01

The selected study examined the long-term effects of the "Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP)," an elementary-school-based intervention designed to improve students' social skills and engagement. The study analyzed data on about 600 young adults who had been students in 15 public elementary schools serving high-crime areas in…

Promoting Science Outdoor Activities for Elementary School Children: Contributions from a Research Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boaventura, Diana; Faria, Claudia; Chagas, Isabel; Galvao, Cecilia

2013-01-01

The purposes of the study were to analyse the promotion of scientific literacy through practical research activities and to identify children's conceptions about scientists and how they do science. Elementary school children were engaged in two scientific experiments in a marine biology research laboratory. A total of 136 students answered a…

Executive Control Goes to School: Implications of Preschool Executive Performance for Observed Elementary Classroom Learning Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Timothy D.; Nelson, Jennifer Mize; James, Tiffany D.; Clark, Caron A. C.; Kidwell, Katherine M.; Espy, Kimberly Andrews

2017-01-01

The transition to elementary school is accompanied by increasing demands for children to regulate their attention and behavior within the classroom setting. Executive control (EC) may be critical for meeting these demands; however, few studies have rigorously examined the association between EC and observed classroom behavior. This study examined…

The Professional Identity of Three Innovative Teachers Engaging in Sustained Knowledge Building Using Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vokatis, Barbara; Zhang, Jianwei

2016-01-01

Diffusing inquiry-based pedagogy in schools for deep and lasting change requires teacher transformation and capacity building. This study characterizes the professional identity of three elementary school teachers who have productively engaged in inquiry-based classroom practice using knowledge building pedagogy and Knowledge Forum, a…

Improving implementation of mental health services for trauma in multicultural elementary schools: stakeholder perspectives on parent and educator engagement.

PubMed

Langley, Audra; Santiago, Catherine DeCarlo; Rodríguez, Adriana; Zelaya, Jennifer

2013-07-01

Although more schools are offering mental health programs, few studies have involved the school community in research to improve their successful implementation. In this community-partnered study, focus groups were conducted with school staff and parents to explore issues related to community engagement and feasibility of a mental health intervention for elementary school students exposed to trauma. Four educator focus groups, including 23 participants, and 2 parent focus groups, consisting of 9 Spanish-speaking and 7 English-speaking parents were conducted. Participants discussed facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of the program. Participants identified the importance of pre-implementation parent education, raising awareness of the impact of student mental health among educators, maintaining ongoing communication during the intervention, and addressing logistical concerns. Participants described clear considerations for parent and educator engagement, both at the pre-implementation phase and during implementation of the program. Implications for next steps of this community-partnered approach are described.

Improving Implementation of Mental Health Services for Trauma in Multicultural Elementary Schools: Stakeholder Perspectives on Parent and Educator Engagement

PubMed Central

Santiago, Catherine DeCarlo; Rodríguez, Adriana; Zelaya, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Although more schools are offering mental health programs, few studies have involved the school community in research to improve their successful implementation. In this community partnered study, focus groups were conducted with school staff and parents to explore issues related to community engagement and feasibility of a mental health intervention for elementary school students exposed to trauma. Four educator focus groups, including 23 participants, and 2 parent focus groups, consisting of 9 Spanish-speaking and 7 English-speaking parents were conducted. Participants discussed facilitators and barriers to successful implementation of the program. Participants identified the importance of pre-implementation parent education, raising awareness of the impact of student mental health among educators, maintaining ongoing communication during the intervention, and addressing logistical concerns. Participants described clear considerations for parent and educator engagement both at the pre implementation phase and during implementation of the program. Implications for next steps of this community partnered approach are described. PMID:23576136

Peer Teaching as a Strategy for Conflict Management and Student Re-Engagement in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Bruce

2012-01-01

This article reports on a major action research program that experimented with the use of cross-age peer teaching in schools to assist teachers to manage conflict issues in their classrooms, and to re-engage disaffected students in learning. The research, which was conducted in a range of elementary and secondary schools in Australia, was part of…

The relationship between school engagement and delinquency in late childhood and early adolescence.

PubMed

Hirschfield, Paul J; Gasper, Joseph

2011-01-01

Engagement in school is crucial for academic success and school completion. Surprisingly little research has focused on the relationship between student engagement and delinquency. This study examines whether engagement predicts subsequent school and general misconduct among 4,890 inner-city Chicago elementary school students (mean age: 11 years and 4 months; 43.3% boys; 66.5% black; 28.8% Latino). To improve upon prior research in this area, we distinguish three types of engagement (emotional, behavioral, and cognitive), examine whether the relationship between engagement and misconduct is bidirectional (misconduct also impairs engagement), and control for possible common causes of low engagement and misconduct, including peer and family relationships and relatively stable indicators of risk-proneness. Emotional and behavioral engagement predict decreases in school and general delinquency. However, cognitive engagement is associated with increases in these outcomes. School and general delinquency predict decreased engagement only in the cognitive domain. Suggestions for future research and implications for policy are discussed.

Elementary Teachers' Views of Their Science Professional Development Attendance: An Expectancy-Value Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Margareta Maria; Kaufmann, Elisha

2013-01-01

This study explored primarily the elementary teachers' motivations and expectations for engagement in a science professional development. Participants (N=20) were elementary teachers in two public schools from the United States and were enrolled in a yearlong science professional development; however, due to various factors teachers did not…

Early Elementary Students' Understanding of Complex Ecosystems: A Learning Progression Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hokayem, Hayat; Gotwals, Amelia Wenk

2016-01-01

Engaging in systemic reasoning about ecological issues is critical for early elementary students to develop future understanding of critical environmental issues such as global warming and loss of biodiversity. However, ecological issues are rarely taught in ways to highlight systemic reasoning in elementary schools. In this study, we conducted…

A Study of the Effects of Physical Activity on Asthmatic Symptoms and Obesity Risk in Elementary School-Aged Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haines, Michael S.; Kim, Danny H.

2013-01-01

Background: Children with moderate persistent asthma are often reluctant to engage in physical activity and as a result are more prone to obesity and increased incidence of asthma attacks. Purpose: This study developed an asthma program that included physical activity and asthma management education for elementary school children with moderate…

Has Elementary Social Studies Instruction Become Collateral Damage of the No Child Left Behind Act?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babini, Kathleen Callanan

2013-01-01

Public schools stress the need for students to become informed and engaged citizens, however social studies instruction is becoming marginalized in many elementary schools today, the very area where they learn citizenship and about the world around them. This study seeks to: understand the reason for the loss of instructional time for social…

Madres Para Niños: Engaging Latina Mothers as Consultees to Promote Their Children's Early Elementary School Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knotek, Steven E.; Sánchez, Marta

2017-01-01

The Madres para Niños (MpN) program uses consultee-centered consultation as a vehicle to help immigrant Latino parents focus and reframe their preexisting child advocacy skills toward their children's successful transition into elementary school in a new geographic and cultural context. This article describes the Latina mother's experience as…

Examining Playground Engagement between Elementary School Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Locke, Jill; Shih, Wendy; Kretzmann, Mark; Kasari, Connie

2016-01-01

Little is known about the social behavior of children with and without autism spectrum disorder during recess. This study documented the naturally occurring recess engagement and peer interaction behaviors of children with and without autism spectrum disorder in inclusive school settings. Participants included 51 children with autism spectrum…

Teacher Support and Engagement in Math and Science: Evidence from the High School Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Sean; Zhang, Yuan

2016-01-01

Supportive teacher-student relationships are associated with increased levels of engagement and higher levels of achievement. Yet, studies also show that higher achieving students typically receive the most encouragement. Moreover, many studies of teacher-student relationships pertain to elementary and middle school students; by the time students…

Elementary students' engagement in failure-prone engineering design tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, Chelsea Joy

Although engineering education has been practiced at the undergraduate level for over a century, only fairly recently has the field broadened to include the elementary level; the pre-college division of the American Society of Engineering Education was established in 2003. As a result, while recent education standards require engineering in elementary schools, current studies are still filling in basic research on how best to design and implement elementary engineering activities. One area in need of investigation is how students engage with physical failure in design tasks. In this dissertation, I explore how upper elementary students engage in failure-prone engineering design tasks in an out-of-school environment. In a series of three empirical case studies, I look closely at how students evaluate failed tests and decide on changes to their design constructions, how their reasoning evolves as they repeatedly encounter physical failure, and how students and facilitators co-construct testing norms where repetitive failure is manageable. I also briefly investigate how students' engagement differs in a task that features near-immediate success. By closely examining student groups' discourse and their interactions with their design constructions, I found that these students: are able to engage in iteration and see failure-as-feedback with minimal externally-imposed structure; seem to be designing in a more sophisticated manner, attending to multiple causal factors, after experiencing repetitive failure; and are able to manage the stress and frustration of repetitive failure, provided the co-constructed testing norms of the workshop environment are supportive of failure management. These results have both pedagogical implications, in terms of how to create and facilitate design tasks, and methodological implications--namely, I highlight the particular insights afforded by a case study approach for analyzing engagement in design tasks.

Instant Recess®: a practical tool for increasing physical activity during the school day.

PubMed

Whitt-Glover, Melicia C; Ham, Sandra A; Yancey, Antronette K

2011-01-01

An increased prevalence of overweight/obesity among children has led to school district level policies to increase physical activity (PA) among elementary school students. Interventions are needed that increase activity levels without sacrificing time spent in academics. We evaluated a policy implementation intervention for to increase in-school PA in elementary schools in Forsyth County, North Carolina, in a randomized study with a delayed intervention control group. The study included third- through fifth-grade classrooms in eight elementary schools. Instant Recess® was used to introduce 10-minute PA breaks in classrooms on schedules determined by teachers. Direct observation was used to measure activity levels, other student behaviors, and teacher behaviors related to PA in the classrooms. Twenty-eight visits to schools were made during the spring and fall semesters of 2009. At baseline 11% to 44% of intervention and control schools were engaged in classroom-based PA. PA increased from baseline to spring follow-up in intervention schools and was maintained the following fall. Control schools decreased PA from baseline to spring and increased PA once they began the intervention. Students in classrooms engaged in Instant Recess exhibited statistically significant increases in light (51%) and moderate-intensity (16%) PA and increases in time spent in on-task behavior (11%). Control schools experienced similar benefits after they began implementing Instant Recess. Instant Recess is useful for increasing PA and improving behavior among elementary school children. Additional research may be needed to understand how to create policies supporting classroom activity breaks and how to assess policy adherence.

The Relationship between Academic Achievement and the Emotional Well-Being of Elementary School Children in China: The Moderating Role of Parent-School Communication

PubMed Central

Lv, Bo; Zhou, Huan; Guo, Xiaolin; Liu, Chunhui; Liu, Zhaomin; Luo, Liang

2016-01-01

The relationship between academic achievement and the subjective well-being of elementary school children has received increasing attention. However, previous research on the relationship between these variables has yielded inconsistent conclusions – possibly due to the presence of potential moderating variables. This study investigated the relationship between the academic achievement and the emotional well-being (positive and negative affect) of elementary school children in China and the moderating effect of parent–school communication on this relationship. A total of 419 elementary school students and their parents participated. The elementary students’ positive and negative affect, their academic achievement on both midterm and final examinations of the most recent semester, and the frequency of parent–school communication were assessed. Academic achievement of elementary students was positively correlated with positive affect and negatively correlated with negative affect. Parent–school communication significantly moderated this relationship. Regardless of positive or negative affect, the correlation was only significant in the high parent–school communication group (one standard deviation higher than the mean) and in the mean group, whereas in the low parent–school communication group, no association was observed. These results indicate that parental engagement with school impacts both the academic achievements and subjective well-being of children in China. PMID:27445915

The Relationship between Academic Achievement and the Emotional Well-Being of Elementary School Children in China: The Moderating Role of Parent-School Communication.

PubMed

Lv, Bo; Zhou, Huan; Guo, Xiaolin; Liu, Chunhui; Liu, Zhaomin; Luo, Liang

2016-01-01

The relationship between academic achievement and the subjective well-being of elementary school children has received increasing attention. However, previous research on the relationship between these variables has yielded inconsistent conclusions - possibly due to the presence of potential moderating variables. This study investigated the relationship between the academic achievement and the emotional well-being (positive and negative affect) of elementary school children in China and the moderating effect of parent-school communication on this relationship. A total of 419 elementary school students and their parents participated. The elementary students' positive and negative affect, their academic achievement on both midterm and final examinations of the most recent semester, and the frequency of parent-school communication were assessed. Academic achievement of elementary students was positively correlated with positive affect and negatively correlated with negative affect. Parent-school communication significantly moderated this relationship. Regardless of positive or negative affect, the correlation was only significant in the high parent-school communication group (one standard deviation higher than the mean) and in the mean group, whereas in the low parent-school communication group, no association was observed. These results indicate that parental engagement with school impacts both the academic achievements and subjective well-being of children in China.

The impact of being bullied at school on psychological distress and work engagement in a community sample of adult workers in Japan

PubMed Central

Iwanaga, Mai; Imamura, Kotaro; Shimazu, Akihito

2018-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term impact of being bullied at school on current psychological distress and work engagement in adulthood among Japanese workers. We hypothesized that workers who had been bullied at school could have higher psychological distress and lower work engagement compared to those who had not been bullied. Methods We used data from the Japanese Study on Stratification, Health, Income, and Neighborhood (J-SHINE) project, conducted from July 2010 to February 2011 in Japan. This survey randomly selected the local residents around a metropolitan area in Japan. Of 13,920 adults originally selected, 4,317 people participated this survey, and the total response rate was 31%. The self-administered questionnaires assessed current psychological distress (K6), work engagement (UWES), the experiences of being bullied in elementary or junior high school and other covariates. Statistical analyses were conducted only for workers. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between experiences of being bullied at school and psychological distress/work engagement, with six steps. Result Statistical analysis was conducted for 3,111 workers. The number of respondents who reported being bullied in elementary or junior high school was 1,318 (42%). We found that the experience of being bullied at school was significantly associated with high psychological distress in adulthood (β = .079, p = < .0001); however, the work engagement scores of respondents who were bullied were significantly higher than for people who were not bullied at school (β = .068, p = < .0001), after adjusting all covariates. Conclusion Being bullied at school was positively associated with both psychological distress and work engagement in a sample of workers. Being bullied at school may be a predisposing factor for psychological distress, as previously reported. The higher levels of work engagement among people who experienced being bullied at school may be because some of them might have overcome the experience to gain more psychological resilience. PMID:29746552

The impact of being bullied at school on psychological distress and work engagement in a community sample of adult workers in Japan.

PubMed

Iwanaga, Mai; Imamura, Kotaro; Shimazu, Akihito; Kawakami, Norito

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term impact of being bullied at school on current psychological distress and work engagement in adulthood among Japanese workers. We hypothesized that workers who had been bullied at school could have higher psychological distress and lower work engagement compared to those who had not been bullied. We used data from the Japanese Study on Stratification, Health, Income, and Neighborhood (J-SHINE) project, conducted from July 2010 to February 2011 in Japan. This survey randomly selected the local residents around a metropolitan area in Japan. Of 13,920 adults originally selected, 4,317 people participated this survey, and the total response rate was 31%. The self-administered questionnaires assessed current psychological distress (K6), work engagement (UWES), the experiences of being bullied in elementary or junior high school and other covariates. Statistical analyses were conducted only for workers. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between experiences of being bullied at school and psychological distress/work engagement, with six steps. Statistical analysis was conducted for 3,111 workers. The number of respondents who reported being bullied in elementary or junior high school was 1,318 (42%). We found that the experience of being bullied at school was significantly associated with high psychological distress in adulthood (β = .079, p = < .0001); however, the work engagement scores of respondents who were bullied were significantly higher than for people who were not bullied at school (β = .068, p = < .0001), after adjusting all covariates. Being bullied at school was positively associated with both psychological distress and work engagement in a sample of workers. Being bullied at school may be a predisposing factor for psychological distress, as previously reported. The higher levels of work engagement among people who experienced being bullied at school may be because some of them might have overcome the experience to gain more psychological resilience.

Open-Source Learning Management System and Web 2.0 Online Social Software Applications as Learning Platforms for an Elementary School in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tay, Lee Yong; Lim, Cher Ping; Lye, Sze Yee; Ng, Kay Joo; Lim, Siew Khiaw

2011-01-01

This paper analyses how an elementary-level future school in Singapore implements and uses various open-source online platforms, which are easily available online and could be implemented with minimal software cost, for the purpose of teaching and learning. Online platforms have the potential to facilitate students' engagement for independent and…

Teaching about Sexual Minorities and "Princess Boys": A Queer and Trans-Infused Approach to Investigating LGBTQ-Themed Texts in the Elementary School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martino, Wayne; Cumming-Potvin, Wendy

2016-01-01

This paper is based on research that is concerned to provide insight into the pedagogical potential for interrupting heteronormativity and addressing the politics of gender expression/embodiment in the elementary school classroom. It is informed by an engagement with queer and trans theoretical literature that raises questions about restrictive…

Professional Dialogue among Elementary School English Teachers in Taiwan: Current Challenges and Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chin-Wen

2018-01-01

Elementary school English teachers in Taiwan are required to have a formal professional dialogue regularly and engage in purposeful discussions about the curriculum and classroom practice (Ministry of Education. [1998]. "Small-Size Class Plan." http://163.19.62.3/smlass/E983A8E8A888E58A%83.htm). This study used a questionnaire to…

Psychometric Properties and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Student Engagement in School Success Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brigman, Greg; Wells, Craig; Webb, Linda; Villares, Elizabeth; Carey, John C.; Harrington, Karen

2015-01-01

This article describes the confirmatory factor analysis of the Student Engagement in School Success Skills (SESSS) instrument. The results of this study confirm that the SESSS has potential to be a useful self-report measure of elementary students' use of strategies and skills associated with enhanced academic learning and achievement.

Time, Things, Teacher, Pupil: Engaging with What Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hohti, Riikka

2016-01-01

This article presents an empirical study of everyday life in school and a methodological attempt to emphasise children's views and to find ways other than representation to analyse them. The empirical portion took place in a Finnish elementary school in which the author was the class teacher. The ten-year-olds in the class engaged in an…

Exploring the Benefits of a Collaborative Inquiry Team in Education (CITE) Initiative to Develop a Research Community and Enhance Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantalini-Williams, Maria; Curtis, Debra; Eden-DeGasperis, Kimberley; Esposto, Lauren; Guibert, Jenny; Papp, Heather; Roque, Carlos

2015-01-01

This study examined a collaborative inquiry process, facilitated by university faculty in an elementary school, intended to develop a research community, foster knowledge mobilization, and enhance student engagement. The Collaborative Inquiry Team in Education (CITE) initiative consisted of five school-based sessions that included videos,…

Engaging Latino Parents in Literacy Experiences at Two Urban Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Bettie R.

2010-01-01

The increased immigrant population in American schools has resulted in large numbers of parents who are unable to help their children achieve academic success because of language barriers and low literacy skills. The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of Latino parents' reading proficiency on engagement with their children. Epstein's…

Engaging Students with Disabilities: Using Student Response Technology in Elementary Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Tiffany

2017-01-01

Student engagement refers to the behaviors that suggest whether a student is interested in the learning process. Finn (1989) developed the participation-identification model to explain the correlation between student engagement and identification with school, suggesting that increased participation leads to an increased sense of belongingness in…

Classroom Management in the Elementary Grades. Research Series No. 32.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Jere E.; Putnam, Joyce G.

The literature on elementary school classroom management is reviewed. Topics include student characteristics and individual differences, preparing the classroom as a learning environment, organizing instruction and support activities to maximize student engagement in productive tasks, developing workable housekeeping procedures and conduct rules,…

Examining Curricular Coherence in an Exemplary Elementary School Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ennis, Catherine D.

2008-01-01

A coherent curriculum is characterized by visible connections between purposes and experiences so that students acknowledge the content's immediate value. This study examined an exemplary elementary physical education curriculum for coherence components. Research questions examined the role of coherence in connecting and engaging students…

School Improvement: A Case of Competing Priorities!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollock, Katina; Winton, Sue

2012-01-01

Maple Leaf School is a large English elementary school in Ontario, Canada. Wanda Miller, the principal, has been at the school for 2 years. Upon arrival, she engaged the teachers in a collaborative exercise to determine their school goal (as required by the province). Character education was selected. The district insisted that the school adopt an…

34 CFR 206.5 - What definitions apply to these programs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ENGAGED IN MIGRANT AND OTHER SEASONAL FARMWORK-HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM AND COLLEGE ASSISTANCE... Elementary school EDGAR Facilities Minor remodeling Nonprofit Private Project Public Secondary school... secondary school; (iii) Is a public or nonprofit institution; (iv) Admits as a regular student only a person...

34 CFR 206.5 - What definitions apply to these programs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ENGAGED IN MIGRANT AND OTHER SEASONAL FARMWORK-HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM AND COLLEGE ASSISTANCE... Elementary school EDGAR Facilities Minor remodeling Nonprofit Private Project Public Secondary school... secondary school; (iii) Is a public or nonprofit institution; (iv) Admits as a regular student only a person...

34 CFR 206.5 - What definitions apply to these programs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ENGAGED IN MIGRANT AND OTHER SEASONAL FARMWORK-HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM AND COLLEGE ASSISTANCE... Elementary school EDGAR Facilities Minor remodeling Nonprofit Private Project Public Secondary school... secondary school; (iii) Is a public or nonprofit institution; (iv) Admits as a regular student only a person...

34 CFR 206.5 - What definitions apply to these programs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ENGAGED IN MIGRANT AND OTHER SEASONAL FARMWORK-HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM AND COLLEGE ASSISTANCE... Elementary school EDGAR Facilities Minor remodeling Nonprofit Private Project Public Secondary school... secondary school; (iii) Is a public or nonprofit institution; (iv) Admits as a regular student only a person...

A Case Study of the Impact of Quaver's Marvelous World of Music on an Elementary School Music Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Stephen Darryl

2017-01-01

This case study examined the impact of Quaver's Marvelous World of Music on an elementary school music program. Quaver's Marvelous World of Music is a software music curriculum designed to be used in Grades K-8. The purpose of the study was to examine the impact on the students' musical self-efficacy, interactive engagement, enjoyment of music…

The Work of Play: How Video Games Affect Social Interactions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiltz, Virginia A.

2017-01-01

This study examines the differences in play behaviors demonstrated by children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) when they engage in play with typically developing (TD) peers. Pairs of elementary school students, ages eight to 11, engaged in play in three settings: typical school recess, facilitated play led by adults, and kinetic technology…

Does the amount of school choice matter for student engagement?

PubMed Central

Vaughn, Michael G.; Witko, Christopher

2013-01-01

School choice may increase student engagement by enabling students to attend schools that more closely match their needs and preferences. But this effect on engagement may depend on the characteristics of the choices available. Therefore, we consider how the amount of educational choice of different types in a local educational marketplace affects student engagement using a large, national population of 8th grade students. We find that more choice of regular public schools in the elementary and middle school years is associated with a lower likelihood that students will be severely disengaged in eighth grade, and more choices of public schools of choice has a similar effect but only in urban areas. In contrast, more private sector choice does not have such a general beneficial effect. PMID:23682202

School achievement of children with intellectual disability: the role of socioeconomic status, placement, and parents' engagement.

PubMed

Szumski, Grzegorz; Karwowski, Maciej

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to describe the selected conditions for school achievement of students with mild intellectual disabilities from Polish elementary schools. Participants were 605 students with mild disabilities from integrative, regular, and special schools, and their parents (N=429). It was found that socioeconomic status (SES) was positively associated with child placement in integrative and regular schools rather than special schools, as well as with higher parental engagement in their children's studies. Parental engagement mediated the positive effects of SES and placement in regular and integrative schools on school achievement. The results are discussed in the context of inclusive education theory. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Report of decontamination at Tominari Elementary School.

PubMed

Katsumi, S

2016-12-01

On 19 April 2011, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology designated 13 elementary schools, including Tominari Elementary School in Date city, as high-dose schools that needed to restrict outdoor activities due to the effects of the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Approximately 1 week later, the municipal government took action to remove the topsoil from the school grounds, and the prohibition of outdoor activities at Tominari Elementary School was lifted. The school staff continued to work on decontaminating the surrounding areas using high-pressure washers and brushes. There were certain positive outcomes, but a more effective decontamination method was required. In July 2011, the municipal government started an environmental remediation project, both inside and outside the school buildings, with researchers and decontamination workers at Tominari Elementary School, involving members of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), local communities, and volunteers using various effective and specialised forms of decontamination. As a result, Tominari Elementary School was able to recommence swimming lessons at the end of the first semester, which had been thought to be impossible. This article will provide information about the importance of 'dialogue' for decontamination, how engagement of the experts gave members of the PTA and the local community a feeling of 'security and safety', and how the decontamination work was an ever-expanding collaborative work of a large number of people.

Emotional expressivity and emotion regulation: Relation to academic functioning among elementary school children.

PubMed

Kwon, Kyongboon; Hanrahan, Amanda R; Kupzyk, Kevin A

2017-03-01

We examined emotional expressivity (i.e., happiness, sadness, and anger) and emotion regulation (regulation of exuberance, sadness, and anger) as they relate to academic functioning (motivation, engagement, and achievement). Also, we tested the premise that emotional expressivity and emotion regulation are indirectly associated with achievement through academic motivation and engagement. Participants included 417 elementary school students (Mage = 10 years; 52% female; 60% Black) and their teachers from a Midwestern metropolitan area. We used child and teacher questionnaires, and data were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Regarding emotionality, happiness was positively associated with multiple aspects of academic functioning whereas an inverse association was found for anger; sadness was not associated with academic functioning. Also, happiness and anger were indirectly related to achievement through academic engagement. Emotion regulation was positively associated with multiple aspects of academic functioning; it was also indirectly associated with achievement through engagement. Implications are discussed regarding how social and emotional learning programs in schools can further benefit from research on children's emotions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

High School Teen Mentoring Handbook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, 2009

2009-01-01

Big Brothers Big Sisters Edmonton & Area, in partnership with Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, are providing the High School Teen Mentoring Program, a school-based mentoring program where mentor-mentee matches meet for one hour per week to engage in relationship-building activities at an elementary school. This initiative aims to…

The Challenges and Success of Implementing Climate Studies Lessons for Pre-Professional Teachers at a Small Historically Black College to Engage Student Teaching of Science Pedagogy and Content Skill Based Learning.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, J.; Wider-Lewis, F.; Miller-Jenkins, A.

2017-12-01

This poster is a description of the challenges and success of implementing climate studies lessons for pre-service teachers to engage student teaching pedagogy and content skill based learning. Edward Waters College is a historical black college with an elementary education teacher program focused on urban elementary school teaching and learning. Pre-Service Elementary Educator Students often have difficulty with science and mathematics content and pedagogy. This poster will highlight the barriers and successes of using climate studies lessons to develop and enhance pre-service teachers' knowledge of elementary science principles particularly related to climate studies, physical and earth space science.

Testing Multidimensional Models of Youth Civic Engagement: Model Comparisons, Measurement Invariance, and Age Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wray-Lake, Laura; Metzger, Aaron; Syvertsen, Amy K.

2017-01-01

Despite recognition that youth civic engagement is multidimensional, different modeling approaches are rarely compared or tested for measurement invariance. Using a diverse sample of 2,467 elementary, middle, and high school-aged youth, we measured eight dimensions of civic engagement: social responsibility values, informal helping, political…

Edmodo social learning network for elementary school mathematics learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ariani, Y.; Helsa, Y.; Ahmad, S.; Prahmana, RCI

2017-12-01

A developed instructional media can be as printed media, visual media, audio media, and multimedia. The development of instructional media can also take advantage of technological development by utilizing Edmodo social network. This research aims to develop a digital classroom learning model using Edmodo social learning network for elementary school mathematics learning which is practical, valid and effective in order to improve the quality of learning activities. The result of this research showed that the prototype of mathematics learning device for elementary school students using Edmodo was in good category. There were 72% of students passed the assessment as a result of Edmodo learning. Edmodo has become a promising way to engage students in a collaborative learning process.

Engineering Encounters: Elephant Trunks and Dolphin Tails

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hefty, Lukas

2014-01-01

This article describes how one class at Douglas Jamerson Elementary School in St. Petersburg, Florida, a center for engineering and mathematics, incorporated an Engineering Design Process into its curriculum. At Jamerson Elementary, all students in kindergarten through fifth grade engage in teacher-created, integrated engineering units of study,…

Teachers' Use of Technology in Elementary Reading Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDermott, Peter; Gormley, Kathleen A.

2016-01-01

Proponents claim technology will transform classroom teaching and improve children's engagement and learning. Opponents argue that such benefits are oversold because little evidence exists that technology improves teaching and learning. We examined how elementary teachers in an urban school that was well resourced with technology used it when…

Pedagogical Tools for Peacebuilding Education: Engaging and Empathizing with Diverse Perspectives in Multicultural Elementary Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Christina

2016-01-01

This qualitative study used classroom observations, teacher and student interviews, and document analysis to examine the degree to which peacebuilding dialogue processes were implemented in 3 elementary school classrooms and how diverse students, particularly newcomer immigrants, experienced these pedagogies. The study critically examines how…

Creating Digital Authors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zoch, Melody; Langston-DeMott, Brooke; Adams-Budde, Melissa

2014-01-01

Elementary students find themselves engaged and learning at a digital writing camp. The authors find that such elementary students usually have limited access to technology at home and school, and posit that teachers should do all they can to give them more access to and experience in digital composing. Students were motivated and learned to use…

Taking the Risk to Engage in Race Talk: Professional Development in Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coles-Ritchie, Marilee; Smith, Robin Renee

2017-01-01

Developing public education where every child has the right to learn requires that teachers pay attention to and engage in race talk--open discussion about race, social construction of race, and racism. While it is clear that children engage and reflect critically about these aspects of race even at a young age, teachers rarely engage in race talk…

Developmental Trajectories of Compensatory Exercise and Fasting Behavior across the Middle School Years

PubMed Central

Davis, Heather A.; Guller, Leila; Smith, Gregory T.

2016-01-01

Compensatory exercise and fasting behavior, in the absence of binge eating and purging, appear to be important eating disorder behaviors that are associated with dysfunction, but little is known about these behaviors in youth. We studied the trajectories of their development in non-binge eating and non-purging girls during early adolescence. Using a longitudinal design, we assessed 564 girls six times over the three years of middle school (grades 6 through 8) and developed trajectories specifying different developmental patterns in relation to the behaviors. Prior to this period, when the girls were in 5th grade (elementary school), we assessed risk factors to predict girls’ subsequent trajectory group membership. Compensatory exercise trajectory groups included a non-engagement group, a group that increased in the behavior, and a group that decreased in the behavior. There were two fasting trajectory groups, one consistently engaging in the behavior and the other consistently not. Elementary school levels of depression, eating expectancies, and thinness expectancies predicted subsequent trajectory group membership. Risk for compensatory exercise and fasting should be evaluated as early as in 5th grade. Targeted interventions should focus on girls in late elementary school or middle school, as this appears to be a critical developmental and maintenance period for compensatory exercise and fasting behavior. PMID:27544806

Can Student Engagement Serve as a Motivational Resource for Academic Coping, Persistence, and Learning during Late Elementary and Early Middle School?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skinner, Ellen A.; Pitzer, Jennifer R.; Steele, Joel S.

2016-01-01

How children and youth deal with academic challenges and setbacks can make a material difference to their learning and school success. Hence, it is important to investigate the factors that allow students to cope constructively. A process model focused on students' motivational resources was used to frame a study examining whether engagement in…

Using a Modified Argument-Driven Inquiry to Promote Elementary School Students' Engagement in Learning Science and Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Hui; Lu, Ying-Yan; Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R

2016-01-01

This study explored the effects of a modified argument-driven inquiry approach on Grade 4 students' engagement in learning science and argumentation in Taiwan. The students were recruited as an experimental group (EG, n?=?36) to join a 12-week study, while another 36 Grade 4 students from the same schools were randomly selected to be the…

Elementary Teacher's Conceptions of Inquiry Teaching: Messages for Teacher Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ireland, Joseph E.; Watters, James J.; Brownlee, Jo; Lupton, Mandy

2012-02-01

This study explored practicing elementary school teacher's conceptions of teaching in ways that foster inquiry-based learning in the science curriculum (inquiry teaching). The advocacy for inquiry-based learning in contemporary curricula assumes the principle that students learn in their own way by drawing on direct experience fostered by the teacher. That students should be able to discover answers themselves through active engagement with new experiences was central to the thinking of eminent educators such as Pestalozzi, Dewey and Montessori. However, even after many years of research and practice, inquiry learning as a referent for teaching still struggles to find expression in the average teachers' pedagogy. This study drew on interview data from 20 elementary teachers. A phenomenographic analysis revealed three conceptions of teaching for inquiry learning in science in the elementary years of schooling: (a) The Experience-centered conception where teachers focused on providing interesting sensory experiences to students; (b) The Problem-centered conception where teachers focused on engaging students with challenging problems; and (c) The Question-centered conception where teachers focused on helping students to ask and answer their own questions. Understanding teachers' conceptions has implications for both the enactment of inquiry teaching in the classroom as well as the uptake of new teaching behaviors during professional development, with enhanced outcomes for engaging students in Science.

The Relationship of Leadership Practices on Teacher Morale and School Performance in Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Mary Frances.

2012-01-01

The nation's K-12 schools are faced with critical challenges: elevating academic achievement, recruiting high-caliber teachers, engaging parental involvement and at-risk students. The national and global economic crisis has significantly compounded these challenges (Fullan, 2002; McEwan, 2003; Kowalski, 2008). School leaders are mandated by…

Enhancing Formative Assessment Practice and Encouraging Middle School Mathematics Engagement and Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beesley, Andrea D.; Clark, Tedra F.; Dempsey, Kathleen; Tweed, Anne

2018-01-01

In the transition to middle school, and during the middle school years, students' motivation for mathematics tends to decline from what it was during elementary school. Formative assessment strategies in mathematics can help support motivation by building confidence for challenging tasks. In this study, the authors developed and piloted a…

Guide for Educational Planning of Public School Buildings and Sites in Minnesota. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota State Dept. of Administration, St. Paul. Documents Section.

This guide serves as a manual for Minnesota school boards, administrators, architects, engineers, and others engaged in developing school plant programs. Part I considers State and local responsibilities in school plant planning procedures; Part II deals with site selection and the requirements for elementary, secondary, service, central, and…

After-School Multifamily Groups: A Randomized Controlled Trial Involving Low-Income, Urban, Latino Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Lynn; Moberg, D. Paul; Brown, Roger; Rodriguez-Espiricueta, Ismael; Flores, Nydia I.; Burke, Melissa P.; Coover, Gail

2006-01-01

This randomized controlled trial evaluated a culturally representative parent engagement strategy with Latino parents of elementary school children. Ten urban schools serving low-income children from mixed cultural backgrounds participated in a large study. Classrooms were randomly assigned either either to an after-school, multifamily support…

"School to Career" and Social Studies: Making the Connection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hembacher, Diane; Okada, Doris; Richardson, Terry

2004-01-01

School to Career is part of a national initiative to help students make connections between the content, skills, and concepts they are learning in the classroom and careers in the real world. School-to-career practices add relevance to the elementary school curriculum and promote engagement in learning. A key feature of many school-to-career…

Evaluation of Classroom Active Engagement in Elementary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparapani, Nicole; Morgan, Lindee; Reinhardt, Vanessa P.; Schatschneider, Christopher; Wetherby, Amy M.

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the classroom measure of active engagement (CMAE), an observational tool designed to measure active engagement in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants included 196 students with ASD and their educators (n = 126) who were video-recorded at the beginning of the school year. Findings documented limited…

Academic Outcomes of an Elementary School-Based Family Support Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pullmann, Michael D.; Weathers, Ericka S.; Hensley, Spencer; Bruns, Eric J.

2013-01-01

School-based family support programmes (FSPs) work within schools to build partnerships with families, promote family engagement, address family needs, provide mentorship to students and increase access to community resources. Very few programme evaluation studies of FSPs have been conducted. We report on findings from a participatory evaluation…

School Personnel's Perceptions of Family-School Communication: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, Anne F.; Collier, Melissa A.

2010-01-01

Family involvement contributes to student success, and family-school communication (FSC) is intended to promote parent involvement; however, little is known about the communication processes that enlist that involvement. There are unanswered questions about how elementary educators perceive, prepare for, and engage in communication with families.…

Evaluation of Implementation of School/Community-Based Management. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawaii Business Roundtable, Honolulu.

A formative evaluation was conducted of two elementary schools that have been engaged in the School/Community-Based Management (SCBM) process in Hawaii. The evaluation process was aligned with the SCBM philosophy, which promotes shared decision making, shared responsibility, and collaboration. Stakeholders contributed to the evaluation, which…

Doing History: Investigating with Children in Elementary and Middle Schools. 3rd Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levstik, Linda S.; Barton, Keith C.

2005-01-01

This book offers a unique perspective on history instruction in the elementary and middle grades. Through case studies of teachers and students in diverse classrooms and from diverse backgrounds, the text shows children engaging in authentic historical investigations, often in the context of an integrated social studies curriculum. The authors…

Prospective Elementary Teachers' Misunderstandings in Solving Ratio and Proportion Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monteiro, Cecilia

2003-01-01

This study explores difficulties that prospective elementary mathematics teachers have with the concepts of ratio and proportion, mainly when they are engaged in solving problems using algorithm procedures. These difficulties can be traced back to earlier experiences when they were students of junior and high school. The reflection on these…

Elementary Modeling: Connecting Counting with Sharing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wickstrom, Megan H.; Aytes, Tracy

2018-01-01

Mathematical modeling is an important and accessible process for elementary school students because it allows them to use mathematics to engage with the world and consider if and when to use it to help them reason about a situation. It fosters productive struggle and twenty-first-century skills that will aid them throughout their lifetime.

Humorous Cartoons Made by Preservice Teachers for Teaching Science Concepts to Elementary Students: Process and Product

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rule, Audrey C.; Sallis, Derek A.; Donaldson, J. Ana

2008-01-01

Elementary school science is an often-neglected subject in the current literacy-focused political atmosphere. However, reading informational trade books about science in literacy class can help children increase their science knowledge. Incorporating humor through content-related cartoons is an effective way to engage students in deeper…

Students' personal traits, violence exposure, family factors, school dynamics and the perpetration of violence in Taiwanese elementary schools.

PubMed

Chen, Ji-Kang; Astor, Ron Avi

2011-02-01

School violence has become an international problem affecting the well-being of students. To date, few studies have examined how school variables mediate between personal and family factors and school violence in the context of elementary schools in Asian cultures. Using a nationally representative sample of 3122 elementary school students in Taiwan, this study examined a theoretical model proposing that negative personal traits, exposure to violence and parental monitoring knowledge have both direct influences as well as indirect influences mediated through school engagement, at-risk peers and poor student-teacher relationships on school violence committed by students against students and teachers. The results of a structural equation modeling analysis provided a good fit for the sample as a whole. The final model accounted for 32% of the variance for student violence against students and 21% for student violence against teachers. The overall findings support the theoretical model proposed in this study. Similar findings were obtained for both male and female students. The study indicated that to reduce school violence more effectively in the context of elementary schools, intervention may exclusively focus on improving students' within-school experiences and the quality of the students' relationships with teachers and school peers.

Life satisfaction and student engagement in adolescents.

PubMed

Lewis, Ashley D; Huebner, E Scott; Malone, Patrick S; Valois, Robert F

2011-03-01

Situated within a positive psychology perspective, this study explored linkages between adolescent students' positive subjective well-being and their levels of engagement in schooling. Specifically, using structural equation modeling techniques, we evaluated the nature and directionality of longitudinal relationships between life satisfaction and student engagement variables. It was hypothesized that adolescents' life satisfaction and student engagement variables would show bidirectional relationships. To test this hypothesis, 779 students (53% female, 62% Caucasian) in a Southeastern US middle school completed a measure of global life satisfaction and measures of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement at two time points, 5 months apart. A statistically significant bidirectional relationship between life satisfaction and cognitive engagement was found; however, non-significant relationships were found between life satisfaction and emotional and behavioral student engagement. The findings provide important evidence of the role of early adolescents' life satisfaction in their engagement in schooling during the important transition grades between elementary and high school. The findings also help extend the positive psychology perspective to the relatively neglected context of education.

Student Planners in School and Out of School: Who is Managing Whom?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenters, Kimberly; McTavish, Marianne

2013-01-01

This paper examines the use of student planners (agendas) with elementary school students. It asks how teachers, students and parents in two classrooms engage in the literacy practice of using student planners. A literacy object originally introduced to manage schoolwork in and out of school for students with learning difficulties, planners are…

Avoiding the Attendance Slump: Strategies to Maximize Learning Time in June. A TASC Resource Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Traill, Saskia; Brohawn, Katie

2014-01-01

The After-School Corporation (TASC) works to build education enrichment into an expanded school day because extra time spent in engaging learning activities leads to better outcomes in school and beyond. There's one month, however, when students in many schools lose learning time: June. In 2013, NYC elementary and middle schools saw their average…

Formative Evaluation of "Eccomi Pronto" ["Here I Am Ready"]: A School Counselor-Led, Research-Based, Preventative Curriculum for Italian Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertolani, Jessica; Mortari, Luigina; Carey, John

2014-01-01

"Eccomi Pronto" is a school counselor-led, story-based curriculum that is designed to promote simultaneously the development of early elementary school students' self-direction, active engagement in school, and pre-literacy skill development. This article reports the results of the first evaluation of a large-scale implementation of…

The influence inquiry-based science has on elementary teachers' perception of instruction and self-efficacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Felecia J.

The nature and purpose of this study was to examine the self-efficacy of teachers who use an inquiry-based science program to provide authentic experiences within the elementary school setting. It is essential to explore necessary improvements to bring about effective science education. Using a mixed methods study, the researcher conducted interviews with elementary teachers from five elementary schools within the same school district. The interviews focused on the teachers' experiences with inquiry-based science and their perceptions of quality science instruction. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale was used to collect quantitative data regarding the teachers' perception of instructional practice and student engagement. The study revealed that limited science content knowledge, inadequate professional development, and a low sense of self-efficacy have a substantial effect on teacher outcomes, instructional planning, and ability to motivate students to participate in inquiry-based learning. It will take a collective effort from administrators, teachers, parents, and students to discover ways to improve elementary science education.

Developmental trajectories of compensatory exercise and fasting behavior across the middle school years.

PubMed

Davis, Heather A; Guller, Leila; Smith, Gregory T

2016-12-01

Compensatory exercise and fasting behavior, in the absence of binge eating and purging, appear to be important eating disorder behaviors that are associated with dysfunction, but little is known about these behaviors in youth. We studied the trajectories of their development in non-binge eating and non-purging girls during early adolescence. Using a longitudinal design, we assessed 564 girls six times over the three years of middle school (grades 6 through 8) and developed trajectories specifying different developmental patterns in relation to the behaviors. Prior to this period, when the girls were in 5th grade (elementary school), we assessed risk factors to predict girls' subsequent trajectory group membership. Compensatory exercise trajectory groups included a non-engagement group, a group that increased in the behavior, and a group that decreased in the behavior. There were two fasting trajectory groups, one consistently engaging in the behavior and the other consistently not. Elementary school levels of depression, eating expectancies, and thinness expectancies predicted subsequent trajectory group membership. Risk for compensatory exercise and fasting should be evaluated as early as in 5th grade. Targeted interventions should focus on girls in late elementary school or middle school, as this appears to be a critical developmental and maintenance period for compensatory exercise and fasting behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Twenty Percent of the Variance between Students in Academic Engagement Is Explained by Grade Level, Gender, Family Affluence, Anxiety, and Social Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Gabrielle; McQuay, Jocelyn; Blackstaffe, Anita; Perry, Rosemary; Hawe, Penelope

2016-01-01

Understanding what contributes to academic engagement is important to effectively support students. This study examines the relationship between sociodemographic factors, anxiety, social support, and academic engagement in elementary and junior high school students. Students in grades 5-9 (N = 1,904) completed self-reports measuring academic…

Principals' Leadership Network. Focusing on the Image of the Principal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newby, Cheryl Riggins; Hayden, Hal

2004-01-01

A recent study by The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), Principals in the Public: Engaging Community Support (2000) found that communication, marketing, public affairs and public relations and engagement activities are now given more time and importance than ever before. According to the study, public support builds…

Effects of an Interdependent Group Contingency on Engagement in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirsch, Shanna Eisner; Healy, Sean; Judge, Joann P.; Lloyd, John Wills

2016-01-01

We examined whether a group contingency increased engagement during elementary school physical education sessions. The intervention employed procedures (explicit instruction, goal setting, and reinforcement) drawn from the first tier of classwide function-related intervention teams (CW-FIT; Wills et al., 2009). Results showed salutary increases in…

34 CFR 206.3 - Who is eligible to participate in a project?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ENGAGED IN MIGRANT AND OTHER SEASONAL FARMWORK-HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM AND COLLEGE ASSISTANCE... must— (1) Not have earned a secondary school diploma or its equivalent; (2) Not be currently enrolled in an elementary or secondary school; (3) Be 16 years of age or over, or beyond the age of compulsory...

34 CFR 206.3 - Who is eligible to participate in a project?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ENGAGED IN MIGRANT AND OTHER SEASONAL FARMWORK-HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM AND COLLEGE ASSISTANCE... must— (1) Not have earned a secondary school diploma or its equivalent; (2) Not be currently enrolled in an elementary or secondary school; (3) Be 16 years of age or over, or beyond the age of compulsory...

34 CFR 206.3 - Who is eligible to participate in a project?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ENGAGED IN MIGRANT AND OTHER SEASONAL FARMWORK-HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM AND COLLEGE ASSISTANCE... must— (1) Not have earned a secondary school diploma or its equivalent; (2) Not be currently enrolled in an elementary or secondary school; (3) Be 16 years of age or over, or beyond the age of compulsory...

34 CFR 206.3 - Who is eligible to participate in a project?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ENGAGED IN MIGRANT AND OTHER SEASONAL FARMWORK-HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM AND COLLEGE ASSISTANCE... must— (1) Not have earned a secondary school diploma or its equivalent; (2) Not be currently enrolled in an elementary or secondary school; (3) Be 16 years of age or over, or beyond the age of compulsory...

Student Engagement in the Classroom: The Impact of Classroom, Teacher, and Student Factors.

PubMed

Dykstra Steinbrenner, Jessica R; Watson, Linda R

2015-08-01

Researchers have highlighted engagement as a critical component of effective interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet there is limited research related to engagement in school-age children with ASD. This descriptive study was designed to examine joint engagement and its relationship with classroom factors and student characteristics. The sample included 25 elementary and middle school students with ASD. Mixed level modeling was used to examine relationships between joint engagement and classroom factors and student characteristics. Joint engagement was significantly related to group size, use of student-directed practices, autism severity, and expressive communication skills. These findings have important implications for educational policies and practices and future research related to engagement and effective interventions for students with ASD.

Exploring the Role of Flow Experience, Learning Performance and Potential Behavior Clusters in Elementary Students' Game-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Ya-Hui; Lin, Yi-Chun; Hou, Huei-Tse

2016-01-01

Well-designed game-based learning can provide students with an innovative environment that may enhance students' motivation and engagement in learning and thus improve their learning performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among elementary school students' flow experience and learning performances. We also…

Getting in Touch: Use of Mobile Devices in the Elementary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciampa, Katia; Gallagher, Tiffany L.

2013-01-01

In this single-case study, we examined the perceived influence of school-wide Apple iPod Touch integration on student learning and engagement. Data collection consisted of elementary teacher and principal interviews, as well as parent surveys. Findings revealed that there was a marked shift in teachers' and students' perceived roles when the iPod…

Professional Learning to Support Elementary Teachers' Use of the iPod Touch in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciampa, Katia; Gallagher, Tiffany L.

2013-01-01

This single case study reports on the programme of professional learning that a Canadian staff of elementary teachers (Junior Kindergarten to Grade Eight) and their school principal engaged in to learn to use a mobile multimedia device as an instructional resource. The professional learning was facilitated by two university researchers who used…

Effects of Engineering Design-Based Science on Elementary School Science Students' Engineering Identity Development across Gender and Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capobianco, Brenda M.; Yu, Ji H.; French, Brian F.

2015-01-01

The integration of engineering concepts and practices into elementary science education has become an emerging concern for science educators and practitioners, alike. Moreover, how children, specifically preadolescents (grades 1-5), engage in engineering design-based learning activities may help science educators and researchers learn more about…

Concept Mapping: Effects on Content Knowledge and Engagement with Content in Elementary Students' Persuasive Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Melissa England

2015-01-01

This comparative pre-test/post-test quantitative study investigated the effect of an instructional strategy using concept mapping as a graphic organizer on the quality of persuasive writing compositions produced by fourth grade elementary school students. Six fourth grade classes were assigned as intact groups to three conditions: concept mapping…

Cognitive and physiological effects of an acute physical activity intervention in elementary school children

PubMed Central

Jäger, Katja; Schmidt, Mirko; Conzelmann, Achim; Roebers, Claudia M.

2014-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of an acute physical activity intervention that included cognitive engagement on executive functions and on cortisol level in young elementary school children. Half of the 104 participating children (6–8 years old) attended a 20-min sport sequence, which included cognitively engaging and playful forms of physical activity. The other half was assigned to a resting control condition. Individual differences in children's updating, inhibition, and shifting performance as well as salivary cortisol were assessed before (pre-test), immediately after (post-test), and 40 min after (follow-up) the intervention or control condition, respectively. Results revealed a significantly stronger improvement in inhibition in the experimental group compared to the control group, while it appeared that acute physical activity had no specific effect on updating and shifting. The intervention effect on inhibition leveled out 40 min after physical activity. Salivary cortisol increased significantly more in the experimental compared to the control group between post-test and follow-up and results support partly the assumed inverted U-shaped relationship between cortisol level and cognitive performance. In conclusion, results indicate that acute physical activity that includes cognitive engagement may have immediate positive effects on inhibition, but not necessarily on updating and shifting in elementary school children. This positive effect may partly be explained through cortisol elevation after acute physical activity. PMID:25566148

Making Schools Work Better

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Jim; Harding, Kelly

2011-01-01

This paper synthesizes four research projects the authors completed between 2006-2011. The first research study was a case study of leadership in five highly-effective elementary schools in Alberta. Second, we thoroughly reviewed literature in the area of "Student Engagement." Our third research project included 50+ interviews compiling…

Science FEST: Preservice Teachers link Math and Science in Astronomy Lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMuth, N. H.; Kasabian, J.; Hacking, P. B.

2005-12-01

Funded by the National Science Foundation and corporate sponsored by Northrop Grumman, Science FEST (Science for Future Elementary School Teachers) aims to develop the science content and pedagogy for project participants by connecting their college coursework to the science they will eventually teach. Working individually and in pairs, future elementary and secondary school teachers design a comprehensive module in astronomy that is inquiry-based and reflects national and state science standards. Project participants then teach their module in local elementary or middle school classrooms. Science FEST project participants report gaining a deep understanding of the science they are teaching, learning to engage all students to explore science concepts, and reflecting on their teaching and how it can be improved. The project's website can be found at www.science-fest.org.

Elementary School Principals in Low Socio-Economic-Status Schools: A University-Based Research Programme Designed to Support Mandated Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archambault, Jean; Garon, Roseline

2012-01-01

This paper presents a reform initiative, the Supporting Montreal Schools Program (SMSP), created by the government of Quebec to assist 184 low socio-economic-status schools in Montreal implement seven reform strategies prescribed by the government. On a regular basis, the professional team of the SMSP engages in reflection and research with…

YES Prep Public Schools (Formerly YES College Preparatory School): Honing the Pathways of Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newstead, Barry; Howard, Don

2006-01-01

Chris Barbic, a Teach For America corps member, started Project Youth Engaged in Service (YES) in 1995. He wanted to offer his former elementary-school students an alternative to the low-performing middle schools they otherwise would attend. Since then Barbic has led a high-energy team of educators in refining a comprehensive approach to helping…

A Quest for Consciousness: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Exploring Leaders' Mindfulness in Elementary and Middle School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Post, Aine

2016-01-01

This study aimed to add to the information known about the leaders charged with the task of successfully and sustainably turning around a school. Specifically, this research examined the extent to which leaders engaged in turnaround school reform experienced mindfulness. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, state assigned school grades of schools…

Disciplinary Referrals for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with and without Disabilities: Patterns Resulting from School-Wide Positive Behavior Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincent, Claudia G.; Swain-Bradway, Jessica; Tobin, Tary J.; May, Seth

2011-01-01

The goal of our study was to examine if school-wide positive behavior support implementation was associated with reductions in the discipline gap. We provided outcomes from descriptive and preliminary statistical analyses of three years of office discipline referral data from elementary schools engaged in school-wide positive behavior support…

What's Happening in Elementary School Classrooms? Research on Time Use, Classroom Operations, and Activity Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Rhonda P.

A select portion of the educational management literature is reviewed in the three sections of this paper. The first section discusses literature concerning the amount of time students spend in school. Specific attention is given to the quantity of schooling, the allocation of school time, student engagement in academic tasks, and the relationship…

Dark Skies, Bright Kids! Year 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokal, Kimberly R.; Johnson, K. E.; Barcos-Munoz, L. D.; Beaton, R.; Borish, J.; Crawford, S. B.; Corby, J.; Damke, G.; Dean, J.; Dorsey, G.; Jackson, L.; Liss, S.; Oza, A.; Peacock, S.; Prager, B.; Romero, C.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Walker, L.; Whelan, D. G.; Zucker, C.

2013-01-01

Aiming to engage young children's natural excitement and curiosity, the outreach group Dark Skies, Bright Kids (DSBK) brings a hands-on approach to astronomy to elementary schools in Virginia. We hope to enhance children's view and understanding of science while exploring the Universe using fun activities. DSBK focuses on rural and underserved schools in Albemarle County and offers a semester-long astronomy club for third through fifth grade students. We believe regular interactions foster personal relationships between students and volunteers that encourage a life-long interest in science. In our fourth year of hosting clubs, we returned to Ivy Creek Elementary School, where we saw wonderful responses from a special group of students with `low-incidence' disabilities. DSBK has grown to realize a broader reach beyond local astronomy clubs; we hope to ignite a spark of interest in astronomy and science more widely- in more children, their families, and their teachers. We also hosted the Second Annual Central Virginia Star Party with an open invitation to the community to encourage families to enjoy astronomy together. Throughout the year, DSBK now holds 'one-off' programs (akin to astronomy field days) for elementary schools and children's groups throughout Virginia. Furthermore, we are in the final stages of a project to create two bilingual astronomy books called "Snapshots of the Universe", in Spanish and French with English translations. This art book will be made available online and we are working to get a copy in every elementary school in the state. DSBK has begun to reach out to elementary school teachers in order to provide them with useful and engaging classroom material. We have adapted our volunteer-created activities into useful and ready-to-use lessons, available online. After improvements based on research through interactions and feedback from teachers, we have explicitly identified the learning goals in terms of Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) and the materials necessary to run each activity.

Building a MicroSociety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunton, Sheryl

2006-01-01

Talbot Hill Elementary School in Renton, Washington, uses the MicroSociety model to make learning relevant and engaging for its diverse student population. Three afternoons each week, every student participates in a for-profit business, a governmental agency, or a nonprofit organization. Teachers prepare students to participate in the school's…

The New Phys Ed.: Dodgeball Is Passe; Schools Are Teaching Lifelong Fitness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schachter, Ron

2011-01-01

A growing number of physical education teachers are introducing a new kind of P.E. in schools, emphasizing lifelong activities such as running, cycling, yoga, and skateboarding, in an attempt to make exercise more engaging--and lifelong--for elementary and middle school students. The new generation of P.E. classes is introducing youngsters to…

Embedded Experiences, Critical Conversations: Learning about Teaching in a Professional Development School Cohort Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schuchart, Daphne

2012-01-01

Using qualitative research techniques, the researcher explored preservice teacher learning among traditional college-age students engaged in a semester-long early field experience in an urban elementary school within a Literacy Education Professional Development School (LEPrDS) cohort setting. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to explore…

Engaging Families in Cross-Cultural Connections through a School-Based Literacy Fair

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ceprano, Maria A.; Chicola, Nancy A.

2012-01-01

This paper describes how 20 pre-service teachers enrolled in two social studies methods courses at Buffalo State College worked collaboratively to produce a Cross-cultural Literacy Fair at an urban-based elementary school. The participatory activities created for the event were provided in conjunction with a community after-school program and…

Teacher Support and Math Engagement: Roles of Academic Self-Efficacy and Positive Emotions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ru-De; Zhen, Rui; Ding, Yi; Liu, Ying; Wang, Jia; Jiang, Ronghuan; Xu, Le

2018-01-01

The current study assessed 869 elementary school students in China using self-report questionnaires, to examine the multiple mediating effects of academic self-efficacy and positive academic emotions (enjoyment and relief) in the relations between teacher support and academic engagement (cognitive, behavioural and emotional aspects) within a math…

Joint Trajectories of Behavioral, Affective, and Cognitive Engagement in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archambault, Isabelle; Dupéré, Véronique

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to model student trajectories of behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement from Grade 3 to Grade 6. The authors also examined whether teachers perceptions could predict student trajectory membership. The authors collected data from a sample of 831 students and 152 teachers. Using multiple-process growth…

Gender Differences during Recess in Elementary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Twarek, Linda S.; George, Halley S.

A study examined the differences in what boys and girls choose, or are free to choose, to do on the playground during recess. Given the apparent problem that boys dominate the playground area, leaving girls on the perimeter, it was hypothesized that girls engage in passive, non-competitive, small group activities, whereas boys engage in…

Supporting Academic Language Development in Elementary Science: A Classroom Teaching Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Karl Gerhard

2017-01-01

Academic language is the language that students must engage in while participating in the teaching and learning that takes place in school (Schleppegrell, 2012) and science as a content area presents specific challenges and opportunities for students to engage with language (Buxton & Lee, 2014; Gee, 2005). In order for students to engage…

Building Different Bridges: Technology Integration, Engaged Student Learning, and New Approaches to Professional Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobsen, D. Michele

The human and organizational infrastructure that is required to support the efficacious use of technology by teachers in the classroom was studied in three elementary schools in Alberta, Canada. The resulting impacts on engaged student learning were also studied, and the usefulness of Alberta's Galileo Educational Network Association initiative…

Identifying Elementary School Student Opinion Leaders for Engagement in Evidence-Based Program Adaptation and Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reiger, Christopher J.; Gibson, Jennifer E.; Passarelli, Rebecca E.; Flaspohler, Paul D.

2017-01-01

Evidence-based programs, such as bullying prevention, often demonstrate disappointing outcomes when widely disseminated. Engaging opinion leaders--those individuals whom others emulate and go to for advice--in the process of adaptation and implementation may improve outcomes. However, opinion leaders have the most influence on individuals who are…

Effects of a Classroom Intervention on Academic Engagement of Elementary School Students with Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leatham, Lychelle

2017-01-01

This study evaluated the impact of anxiety reduction on academic engagement for eight students experiencing significant anxiety in grades three through five. All participating students showed high anxiety levels that appeared to be impacting performance on at least one academic task in the classroom, according to teacher report. Student…

Chronicling Innovative Learning in Primary Classrooms: Conceptualizing a Theatrical Pedagogy to Successfully Engage Young Children Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGregor, Debra

2014-01-01

This article reports on an innovative pedagogical approach devised to re-envigorate primary (elementary) teachers' practice in the United Kingdom for older children. Learning science in elementary schools for 8-11 year olds (Key Stage 2 in England) has been constrained for several decades while teachers prepared them for national tests. The recent…

Play Activities of At-Risk and Non-At-Risk Elementary Students: Is There a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poidevant, John M.; Spruill, David A.

1993-01-01

Examined the play activities of 49 at-risk (AR) and non-at-risk (NAR) elementary school students, using the Smilansky Scale for Evaluation of Dramatic and Sociodramatic Play measure. Found that AR students displayed higher levels of hostile acting out behaviors than did NAR students, whereas the NAR group engaged in more verbal communication…

Smoking, Exercise and Dietary Behaviors among Mothers of Elementary School-aged Children in a Rural North Carolina County.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tilson, Elizabeth C.; McBride, Colleen M.; Albright, Jennifer B.; Sargent, James D.

2002-01-01

A survey was completed by 261 caregivers of elementary children in rural North Carolina (93 percent mothers, 59 percent African American). Most respondents engaged in and modeled multiple risk behaviors for their children, including smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity. Various groups' attitudes toward their own behavior are examined.…

Philosophical Thinking in the Elementary Schools: An Evaluation of the Educational Program Philosophy for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haas, Hope J.

This essay reports the results of a preliminary evaluation of the effects of Matthew Lipman's Philosophy for Children program on fifth and sixth graders in the first year of the program's use in two settings. The program, which involves the use of a novel about children to promote discussion, attempts to engage elementary students in philosophical…

Addressing the Math-Practice Gap in Elementary School: Are Tablets a Feasible Tool for Informal Math Practice?

PubMed Central

Stacy, Sara T.; Cartwright, Macey; Arwood, Zjanya; Canfield, James P.; Kloos, Heidi

2017-01-01

Students rarely practice math outside of school requirements, which we refer to as the “math-practice gap”. This gap might be the reason why students struggle with math, making it urgent to develop means by which to address it. In the current paper, we propose that math apps offer a viable solution to the math-practice gap: Online apps can provide access to a large number of problems, tied to immediate feedback, and delivered in an engaging way. To substantiate this conversation, we looked at whether tablets are sufficiently engaging to motivate children’s informal math practice. Our approach was to partner with education agencies via a community-based participatory research design. The three participating education agencies serve elementary-school students from low-SES communities, allowing us to look at tablet use by children who are unlikely to have extensive access to online math enrichment programs. At the same time, the agencies differed in several structural details, including whether our intervention took place during school time, after school, or during the summer. This allowed us to shed light on tablet feasibility under different organizational constraints. Our findings show that tablet-based math practice is engaging for young children, independent of the setting, the student’s age, or the math concept that was tackled. At the same time, we found that student engagement was a function of the presence of caring adults to facilitate their online math practice. PMID:28270780

Addressing the Math-Practice Gap in Elementary School: Are Tablets a Feasible Tool for Informal Math Practice?

PubMed

Stacy, Sara T; Cartwright, Macey; Arwood, Zjanya; Canfield, James P; Kloos, Heidi

2017-01-01

Students rarely practice math outside of school requirements, which we refer to as the "math-practice gap". This gap might be the reason why students struggle with math, making it urgent to develop means by which to address it. In the current paper, we propose that math apps offer a viable solution to the math-practice gap: Online apps can provide access to a large number of problems, tied to immediate feedback, and delivered in an engaging way. To substantiate this conversation, we looked at whether tablets are sufficiently engaging to motivate children's informal math practice. Our approach was to partner with education agencies via a community-based participatory research design. The three participating education agencies serve elementary-school students from low-SES communities, allowing us to look at tablet use by children who are unlikely to have extensive access to online math enrichment programs. At the same time, the agencies differed in several structural details, including whether our intervention took place during school time, after school, or during the summer. This allowed us to shed light on tablet feasibility under different organizational constraints. Our findings show that tablet-based math practice is engaging for young children, independent of the setting, the student's age, or the math concept that was tackled. At the same time, we found that student engagement was a function of the presence of caring adults to facilitate their online math practice.

Engaging Staff in the Development of Distributed Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Street, Gary Wayne

2011-01-01

During the 2010-11 school-year at Scootney Springs Elementary, an action research project with 8 teachers was initiated to create a culture of distributed leadership in the school building. Throughout phase 1 of the study, we collected data from interviews, surveys, checklists, meeting minutes, observations, and documented discussions with the…

Grandfather Tang Goes to High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Iris DeLoach

2006-01-01

This article describes how the children's literature book, Grandfather Tang's Story, which is commonly used in the elementary grades, may be used at the high school level to engage students in an exploration of area and perimeter which includes basic operations with square roots, ordering numbers (decimal approximations, and their exact…

Revitalizing Civic Learning in Our Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Social Education, 2013

2013-01-01

This NCSS position statement is intended for all audiences who are committed to preparing students for active and engaged citizenship in the 21st century. This includes the general public, the elementary, middle, and high school communities, social studies supervisors and directors, higher education, and all educators, pre-Kindergarten through…

Teaching for Historical Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goudvis, Anne; Harvey, Stephanie

2012-01-01

Just as people focused on education in the United States call for more content-rich curriculums, elementary schools in many areas have squeezed history and social studies out of their school day. When social studies is taught, it's often characterized by overreliance on a textbook and "covering" isolated facts; extended, engaged reading…

KSC-04pd2020

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-09-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Shawn McCollough, principal of Gainesville Elementary School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Gainesville, Ga., and a teacher sign a Memorandum of Understanding between KSC and the school for the NES program. Schools from across the country are eligible to apply online for an opportunity to partner with NASA in a program designed to bring engaging mathematics, science and technology learning to educators, students and families.

KSC-04PD-2020

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Shawn McCollough, principal of Gainesville Elementary School, a NASA Explorer School (NES) in Gainesville, Ga., and a teacher sign a Memorandum of Understanding between KSC and the school for the NES program. Schools from across the country are eligible to apply online for an opportunity to partner with NASA in a program designed to bring engaging mathematics, science and technology learning to educators, students and families.

Fostering 21st Century Skill Development by Engaging Students in Authentic Game Design Projects in a High School Computer Programming Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Michael K.; Ge, Xun; Greene, Barbara A.

2011-01-01

This study used technology-rich ethnography (TRE) to examine the use of game development in a high school computer programming class for the development of 21st century skills. High school students created games for elementary school students while obtaining formative feedback from their younger clients. Our experience suggests that in the…

Afterschool Participation and School Engagement: A Case Study of an Urban East Coast Public Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeFigueiredo, Rafaela

2013-01-01

Students attending schools in urban areas with high concentrations of poverty are at risk for academic failure. Besides being more likely to live in poverty, urban students in comparison to suburban students are more likely to be English language learners and to be exposed to violence and other health and safety risks linked to negative school and…

The Role of Arts Participation in Students' Academic and Nonacademic Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of School, Home, and Community Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Andrew J.; Mansour, Marianne; Anderson, Michael; Gibson, Robyn; Liem, Gregory A. D.; Sudmalis, David

2013-01-01

This longitudinal study draws on positive youth development frameworks and ecological models to examine the role of school-, home- and community-based arts participation in students' academic (e.g., motivation, engagement) and nonacademic (e.g., self-esteem, life satisfaction) outcomes. The study is based on 643 elementary and high school students…

Big Bang! An Evaluation of NASA's Space School Musical Program for Elementary and Middle School Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haden, C.; Styers, M.; Asplund, S.

2015-12-01

Music and the performing arts can be a powerful way to engage students in learning about science. Research suggests that content-rich songs enhance student understanding of science concepts by helping students develop content-based vocabulary, by providing examples and explanations of concepts, and connecting to personal and situational interest in a topic. Building on the role of music in engaging students in learning, and on best practices in out-of-school time learning, the NASA Discovery and New Frontiers program in association with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center, and KidTribe developed Space School Musical. Space School Musical consists of a set of nine songs and 36 educational activities to teach elementary and middle school learners about the solar system and space science through an engaging storyline and the opportunity for active learning. In 2014, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory contracted with Magnolia Consulting, LLC to conduct an evaluation of Space School Musical. Evaluators used a mixed methods approach to address evaluation questions related to educator professional development experiences, program implementation and perceptions, and impacts on participating students. Measures included a professional development feedback survey, facilitator follow-up survey, facilitator interviews, and a student survey. Evaluation results showed that educators were able to use the program in a variety of contexts and in different ways to best meet their instructional needs. They noted that the program worked well for diverse learners and helped to build excitement for science through engaging all learners in the musical. Students and educators reported positive personal and academic benefits to participating students. We present findings from the evaluation and lessons learned about integration of the arts into STEM education.

Engaging Older Students with Reading Disabilities: Multimedia Inquiry Projects Supported by Reading Assistive Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elder-Hinshaw, Rebecca; Manset-Williamson, Genevieve; Nelson, Jason M.; Dunn, Michael W.

2006-01-01

Creating accessible and engaging lessons for students with reading disabilities (RD) in inclusive classrooms is particularly challenging for special educators in upper elementary and middle school settings. Older students with RD have difficulty accessing the texts that serve as the basis for instruction, and years of repeated failure can leave…

Partners against Hate Program Activity Guide: Helping Children Resist Bias and Hate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wotorson, Michael

This guide provides parents, educators, and other adults with tools and strategies to engage in constructive discussions and activities about the causes and effects of prejudice and bias-motivated behavior and to intervene when needed with children who engage in such behavior. Though it targets elementary school, much of the material is relevant…

Far beyond Show and Tell: Strategies for Integration of Desktop Documentary Making into History Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fehn, Bruce; Johnson, Melanie; Smith, Tyson

2010-01-01

Elementary and secondary school history students demonstrate a great deal of enthusiasm for making documentary films. With free and easy-to-use software, as well as vast online, archival resources containing images and sounds, students can sit at a computer and make serious and engaging documentary productions. With students affectively engaged by…

Perceptions about Parental Engagement among Hispanic Immigrant Mothers of First Graders from Low-Income Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Samantha Berkule; Arevalo, Jenny; Cates, Carolyn Brockmeyer; Weisleder, Adriana; Dreyer, Benard P.; Mendelsohn, Alan L.

2016-01-01

Parental engagement is critical to children's educational achievement. Before and during elementary school, it is crucial for parents to be involved in their children's education in order to foster development and achievement. Hispanic parents' immigrant status, coupled with a lack of English proficiency, means that they often find themselves of…

Service-Learning: Implications for Empathy and Community Engagement in Elementary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Katharine E.; Graham, James A.

2015-01-01

The literature on service-learning outcomes in pre-adolescent children is relatively sparse. Empathy (i.e., overall, cognitive, affective) and community engagement (i.e., connection to the community, civic awareness, civic efficacy) were assessed in 155 first, second, and fifth graders (n = 79 males; n = 76 females) using a pre/post design for a…

Extracurricular school-based sports as a motivating vehicle for sports participation in youth: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Extracurricular school-based sports are considered to be an ideal means of reaching children who are not active in community sports. The purposes of this study were to examine the extent to which pupils not engaging in community sports do participate in extracurricular school-based sports, and to assess whether extracurricular school-based sports participants are more physically active and/or more autonomously motivated towards sports in daily life than children who do not participate in extracurricular school-based sports. Methods One thousand forty-nine children (53.7% boys; M age = 11.02 years, SD = 0.02) out of 60 classes from 30 Flemish elementary schools, with an extracurricular school-based sports offer, completed validated questionnaires to assess physical activity (Flemish Physical Activity Questionnaire) and motivation (Behavioral Regulations in Physical Education Questionnaire). Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to examine the data generated from these questionnaires. Results More than three quarters of the children (76%) reported participating in extracurricular school-based sports during the current school year and 73% reported engaging in organized community sports. Almost two third of the children (65%) not participating in community sports stated that they did participate in extracurricular school-based sports. Extracurricular school-based sports participants were significantly more physically active than children not participating in extracurricular school-based sports (β = 157.62, p < 0.001). Significant three-way interactions (sex × extracurricular school-based sports participation × community sports participation) were found for autonomous motivation, with boys engaging in extracurricular school-based sports but not in community sports being significantly more autonomously motivated towards sports than boys not engaging in community or extracurricular school-based sports (β = 0.58, p = 0.003). Such differences were not noted among girls. Conclusions If extracurricular school-based sports are offered at school, the vast majority of elementary school children participate. Although extracurricular school-based sports attract many children already engaging in community sports, they also reach almost two third of the children who do not participate in community sports but who might also be optimally motivated towards sports. As children participating in extracurricular school-based sports are more physically active than children who do not participate, extracurricular school-based sports participation can be considered to contribute to an active lifestyle for these participating children. PMID:24708585

Extracurricular school-based sports as a motivating vehicle for sports participation in youth: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

De Meester, An; Aelterman, Nathalie; Cardon, Greet; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Haerens, Leen

2014-04-07

Extracurricular school-based sports are considered to be an ideal means of reaching children who are not active in community sports. The purposes of this study were to examine the extent to which pupils not engaging in community sports do participate in extracurricular school-based sports, and to assess whether extracurricular school-based sports participants are more physically active and/or more autonomously motivated towards sports in daily life than children who do not participate in extracurricular school-based sports. One thousand forty-nine children (53.7% boys; M age = 11.02 years, SD = 0.02) out of 60 classes from 30 Flemish elementary schools, with an extracurricular school-based sports offer, completed validated questionnaires to assess physical activity (Flemish Physical Activity Questionnaire) and motivation (Behavioral Regulations in Physical Education Questionnaire). Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to examine the data generated from these questionnaires. More than three quarters of the children (76%) reported participating in extracurricular school-based sports during the current school year and 73% reported engaging in organized community sports. Almost two third of the children (65%) not participating in community sports stated that they did participate in extracurricular school-based sports. Extracurricular school-based sports participants were significantly more physically active than children not participating in extracurricular school-based sports (β = 157.62, p < 0.001). Significant three-way interactions (sex × extracurricular school-based sports participation × community sports participation) were found for autonomous motivation, with boys engaging in extracurricular school-based sports but not in community sports being significantly more autonomously motivated towards sports than boys not engaging in community or extracurricular school-based sports (β = 0.58, p = 0.003). Such differences were not noted among girls. If extracurricular school-based sports are offered at school, the vast majority of elementary school children participate. Although extracurricular school-based sports attract many children already engaging in community sports, they also reach almost two third of the children who do not participate in community sports but who might also be optimally motivated towards sports. As children participating in extracurricular school-based sports are more physically active than children who do not participate, extracurricular school-based sports participation can be considered to contribute to an active lifestyle for these participating children.

How to Teach Chess in the Public Schools: A Course Outline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Bernard

Educational objectives and course outlines for beginning, intermediate, and advanced chess instruction in elementary and secondary schools are provided. Objectives are that students will develop analytical, synthetic, and decision-making skills, learn to engage in thorough chess research that will enhance their ability to do any research, and gain…

"I'm Just Trying to Be Tough, Okay": Masculine Performances of Everyday Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collier, Diane R.

2015-01-01

Everyday cultural resources that originate outside school offer possibilities for multimodal creativity and identity play, as children consume, transform and produce multimodal texts. In this study, Kyle, a boy in elementary school, fluidly performed social identities and engaged in playful and parodic rescripting of identities and resources from…

Writing a Relationship: Home-School Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kay, Amy M.; Neher, Andrea; Lush, Lindsey Hall

2010-01-01

Three elementary teachers share how they engaged in active listening with the families of children in their classrooms by using home-school journals. Their use spans pre-Kindergarten to fifth grade, and the techniques and responses by each teacher vary based on need and intended purpose. The authors share explanations of process, findings, and…

Exploring Strategies That Influence Children's Physical Activity Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Efrat, Merav W.

2017-01-01

Insufficient physical activity during the elementary school years has been associated with a number of health problems (Strong et al., 2006). During the school day, the recess period provides the greatest opportunity for children to engage in physical activity (Robert Wood Johnson, 2007). Nonetheless, most children spend the majority of their…

Effectiveness of a Universal, Interdependent Group Contingency Program on Children's Academic Achievement: A Countywide Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weis, Robert; Osborne, Karen J.; Dean, Emily L.

2015-01-01

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a universal prevention program designed to increase academic engagement and to decrease disruptive behavior in elementary school-age children. Teachers and other school personnel use interdependent group contingencies to improve students' behavior in the classroom. Previous research indicates the GBG is efficacious…

Psychosocial and Friendship Characteristics of Bully/Victim Subgroups in Korean Primary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Yoolim

2010-01-01

This study investigated psychosocial and friendship characteristics of Korean children who engaged in bully/victim subgroups among their peer groups. The participants were 605 elementary school students in Bucheon City, Korea. The participants completed a peer nomination inventory as well as loneliness and social anxiety scales. Friendship quality…

The Influence of Toy Design Activities on Middle School Students' Understanding of the Engineering Design Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Ninger; Pereira, Nielsen L.; Tarun, Thomas George; Alperovich, Jeffrey; Booth, Joran; Chandrasegaran, Senthil; Tew, Jeffrey David; Kulkarni, Devadatta M.; Ramani, Karthik

2017-01-01

The societal demand for inspiring and engaging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and preparing our workforce for the emerging creative economy has necessitated developing students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes from as early as elementary school levels. Hands-on engineering design…

75 FR 24671 - Office of Innovation and Improvement; Overview Information; Promise Neighborhoods Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-05

... engagement, and student access to 21st century learning tools. The continuum of solutions also must be linked... outcomes of elementary students in 71 schools in 18 districts and 7 States found that even when controlling for individual student poverty, there is a significant negative association between school-level...

Addressing Reciprocity between Families and Schools: Why These Bridges Are Instrumental for Students' Academic Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tran, Yune

2014-01-01

One instrumental step in promoting overall children's academic success across the trajectory of early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary grades is purposefully establishing positive linkages for families and schools through a shared partnership. By facilitating an ongoing collaborative approach to sustain family engagement practices…

The Pull of the Earth: Participatory Ethnography in the School Garden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorp, Laurie

2006-01-01

This book is Laurie Thorp's dirt-under-the-fingernails ethnography of four years in an elementary school garden and the ways in which this garden catalyzed cultural transformation and inspired hope, growth, and community. Filled with photographs, sketches, poetry, and journal entries, Thorp's engaging book describes the educational benefits of…

A Study of Leadership and Continuous Improvement at Leadership Preparatory Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina Araujo, Jacqueline

2013-01-01

This capstone project examines how an elementary school principal and her leadership team transformed Leadership Prep Academy in Capital City into a collaborative, high performing community school. This five-year process of continuous improvement involved engaging students, staff, parents, and members of the community in developing a culture of…

Self-Identified Servant Leadership Traits Valued by Elementary Teachers in an Urban Wisconsin School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Christopher S.

2014-01-01

Teachers exhibit leadership behaviors of a service nature in their collaborative work with fellow educators. When additional school staff follow the teacher's example by engaging in servant leadership behaviors, a chain-like reaction or virtuous effect may occur. The researcher hypothesized that significant levels of agreement for servant…

Self-Determined Motivation and Social Achievement Goals in Children's Emotions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mouratidis, Athanasios; Michou, Aikaterini

2011-01-01

In this cross-sectional study we investigated to what extent autonomous and controlled motivation and social achievement goals are associated with students' emotional experiences at school. We found in a sample of 426 elementary school students, aged from 10 to 12 years, autonomous motivation (i.e. students' engagement in class activities because…

Cultivating Primary Students' Scientific Thinking through Sustained Teacher Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Roxanne Greitz; Curwen, Margaret Sauceda; White-Smith, Kimberly A.; Calfee, Robert C.

2015-01-01

While the United States' National Research Council (NRC 2012) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS 2013) advocate children's engagement in active science learning, elementary school teachers in the US indicate lack of time to teach science regularly because of (1) school and district pressure to focus on English language arts and…

ScienceFEST: Preservice Teachers link Math and Science in Astronomy Lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMuth, N. H.; Kasabian, J.

2005-05-01

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Science FEST (Science for Future Elementary School Teachers) aims to develop the science content and pedagogy for project participants by connecting their college coursework to the science they will eventually teach. Working individually and in pairs, future elementary and middle school teachers design a comprehensive module in astronomy that is inquiry-based and reflects the national and state science standards. Project participants then teach their modules in local elementary or middle school classrooms. Science FEST project participants report gaining a deep understanding of the science they are teaching, learning to engage all students to explore science concepts, and reflecting on their teaching and how it can be improved. The session presenters will share some of the instructional materials developed by the college students and how their experiences in Science FEST have enhanced their pre-professional development. The project's website can be found at www.science-fest.org.

"Switch My Desk Mate" and "I Need 20 Minutes for Writing": The Impact of Student Voice on the Teacher's Approach to Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Draxton, Shawna Leigh

2012-01-01

This study examined the impact of student voice data on the pedagogical practices of five elementary teachers engaged in a teacher led action research cycle at an inclusive elementary school. Using principles of Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Action Research (AR) this study explored the following questions: (1) In what ways does eliciting…

Civic Engagement in the Upper Elementary Grades: An Examination of Parent and Teacher Practices and Children's Civic Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Elizabeth Spalding

2012-01-01

This study examines civic identity (i.e., civic values and responsibility to community and to people) in middle childhood, a previously unexplored developmental period in the civic engagement literature, and how adults and socialization processes in the home and school contexts are associated with children's civic outcomes. Middle childhood is a…

The Effects of Check-In/Check-Out on Problem Behavior and Academic Engagement in Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Leila M.; Dufrene, Brad A.; Sterling, Heather E.; Olmi, D. Joe; Bachmayer, Erica

2015-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Check-in/Check-out (CICO) for improving behavioral performance for three students referred for Tier 2 behavioral supports. An ABAB withdrawal design was used to evaluate CICO and results indicate that intervention was effective for reducing problem behavior as well as increasing academic engagement for all…

A pedagogical example of second-order arithmetic sequences applied to the construction of computer passwords by upper elementary grade students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coggins, Porter E.

2015-04-01

The purpose of this paper is (1) to present how general education elementary school age students constructed computer passwords using digital root sums and second-order arithmetic sequences, (2) argue that computer password construction can be used as an engaging introduction to generate interest in elementary school students to study mathematics related to computer science, and (3) share additional mathematical ideas accessible to elementary school students that can be used to create computer passwords. This paper serves to fill a current gap in the literature regarding the integration of mathematical content accessible to upper elementary school students and aspects of computer science in general, and computer password construction in particular. In addition, the protocols presented here can serve as a hook to generate further interest in mathematics and computer science. Students learned to create a random-looking computer password by using biometric measurements of their shoe size, height, and age in months and to create a second-order arithmetic sequence, then converted the resulting numbers into characters that become their computer passwords. This password protocol can be used to introduce students to good computer password habits that can serve a foundation for a life-long awareness of data security. A refinement of the password protocol is also presented.

Technology to Support Parental Engagement in Elementary Education: Lessons Learned from the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewin, Cathy; Luckin, Rosemary

2010-01-01

This paper compares and contrasts two projects in order to better understand the complex issues surrounding the use of technology to support parental involvement with schools and their children's learning. The Becta-funded ICT Test Bed evaluation (2002-2006) had the intention of saturating schools (in three areas of social deprivation) with a…

Control, Trust, and Rethinking Traditional Roles: Critical Elements in Creating a Mutually Beneficial University-School Partnership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewison, Mitzi; Holliday, Sue

1997-01-01

Describes a partnership between a university graduate student and the principal and teachers of a traditional elementary school who collaborated to engage in study group sessions, keep professional journals, and read and discuss research articles on writing instruction. The paper addresses issues of building trust, equalizing power, and…

Elementary School Teacher and Principal Perceptions of the Principal's Leadership Role in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillery, Patricia L.

2013-01-01

As school districts' professional development trends shift to meet annual budget requirements, it is worthy to explore the benefits of professional learning communities as they are a potential means for job-embedded professional development. As an advocate for professional learning, Hirsh (2009) stated that every teacher should engage in…

Can Music in Schools Live up to Its Promise?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whyte, Ingrid; Mould, Norman

2011-01-01

Music helps to bring out the best in young people. It nourishes self-esteem and keeps them engaged. The starting point for any good school program is the teacher, whether that program teaches English, math, science, history, arts--or music. So why is it that, at the elementary level, we have so many generalist classroom teachers--with no…

Improving Student Engagement: An Evaluation of the Latinos in Action Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enriquez, Jose E.

2012-01-01

Hispanic students make up 12% of the enrollment in Utah elementary and secondary schools but only 3.4% of the enrollment at Utah's colleges and universities, according to Aleman and Rorrer (2006). The intervention Latinos in Action (LIA) seeks to increase high school completion and college graduation rates among emergent bilingual Latinos by…

Arts Integration as School Reform: Exploring How Teachers Experience Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lackey, Lara; Huxhold, Dianna

2016-01-01

This article reports on the perceptions and experiences of general elementary educators as they engage in a school reform process that requires them to learn and implement an arts infused curriculum intended to raise student achievement on standardized tests in non-arts subjects. This qualitative study reveals not only how one arts-based school…

Characteristics of Socially Successful Elementary School-Aged Children with Autism

PubMed Central

Locke, Jill; Williams, Justin; Shih, Wendy; Kasari, Connie

2016-01-01

Background The extant literature demonstrates that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty interacting and socially connecting with typically developing classmates. However, some children with ASD have social outcomes that are consistent with their typically developing counterparts. Little is known about this subgroup of children with ASD. This study examined the stable (unlikely to change) and malleable (changeable) characteristics of socially successful children with ASD. Methods This study used baseline data from three intervention studies performed in public schools in the Southwestern United States. A total of 148 elementary-aged children with ASD in 130 classrooms in 47 public schools participated. Measures of playground peer engagement and social network salience (inclusion in informal peer groups) were obtained. Results The results demonstrated that a number of malleable factors significantly predicted playground peer engagement (class size, autism symptom severity, peer connections) and social network salience (autism symptom severity, peer connections, received friendships). In addition, age was the only stable factor that significantly predicted social network salience. Interestingly, two malleable (i.e., peer connections and received friendships) and no stable factors (i.e., age, IQ, sex) predicted overall social success (e.g., high playground peer engagement and social network salience) in children with ASD. Conclusions School-based interventions should address malleable factors such as the number of peer connections and received friendships that predict the best social outcomes for children with ASD. PMID:27620949

Using Mindfulness to Build a Transformative School Culture: A Phenomenological Study of Elementary School Principals Who Create an Atmosphere of Academic Rigor and Teacher Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FitzGerald, Susan

2012-01-01

This study focused on the motivations and discernment leading to the transformational leadership approach and showed there is continuing momentum in the area towards mindful engagement to build trust in a school culture. The purpose of the study was to investigate how transformational leaders build a culture through trust and commitment within a…

Will I Succeed in Middle School? A Longitudinal Analysis of Self-Efficacy in School Transitions in Relation to Goal Structures and Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madjar, Nir; Chohat, Ronny

2017-01-01

The current study aimed to explore the concept of transition self-efficacy, which is defined as individuals' subjective evaluation of their ability to execute the actions required for a successful transition from elementary to middle school. The study followed a sample of 128 sixth-grade students for 2 consecutive years (before and after the…

The Emergence of Social Capital in Low-Income Latino Elementary Schools

PubMed Central

Shoji, Megan N.; Haskins, Anna R.; Rangel, David E.; Sorensen, Kia N.

2014-01-01

Scholars suggest that racial/ethnic and class disparities in school-based social capital contribute to educational inequalities. Previous studies demonstrate that social capital (relations of trust, mutual expectations, and shared values) between parents and schools supports children's development. Yet we know little about the emergence of social capital, that is, the processes through which it develops. In this study, we explore mechanisms of social capital emergence in predominantly low-income Latino school communities. We draw data from an experimental study that manipulated social capital through an after-school family engagement program. Based on interviews and focus groups with participating parents, teachers, and program staff in two elementary schools, we identified four types of interactions that act as mechanisms of social capital emergence: (1) responsive communication; (2) reciprocal communication; (3) shared experiences; and (4) institutional linkage. The article connects these mechanisms to theoretically linked sources of social capital and discusses implications for theory and practice. PMID:25246729

Bridging Realty to Virtual Reality: Investigating Gender Effect and Student Engagement on Learning through Video Game Play in an Elementary School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annetta, Leonard; Mangrum, Jennifer; Holmes, Shawn; Collazo, Kimberly; Cheng, Meng-Tzu

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine students' learning of simple machines, a fifth-grade (ages 10-11) forces and motion unit, and student engagement using a teacher-created Multiplayer Educational Gaming Application. This mixed-method study collected pre-test/post-test results to determine student knowledge about simple machines. A survey…

Engaging Karen refugee students in science learning through a cross-cultural learning community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper, Susan G.

2017-02-01

This research explored how Karen (first-generation refugees from Burma) elementary students engaged with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) practice of constructing scientific explanations based on evidence within the context of a cross-cultural learning community. In this action research, the researcher and a Karen parent served as co-teachers for fourth- and fifth-grade Karen and non-Karen students in a science and culture after-school programme in a public elementary school in the rural southeastern United States. Photovoice provided a critical platform for students to create their own cultural discourses for the learning community. The theoretical framework of critical pedagogy of place provided a way for the learning community to decolonise and re-inhabit the learning spaces with knowledge they co-constructed. Narrative analysis of video transcripts of the after-school programme, ethnographic interviews, and focus group discussions from Photovoice revealed a pattern of emerging agency by Karen students in the scientific practice of constructing scientific explanations based on evidence and in Karen language lessons. This evidence suggests that science learning embedded within a cross-cultural learning community can empower refugee students to construct their own hybrid cultural knowledge and leverage that knowledge to engage in a meaningful way with the epistemology of science.

Assessing multiple intelligences in elementary-school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strecker, Catherine Hunt

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain a clear understanding of the manner in which fourth-grade students attending a Kansas elementary school learn when engaged in science activities grounded in H. Gardner's book, Frames of mind the theory of multiple intelligences (1983). The significance of this research lies in the discovery of the difference between teaching practice grounded in multiple intelligences versus that based upon traditional theory. Teacher self-perceptions with regard to the effectiveness of their instruction and student assessment within the classroom were also explored. The research evaluated the overall effectiveness of both traditional curriculum delivery and that rooted in the concept of multiple intelligences.

ESEA Title I. Anatomy of an Elementary Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Peter A.

School districts in New York State have been engaged in developing E.S.E.A. Title I projects since 1965. This document represents an attempt to formulate some aspects of this experience in a form useful for project directors. The content of this report is based on the recorded experiences of one school district during the summer of 1970 in running…

Earning One's Inheritance: Rhetorical Criticism, Everyday Talk, and the Analysis of Public Discourse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormick, Samuel

2003-01-01

Analyzes a transcribed speech in which an African American community member engaged a panel of school board officials on the topic of racial stereotypes in an elementary school science experiment. Concludes that the force of public discourse may reside less in a speaker's ability to persuade an audience than in an audience's willingness to recycle…

Women's Studies for Teachers and Administrators: A Packet of Inservice Education Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froschl, Merle, Ed.; And Others

This packet of materials is designed for elementary and secondary teachers and administrators who are engaged in inservice education and interested in the movement to eliminate sexism in schools. Two major purposes of the packet are to help a school district start an inservice course on sexism in education and to show the potential of such a…

Measuring up: A Simple Lesson That Engages Students in Scientific Practices and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capps, Daniel

2012-01-01

A well-known lesson taught by many upper-elementary and early-middle-school teachers at the beginning of the school year asks students to compare how arm span relates to height. Students measure their height and arm span and compare their measurements to those of their classmates. This lesson gets students measuring, graphing, and practicing…

Increasing Engagement and Oral Language Skills of ELLs through the Arts in the Primary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brouillette, Liane; Childress-Evans, Karen; Hinga, Briana; Farkas, George

2014-01-01

In this article, we look at the impact of an arts integration program offered at five large urban elementary schools on the daily attendance and oral language skills of children in kindergarten through second grade. Many of the children attending these schools spoke a language other than English at home. Teaching artists visited each class weekly…

HIV prevention in action on the football field: the WhizzKids United program in South Africa.

PubMed

Balfour, Louise; Farrar, Thomas; McGilvray, Marcus; Wilson, Douglas; Tasca, Giorgio A; Spaans, Johanna N; Mathews, Catherine; Maziya, Lungile; Khanyile, Siphosihle; Dalgleish, Tracy L; Cameron, William D

2013-07-01

The Africaid Trust is a grassroots South African non-profit organization that engages youth in HIV prevention by harnessing the popularity of football (i.e. soccer). WhizzKids United, the organization's primary program, operates a 12-week program in elementary schools in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, which aims to impart knowledge and life skills critical to HIV prevention. The goal of this research was to compare elementary school youth who received the program to youth who only received traditional classroom-based HIV education on health behaviors and HIV-related knowledge and stigma. A secondary objective was to evaluate HIV knowledge, sexual behaviors, attitudes towards HIV and health care seeking behaviors among South African youth in grades 9-12. Elementary students who participated in the program reported greater HIV knowledge and lower HIV stigma (p < .001) than those who had not. The majority of youth in grades 9-12 report having sexual relations (55.6%), despite low levels of HIV testing (29.9%) in this high HIV prevalence region of South Africa. The results highlight the importance of supporting community-based HIV educational initiatives that engage high-risk youth in HIV prevention and the need for youth-friendly health services.

The Impact of Stress on Later Literacy Achievement via Grit and Engagement among Dual Language Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neal, Colleen R.

2018-01-01

The goal of this short-term longitudinal study was to identify how stress impacts later literacy achievement via the mediators of grit and emotional engagement. Study design included three time-points with students in 3rd through 5th grades who were low-income, dual language learners in the US (N = 142; 54% female; 75% Latina/o; M = 9.47 years…

Cognitive Engagement and Story Comprehension in Typically Developing Children and Children with ADHD from Preschool through Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorch, Elizabeth P.; Milich, Richard; Astrin, Clarese C.; Berthiaume, Kristen S.

2006-01-01

The present study examined children's cognitive engagement with television as a function of the continuity of central or incidental content and whether this varied with age and clinical status. In Experiment 1, 9- to 11-year-old children's response times on a secondary task were slower the later a probe occurred in a sequence of central events,…

Collaboration in teacher workshops and citizen science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbs, M. G.; Buxner, S.; Gay, P.; Crown, D. A.; Bracey, G.; Gugliucci, N.; Costello, K.; Reilly, E.

2013-12-01

The Moon and Earth system is an important topic for elementary and middle school science classrooms. Elementary and middle school teachers are challenged to keep current in science. The Planetary Science Institute created a program titled Workshops in Science Education and Resources (WISER): Planetary Perspectives to assist in-service K-12 teachers with their knowledge in earth and space science, using up-to-date science and inquiry activities to assist them in engaging their students. To augment the science and add a new aspect for teacher professional development, PSI is working in a new partnership collaborating with the Cosmoquest project in engaging teachers in authentic inquiry of the Moon. Teachers now learn about the Moon from PSI scientists and education staff and then engage in inquiry of the Moon using CosmoQuest's online citizen science project MoonMappers and its accompanying classroom curriculum TerraLuna. Through MoonMappers, teachers and students explore the lunar surface by viewing high-resolution pictures from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and marking craters and other interesting features. In addition, TerraLuna provides a unit of inquiry-based activities that bring MoonMappers and its science content into the classroom. This program addresses standards teachers need to teach and helps them not only teach about the Moon but also engage their students in authentic inquiry of the lunar surface.

Student Centered Curriculum: Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rondone, Atria

2014-01-01

Student-centered learning has an important place in education because it fosters student engagement and allows the traditional micromanaging teacher to transform into a guide. The current education model emphasizes teacher control and curriculum based on standardized testing, which stunts students' natural learning processes. This study…

School travel plans: preliminary evidence for changing school-related travel patterns in elementary school children.

PubMed

Hinckson, Erica A; Badland, Hannah M

2011-01-01

In New Zealand, the School Travel Plan (STP) program was developed to increase school-related active travel rates and decrease traffic congestion. The plan was developed through collaboration among the school, community, and local council. The STP was tailored to each school's specific needs and incorporated educational initiatives, physical infrastructural changes in the vicinity of schools, and policy development. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the STP program in changing school travel modes in children. Effectiveness was assessed by determining the difference between pre-STP and follow-up travel mode data in schools. The differences were assessed using multilinear regression analysis, including decile (measure of socioeconomic status), school roll at baseline, and STP year of implementation as predictors. Thirty-three elementary schools from the Auckland region participated in the study. School size ranged from 130 to 688 students. The final 2006 sample consisted of 13,631 students. On a set day (pre- and post-STP), students indicated their mode of transport to school and intended mode for returning home that day. Differences are reported as percentage points: there was an increase in active transport by 5.9% ± 6.8% when compared to baseline travel modes. School roll, STP year of implementation, and baseline values predicted engagement with active transport. Preliminary findings suggest that the STP program may be successful in creating mode shift changes to favor school-related active travel in elementary-school children.

Any Letter for Me? Relationships between an Elementary School Letter Writing Program and Student Attitudes, Literacy Achievement, and Friendship Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chohan, Sukhdeep Kaur

2011-01-01

This study involved the development, implementation, and assessment of a comprehensive schoolwide mailing program as a practical tool to communicate enthusiasm towards writing to children and actively engage them in letter writing. The author played the dual role of teacher-researcher and worked for one school year with one teacher from each grade…

Developing Indicators and Measures of Civic Outcomes for Elementary School Students. CIRCLE Working Paper 47

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chi, Bernadette; Jastrzab, JoAnn; Melchior, Alan

2006-01-01

Over the past decade, public attention on the importance of the civic development and education of youth has grown. To address these concerns, the East Bay Conservation Corps (EBCC) Charter School opened in 1996 with the explicit mission to prepare and engage students grades K through 12 as caring citizens who are capable and motivated to fully…

The Effects of a Dog Reading Visitation Program on Academic Engagement Behavior in Three Elementary Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities: A Single Case Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bassette, Laura A.; Taber-Doughty, Teresa

2013-01-01

Background: Children with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) struggle with behavioral problems during reading activities in school. One way to address these concerns may be through dog reading programs which are increasing in popularity in schools and libraries. Preliminary anecdotal research suggests dog reading programs may improve…

Engaging Stakeholders in Generating Solutions to Address Enrollment Decline in an Urban Faith-Based Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Monica B.

2014-01-01

The United States has a tradition of faith-based K-12 education that can be traced back to the 1600s. This sector of education has played a vital role in America's urban communities. Faith-based schools have a strong record of serving disadvantaged families. They provide moral grounding, community ethic, safe and structured environment, academic…

Re-designing an Earth Sciences outreach program for Rhode Island public elementary schools to address new curricular standards and logistical realities in the community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, N.; Vachula, R. S.; Pascuzzo, A.; Prilipko Huber, O.

2017-12-01

In contrast to middle and high school students, elementary school students in Rhode Island (RI) have no access to dedicated science teachers, resulting in uneven quality and scope of science teaching across the state. In an attempt to improve science education in local public elementary schools, the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences (DEEPS) at Brown University initiated a student-driven science-teaching program that was supported by a NSF K-12 grant from 2007 to 2014. The program led to the development of an extensive in-house lesson plan database and supported student-led outreach and teaching in several elementary and middle school classrooms. After funding was terminated, the program continued on a volunteer basis, providing year-round science teaching for several second-grade classrooms. During the 2016-2017 academic year, New Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were introduced in RI public schools, and it became apparent that our outreach efforts required adaptation to be more efficient and relevant for both elementary school students and teachers. To meet these new needs, DEEPS, in collaboration with the Providence Public School District, created an intensive summer re-design program involving both graduate and undergraduate students. Three multi-lesson units were developed in collaboration with volunteer public school teachers to specifically address NGSS goals for earth science teaching in 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. In the 2017-2018 academic year DEEPS students will co-teach the science lessons with the public school teachers in two local elementary schools. At the end of the next academic year all lesson plans and activities will be made publically available through a newly designed DEEPS outreach website. We herein detail our efforts to create and implement new educational modules with the goals of: (1) empowering teachers to instruct science, (2) engaging students and fostering lasting STEM interest and competency, (3) optimizing volunteer resources, (4) meeting new state curricular standards, (5) developing publicly available lesson plans for other teachers and outreach programs, (6) institutionalizing the outreach program within the DEEPS community, and (7) cultivating STEM retention at the grassroots level.

Children and video games: addiction, engagement, and scholastic achievement.

PubMed

Skoric, Marko M; Teo, Linda Lay Ching; Neo, Rachel Lijie

2009-10-01

The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between video gaming habits and elementary school students' academic performance. More specifically, we seek to examine the usefulness of a distinction between addiction and high engagement and assess the predictive validity of these concepts in the context of scholastic achievement. Three hundred thirty-three children ages 8 to 12 years from two primary schools in Singapore were selected to participate in this study. A survey utilizing Danforth's Engagement-Addiction (II) scale and questions from DSM-IV was used to collect information from the schoolchildren, while their grades were obtained directly from their teachers. The findings indicate that addiction tendencies are consistently negatively related to scholastic performance, while no such relationship is found for either time spent playing games or for video game engagement. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Teacher self-efficacy and perceived autonomy: relations with teacher engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion.

PubMed

Skaalvik, Einar M; Skaalvik, Sidsel

2014-02-01

When studied separately, research shows that both teacher self-efficacy and teacher autonomy are associated with adaptive motivational and emotional outcomes. This study tested whether teacher self-efficacy and teacher autonomy are independently associated with engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. 2,569 Norwegian teachers in elementary school and middle school (719 men, 1,850 women; M age = 45.0 yr., SD = 11.5) were administered the Norwegian Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, the Teacher Autonomy Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The analysis revealed that both teacher autonomy and self-efficacy were independent predictors of engagement, job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion. This study suggests that autonomy or decision latitude works positively but through different processes for teachers with high and low mastery expectations.

The Artistic Oceanographer Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haley, Sheean T.; Dyhrman, Sonya T.

2009-01-01

The Artistic Oceanographer Program (AOP) was designed to engage elementary school students in ocean sciences and to illustrate basic fifth-grade science and art standards with ocean-based examples. The program combines short science lessons, hands-on observational science, and art, and focuses on phytoplankton, the tiny marine organisms that form…

Exploring Classroom Hydroponics. Growing Ideas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Gardening Association, Burlington, VT.

Growing Ideas, the National Gardening Association's series for elementary, middle, and junior high school educators, helps teachers engage students in using plants and gardens as contexts for developing a deeper, richer understanding of the world around them. This volume's focus is on hydroponics. It presents basic hydroponics information along…

Reducing Dropout Rates through Expanded Learning Opportunities. Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Laura; Princiotta, Daniel

2009-01-01

Expanded learning opportunities (ELOs), which include afterschool, summer learning, and extended day and extended year programs, can help states reduce dropout rates and increase graduation rates. Effective elementary, middle, and high school ELOs support academic rigor, boost student engagement, and provide students with supportive relationships.…

Play to Learn: Great Projects to Try, Websites to Bookmark, and a World of Learning to Share with Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Caralee

2011-01-01

When kids play video games, they want to perfect their skills, advance to the next level, and become a master. It is the kind of focus that many teachers would love to see in their classrooms. From elementary through high school, computer games are being woven into the curriculum to engage students in new ways. However, many schools lack the…

Standin' tall: (De) criminalization and acts of resistance among boys of color in an elementary after school STEM program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basile, Vincent

The United States current incarcerates more citizens than any other country in history, by disproportionately targeting men and boys of color through mechanisms such as the school to prison pipeline. In better understanding the processes that fuel the school to prison pipeline such as criminalizing practices and the ways boys of color resist them, we can begin to identify teaching practices and perspectives which work to disrupt those processes. Examining criminalization and acts of resistance in STEM education is particularly salient because of the high social and economic status STEM knowledge bears in dominant U.S. culture, and the ways access to STEM learning functions as gateways in our education system. Through a longitudinal study in a multi-site elementary after-school STEM program, I examined what criminalization and acts of resistance look like, the ways they interact, and how staff in the program work to disrupt those cycles. I found that criminalization and acts of resistance are normal and ordinary occurrences, frequently interacting in response to each other in escalating patterns. I also found that staff engaged in multiple categories of decriminalizing practices based on highly respectful interactions and viewing boys of color as brilliant students who engage in acts of resistance as a healthy response to oppressive measures.

Productive Taboos: Cultivating Spatialized Literacy Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vander Zanden, Sarah

2015-01-01

The fifth grade students in this project were part of a yearlong ethnographic study in an urban elementary school. They engaged in a student initiated inquiry project combining bakeries and mysteries, which culminated in the production of an original film. Situated in a socio-spatialized stance on literacy involving networks of participation and…

Developing Academic Self-Efficacy: Strategies to Support Gifted Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merriman, Lauren

2012-01-01

Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capacity to perform and accomplish goals. Specifically, academic self-efficacy refers to a student's perception of their ability to engage and successfully complete academic tasks. Self-efficacy affects students' behavioral choices, motivation, thought patterns and responses, perception of control, and…

Ocean FEST: Families Exploring Science Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruno, Barbara C.; Wiener, Carlie; Kimura, Arthur; Kimura, Rene

2011-01-01

This project engages elementary school students, parents, teachers, and administrators in ocean-themed family science nights based on a proven model. Our key goals are to: (1) educate participants about ocean and earth science issues that are relevant to their communities; and (2) inspire more underrepresented students, including Native Hawaiians,…

Supporting Scientific Experimentation and Reasoning in Young Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varma, Keisha

2014-01-01

Researchers from multiple perspectives have shown that young students can engage in the scientific reasoning involved in science experimentation. However, there is little research on how well these young students learn in inquiry-based learning environments that focus on using scientific experimentation strategies to learn new scientific…

Emotional Expressivity and Emotion Regulation: Relation to Academic Functioning among Elementary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Kyongboon; Hanrahan, Amanda R.; Kupzyk, Kevin A.

2017-01-01

We examined emotional expressivity (i.e., happiness, sadness, and anger) and emotion regulation (regulation of exuberance, sadness, and anger) as they relate to academic functioning (motivation, engagement, and achievement). Also, we tested the premise that emotional expressivity and emotion regulation are indirectly associated with achievement…

My Science Tutor: A Conversational Multimedia Virtual Tutor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Wayne; Cole, Ron; Bolaños, Daniel; Buchenroth-Martin, Cindy; Svirsky, Edward; Weston, Tim

2013-01-01

My Science Tutor (MyST) is an intelligent tutoring system designed to improve science learning by elementary school students through conversational dialogs with a virtual science tutor in an interactive multimedia environment. Marni, a lifelike 3-D character, engages individual students in spoken dialogs following classroom investigations using…

How Elementary School Students' Motivation Is Connected to Self-Regulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarvela, Sanna; Jarvenoja, Hanna; Malmberg, Jonna

2012-01-01

Empirical research reveals that students face difficulties engaging in learning and achieving their goals in a variety of learning contexts. To study effectively, students need to regulate their learning process. In spite of increased understanding of cognitive aspects of self-regulation, motivational aspects of regulation have not yet been…

Teaching Violence Prevention: How Much Does Bullying Weigh?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blosnich, John; Kershner, Ruth

2009-01-01

Bullying is a prevalent problem for many elementary school students, and it is associated with physical injury and depression. Objectives: Students engaged in this teaching activity will be able to identify bullying behaviors as well as list and demonstrate strategies to effectively deal with bullying situations. Target Audience: Fourth- and…

Do You Hear What I Hear

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Krista L.; Pedersen, Jon; Narboni, Nicole

2014-01-01

Ask many elementary school teachers or principals, and they will say that science and music are not the top priority in their classrooms. Teachers need to know "how" they can incorporate the necessary mathematics and reading goals and objectives while still engaging students in the critical and aesthetic thinking developed through…

Learning from the Past, Building for the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brand, Noreen B.

2013-01-01

The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center (IHMEC) strives to engage youth as citizens through "Make a Difference! The Harvey L. Miller Family Youth Exhibition." Teaching about the Holocaust is complex and challenging work. Holocaust education is mandated in Illinois elementary and high schools, yet the Museum finds that many…

Engaging Students--Teaching Scholar Partnerships. AACC Project Brief.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Felice, Faith; Barnett, Lynn

This is a project brief on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Teaching Scholar Partnerships (TSP) project, which is designed to reduce the shortage of qualified science and math educators in elementary, middle, and secondary schools. The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) also…

Aprendiendo con Veronica.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald-O'Brien, Pat

1996-01-01

Describes how an elementary school literacy specialist worked with and saw the dilemmas, frustrations, and heartaches of a new student from Puerto Rico. Notes that the literacy specialist learned valuable lessons and gained an appreciation for the need to honor and celebrate, engage and instruct all students from all over the globe. (SR)

Smart Clickers in the Classroom: "Technolust" or the Potential to Engage Students?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Robert D.

2013-01-01

This exploratory action research investigation provided the opportunity for a collaborative examination of the pedagogy underlying the use of wireless clicker technology within an elementary school environment. It investigated the uncomfortable truths of their use and revealed some unanticipated benefits. Using a triangulated qualitative data…

A Step or Two Back in Time.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Peggy

1979-01-01

Describes the National Park Service's Environmental Living Program for elementary school children in the San Francisco Bay Area, where teachers, parents, and children stay overnight in a historic fort and schooner, experience living in a past age, use candles and oil stoves, and engage in mock military and shipboard activities. (MF)

Active Learning through Toy Design and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sirinterlikci, Arif; Zane, Linda; Sirinterlikci, Aleea L.

2009-01-01

This article presents an initiative that is based on active learning pedagogy by engaging elementary and middle school students in the toy design and development field. The case study presented in this article is about student learning experiences during their participation in the TOYchallenge National Toy Design Competition. Students followed the…

Indonesian teacher engagement index: a rasch model analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasmoko; Abbas, B. S.; Indrianti, Y.; Widhoyoko, S. A.

2018-01-01

The research aimed to calibrate Indonesian Teacher Engagement Index (ITEI) using instrument with RASCH MODEL. The respondents were 672 teachers of elementary, junior high, high school and vocational school. The number of items planned was 165 items with the initial reliability of 0.98. The ITEI scale uses Likert Scale (1 to 4) which was converted from ordinal scale to Equal Interval Scale. RASCH MODEL analysis was done by selecting based on Outfit Mean Square (MNSQ) between 0.5-1.5 as a good item, and measuring Point Measure Correlation (Pt Mean Corr) with the criterion of 0.4-0.85. Moderate Outfit Z-Standard (ZSTD) was ignored because the sample was >500. Conclusions: ITEI is valid with 30 items and reliability of 0.97, and less engage teachers significantly at α <0.05.

The Sound of Steam: Acoustics as the Integrator Between Arts and STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goates, Caleb; Whiting, Jenny; Berardi, Mark; Gee, Kent L.; Neilsen, Tracianne B.

2016-03-01

This paper describes the development and presentation of a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) workshop for elementary school teachers designed to provide ideas and tools for using acoustics in the classroom. The abundant hands-on activities and concepts in acoustics naturally link science and music in an intuitive way that can assist teachers moving forward on the STEAM initiative. Our workshop gave teachers an introduction to acoustics principles and demonstrations that can be used to tie STEAM techniques with Utah State Education Core standards. These hands-on demonstrations and real-world applications provide an avenue to engage students and support learning outcomes. Feedback indicated that the participants learned from and enjoyed the initial implementation of this workshop, though many elementary school teachers did not immediately see how they could integrate it into their curriculum. While additional efforts might be made to better focus the training workshop for the K-6 level, curriculum developers need to appreciate how acoustics could be used more broadly at the elementary school level if the emphasis changes from STEM to STEAM. ?

Summer of Innovation Kick Off

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-06-09

Jet Propulsion Laboratory Manager of Elementary and Secondary Education David Seidel motivates teachers and middle school students during the kick off of NASA's Summer of Innovation program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, June 10, 2010. Through the program, NASA will engage thousands of middle school students and teachers in stimulating math and science-based education programs with the goal of increasing the number of future scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Children's Motives for Admitting to Prosocial Behavior

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Yayoi; Lee, Kayo

2016-01-01

There has been extensive research on children's moral evaluation of lying in prosocial situations. Current knowledge regarding the concept of lying has been derived from studies showing that cultural differences exist, whereby non-Western children tend to rate lie telling more positively than Western children do. These findings suggest that there are different views about whether children should publicize their prosocial behaviors and that children have universal motives when they admit to engaging in prosocial behavior. A gender difference has also been found in relation to prosocial behavior. However, previous studies did not investigate in detail children's motives for admission or non-admission to prosocial behavior, and if there is a gender difference. Therefore, this study examined the diversity in and development of motives for admitting or not admitting to engaging in prosocial behavior, with the aim of clarifying these behaviors as a function of children's grade level in school, and how such motives differ with age and gender. Questionnaires from 1345 elementary and junior high school students in Japan were analyzed. Results showed that children's communication tendency with regard to prosocial behavior reports peaked in the fourth grade of elementary school and gradually decreased thereafter. From the third grade of elementary school onwards, children reported that they refrained from admitting prosocial behaviors. Younger children more likely cited honesty as a crucial motive for admitting to prosocial behaviors. Girls were more likely to endorse honesty as a motive than boys were. Moreover, among younger children, girls feared others' negative evaluation and wanted to comply with modesty norms when not admitting. Further research is needed to examine the developmental process for motives behind prosocial behaviors. PMID:26925025

Children's Motives for Admitting to Prosocial Behavior.

PubMed

Watanabe, Yayoi; Lee, Kayo

2016-01-01

There has been extensive research on children's moral evaluation of lying in prosocial situations. Current knowledge regarding the concept of lying has been derived from studies showing that cultural differences exist, whereby non-Western children tend to rate lie telling more positively than Western children do. These findings suggest that there are different views about whether children should publicize their prosocial behaviors and that children have universal motives when they admit to engaging in prosocial behavior. A gender difference has also been found in relation to prosocial behavior. However, previous studies did not investigate in detail children's motives for admission or non-admission to prosocial behavior, and if there is a gender difference. Therefore, this study examined the diversity in and development of motives for admitting or not admitting to engaging in prosocial behavior, with the aim of clarifying these behaviors as a function of children's grade level in school, and how such motives differ with age and gender. Questionnaires from 1345 elementary and junior high school students in Japan were analyzed. Results showed that children's communication tendency with regard to prosocial behavior reports peaked in the fourth grade of elementary school and gradually decreased thereafter. From the third grade of elementary school onwards, children reported that they refrained from admitting prosocial behaviors. Younger children more likely cited honesty as a crucial motive for admitting to prosocial behaviors. Girls were more likely to endorse honesty as a motive than boys were. Moreover, among younger children, girls feared others' negative evaluation and wanted to comply with modesty norms when not admitting. Further research is needed to examine the developmental process for motives behind prosocial behaviors.

Parental involvement in homework: relations with parent and student achievement-related motivational beliefs and achievement.

PubMed

Gonida, Eleftheria N; Cortina, Kai S

2014-09-01

Parental involvement in homework is a home-based type of involvement in children's education. Research and theory suggest that it is beneficial for learning and achievement under certain conditions and for particular groups of individuals. The study examined whether different types of parents' involvement in homework (autonomy support, control, interference, cognitive engagement) (1) are predicted by their mastery and performance goals for their child and their beliefs of the child's academic efficacy, and (2) predict student achievement goal orientations, efficacy beliefs, and achievement. Grade-level differences were also investigated. The sample consisted of 282 elementary school (5th grade) and junior high school students (8th grade) and one of their parents. Surveys were used for data collection. Structural equation modelling was applied for data analysis. (1) Autonomy support during homework was predicted by parent mastery goal, parents' control and interference by their performance goal and perceptions of child efficacy, and cognitive engagement as supplementary to homework by parent perceptions of child efficacy. (2) Parental autonomy support, control, and interference were differentially associated with student mastery and performance goal orientations, whereas parent cognitive engagement was associated with student efficacy beliefs. (3) The structural model was the same for elementary and junior high school students but the latent means for a number of variables were different. Different types of parental involvement in homework were associated with different outcomes with parent autonomy support to be the most beneficial one. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

"It's Harder to Catch a Boy Because They're Tougher": Using Fairytales in the Classroom to Explore Children's Understandings of Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paterson, Kate

2014-01-01

Traditional fairytales serve to socially construct gendered categories and reify dominant understandings of masculinities and femininities. Using reading groups and participant observations in an elementary school classroom, this article explores how children actively engage with gendered messages within fairytales--specifically examining…

The Role of Teacher Questions and the Socratic Method in EFL Classrooms in Kuwait

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Darwish, Salwa

2012-01-01

The present study sheds light on teaching English through two ways of questioning (Socratic & Traditional) methods in Kuwaiti elementary public schools. Data were collected through a qualitative observational method. The study engaged 15 female participants, seven of whom were newly graduate English language teachers with experience in how…

Keeping Young Gifted Students Engaged through Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corash, Dennis N.; Jones, Melinda

2012-01-01

Many children fall in love with science at an early age. There is just something about exploring critters, crud, gears, pulleys, and other "stuff" that has fascinated generations of young students. Unfortunately, in many schools across the nation, science in the elementary classroom is relegated to the back burner as other curricular areas have…

Maximizing the Promise of Community Schools: Streamlining Wraparound Services for ESEA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Theodora

2011-01-01

As Congress moves to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA, it should authorize a program to provide comprehensive services that create the conditions for students to learn in the classroom. These "wraparound" support services range from primary health and dental care to family engagement strategies. For many…

Social Studies in the Elementary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ediger, Marlow

Since the world is "shrinking" in size due to better transportation and communication, it is important for students to study world issues in the social studies. Problems on the world scene make it imperative that pupils have the requisite understandings, skills, and attitudes to engage in problem-solving activities in the classroom. Teachers,…

Helping Students Rise and Shine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Flynn; Gendron, Marcia; Nogar, Dan; Queen, Marjorie

2018-01-01

A high-poverty, previously low-performing elementary school in Maine shifted its from looking mainly at achievement and test scores to focusing on ways to create motivated, confident, engaged students. They created Rise and Shine, through which all 3rd-5th graders start each day with a fun, challenging activity chosen from a big menu--from…

The Use of an Audience Response System in an Elementary School-Based Health Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeSorbo, Alexandra L.; Noble, James M.; Shaffer, Michele; Gerin, William; Williams, Olajide A.

2013-01-01

Background: The audience response system (ARS) allows students to respond and interact anonymously with teachers via small handheld wireless keypads. Despite increasing popularity in classroom settings, the application of these devices to health education programming has not been studied. We assessed feasibility, engagement, and learning among…

Children's Requests to Unfamiliar Adults: Form, Social Function, Age Variation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, David Paul; And Others

Elementary school students were required to obtain objects from two adults engaged in conversation with each other. Results differed markedly between older and younger children. For the younger children, (1) there were three times as many statement requests (SRs) as interrogative requests (IRs); (2) almost 50% of requests were need statements; (3)…

In Their Own Words: Getting Pumped for Calculus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardetti, Fabiana; McKenna, P. J.

2011-01-01

By understanding what motivates students to learn mathematics, instructors can adapt their teaching strategies to help students achieve a level of engagement conducive to learning mathematics. There is a substantial body of research on motivations and academic achievement at the elementary and high school levels, but less is known at the college…

Building Academic Confidence in English Language Learners in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vazquez, Alejandra

2014-01-01

Non-English speaking students lack the confidence and preparation to be verbally actively engaged in the classroom. Students may frequently display hesitation in learning to speak English, and may also lack a teacher's guidance in becoming proficient English speakers. The purpose of this research is to examine how teachers build academic…

Formative Assessment Probes: Assessment for All

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keeley, Page

2014-01-01

Today's elementary teachers are faced with many different types of learners in their classrooms. Students come to the science classroom with a wide range of out-of-school experiences, different cultural and economic backgrounds, languages, learning styles, and cognitive levels that affect how they engage in and learn science. Page Keeley,…

Collaborative Reasoning: Language-Rich Discussions for English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Jie; Dougherty Stahl, Katherine A.

2012-01-01

Collaborative Reasoning (CR) is a peer-led, small group discussion approach that aims to promote intellectual and personal engagement in elementary school classrooms. In CR, students read a text that raises an unresolved issue with multiple and competing points of view. Students are expected to take positions on a big question, support the…

My Teaching Partner-Secondary: A Video-Based Coaching Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, A.; Ruzek, E.; Hafen, C. A.; Mikami, A. Y.; Allen, J. P.; Pianta, R. C.

2017-01-01

In the My Teaching Partner (MTP) program, coaches engage teachers in 6 to 9 coaching cycles across a school year. Guided by the program's theory, coaches help teachers reflect on the emotional, organizational, and instructional features of classrooms. MTP was originally developed for pre-K and early elementary classrooms (MTP Pre-K), but this…

Just Say Yes to Early Algebra!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Ana; Blanton, Maria; Knuth, Eric; Isler, Isil; Gardiner, Angela Murphy

2015-01-01

Mathematics educators have argued for some time that elementary school students are capable of engaging in algebraic thinking and should be provided with rich opportunities to do so. Recent initiatives like the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010) have taken up this call by reiterating the place of early algebra in…

Blogging across the Curriculum: An Action Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Andrea

2012-01-01

"Blogging across the curriculum: Integrating blogging in the elementary classroom" is an Action Research Project that sought to explore the level of engagement in the writing process by students in grades 3, 4 & 5 while blogging across the curriculum. Blogging took place in homeroom classrooms as well as in the school's math, science and…

Doing History: Investigating with Children in Elementary and Middle Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levstik, Linda S.; Barton, Keith C.

This book draws on classroom experience to provide models of instructionally sound, thoughtful, and thought-provoking history teaching for students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Most chapters begin with a classroom vignette showing a community of inquiry as students are actively engaged in their history education. Each vignette offers a…

"Water as Rough as an Elephant's Foot..." Learning Geography through Poetry Writing at KS2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Peter

2000-01-01

Describes how bilingual fourth and fifth graders at one London elementary school learned geography by writing poetry. This effort involved: engaging with the topic, consolidating knowledge and understanding, and extending knowledge and understanding. Children were highly motivated to learn. Poetry was the driving force behind their learning as…

Music: Highly Engaged Students Connect Music to Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Shelly M.; Pearson, Dunn, Jr.

2013-01-01

A musician and a mathematics educator create and implement a set of elementary school lessons integrating music and math. Students learn the basics of music theory including identifying notes and learning their fractional values. They learn about time signatures and how to determine correct note values per measure. Students are motivated by…

Physical Activity Preferences of Overweight Fourth and Fifth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Anne; Galvan, Christine; Hsu, Yun; Giron, Kim

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research was to contribute to the childhood obesity mitigation literature by determining the PA preferences of obese/overweight (o/o) elementary students who participated in Club Fit!, a school-based PA program designed to engage the students in developmentally appropriate, moderate-vigorous PA and enhance their regard for PA…

Earth's Caretakers: Native American Lessons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyberg, Lisa M., Ed.

Written by Native American teachers and by teachers of Native Americans, this book presents examples of ways to learn respect for the Earth and its people. The hope is that students will learn to walk softly upon the Earth and to respect all living things. Lessons and activities engage elementary and middle school students in a four-step…

Engaging Elementary Students in Learning Science: An Analysis of Classroom Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watters, James J.; Diezmann, Carmel M.

2016-01-01

Research over a long period of time has continued to demonstrate problems in the teaching of science in school. In addition, declining levels of participation and interest in science and related fields have been reported from many particularly western countries. Among the strategies suggested is the recruitment of professional scientists and…

"Wait for It . . ." Delaying Instruction Improves Mathematics Problem Solving: A Classroom Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loehr, Abbey Marie; Fyfe, Emily R.; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany

2014-01-01

Engaging learners in exploratory problem-solving activities prior to receiving instruction (i.e., explore-instruct approach) has been endorsed as an effective learning approach. However, it remains unclear whether this approach is feasible for elementary-school children in a classroom context. In two experiments, second-graders solved mathematical…

The Benwood Plan: A Lesson in Comprehensive Teacher Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, Elena

2008-01-01

Hamilton County, Tennessee, engaged in a multi-year effort to improve teaching in a group of eight central city elementary schools. This reform, known as the Benwood Initiative, was funded with $5 million from the Chattanooga-based Benwood Foundation. Student achievement improved dramatically as a result of this initiative. The Benwood successes…

With an Eye on the Mathematical Horizon: Dilemmas of Teaching Elementary School Mathematics. Craft Paper 90-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, Deborah Loewenberg

Much educational discourse centers on the importance of teachers' subject matter knowledge. Complementing concerns for subject matter knowledge is interest in developing and studying alternative pedagogies that emphasize active learning and meaningful engagement. Teaching and learning would be improved, so the argument goes, if classrooms were…

An Investigative Approach to Elementary School Science Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmiess, Elmer G.

This study was conducted to determine whether sixth grade students can successfully engage in scientific investigation. The success of the students' investigation was measured by their proficiency in solving selected problems, interest in science, and growth in solving new problems. One class of 34 sixth grade students was selected. A battery of…

Physical activity during recess in low-income 3rd grade students in Texas

PubMed Central

Springer, Andrew E.; Tanguturi, Yasas; Ranjit, Nalini; Skala, Katherine A.; Kelder, Steven H.

2012-01-01

Objectives We estimated the prevalence of recess-based moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vigorous physical activity (VPA) among third grade students attending low-income, urban schools in Texas. Methods Structured observations (n=77 class and 616 student observations) using SOFIT were conducted over three-months in 8 elementary schools with majority Hispanic students. Results Students engaged in 66.4% and 19.2% of their ~20 minute recess time in MVPA and VPA, respectively. Boys engaged in more MVPA and VPA (P<.007). Contextual differences in activity (setting and activity type) were identified. Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of scheduled recess time for children’s physical activity. PMID:23985178

Spinning our wheels: improving our ability to respond to bullying and cyberbullying.

PubMed

Englander, Elizabeth K

2012-01-01

Bullying is physical and or psychological abuse perpetuated by one powerful child upon another, with the intention to harm or dominate. Bullying and aggression in schools has reached epidemic proportions. Abusive bullying behaviors begin in elementary school, peak during middle school, and begin to subside in high school. Bullying behaviors are associated with catastrophic violence. Cyberbullying has emerged as one result of the increasingly online social life in which modern teens and children engage. Mediation may be inappropriate. The only safety mechanism that children will ultimately retain is the one between their ears.

Effects of Engineering Design-Based Science on Elementary School Science Students' Engineering Identity Development across Gender and Grade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capobianco, Brenda M.; Yu, Ji H.; French, Brian F.

2015-04-01

The integration of engineering concepts and practices into elementary science education has become an emerging concern for science educators and practitioners, alike. Moreover, how children, specifically preadolescents (grades 1-5), engage in engineering design-based learning activities may help science educators and researchers learn more about children's earliest identification with engineering. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which engineering identity differed among preadolescents across gender and grade, when exposing students to engineering design-based science learning activities. Five hundred fifty preadolescent participants completed the Engineering Identity Development Scale (EIDS), a recently developed measure with validity evidence that characterizes children's conceptions of engineering and potential career aspirations. Data analyses of variance among four factors (i.e., gender, grade, and group) indicated that elementary school students who engaged in the engineering design-based science learning activities demonstrated greater improvements on the EIDS subscales compared to those in the comparison group. Specifically, students in the lower grade levels showed substantial increases, while students in the higher grade levels showed decreases. Girls, regardless of grade level and participation in the engineering learning activities, showed higher scores in the academic subscale compared to boys. These findings suggest that the integration of engineering practices in the science classroom as early as grade one shows potential in fostering and sustaining student interest, participation, and self-concept in engineering and science.

Ocean FEST (Families Exploring Science Together)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, B. C.; Wiener, C. S.

2009-12-01

Ocean FEST (Families Exploring Science Together) exposes families to cutting-edge ocean science research and technology in a fun, engaging way. Research has shown that family involvement in science education adds significant value to the experience. Our overarching goal is to attract underrepresented students (including Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and girls) to geoscience careers. A second goal is to communicate to diverse audiences that geoscience is directly relevant and applicable to their lives, and critical in solving challenges related to global climate change. Ocean FEST engages elementary school students, parents, teachers, and administrators in family science nights based on a proven model developed by Art and Rene Kimura of the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium. Our content focuses on the role of the oceans in climate change, and is based on the transformative research of the NSF Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB). Through Ocean FEST, underrepresented students and their parents and teachers learn about new knowledge being generated at Hawaii’s world-renowned ocean research institutes. In the process, they learn about fundamental geoscience concepts and career opportunities. This project is aligned with C-MORE’s goal of increasing the number of underrepresented students pursuing careers in the ocean and earth sciences, and related disciplines. Following a successful round of pilot events at elementary schools on Oahu, funding was obtained through NSF Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences to implement a three-year program at minority-serving elementary schools in Hawaii. Deliverables include 20 Ocean FEST events per year (each preceded by teacher professional development training), a standards-based program that will be disseminated locally and nationally, three workshops to train educators in program delivery, and an Ocean FEST science kit. In addition, we are currently conducting a series of pilot events at the middle school level at underserved schools at neighbor islands, funded through the Hawaii Innovation Initiative (Act 111). Themes addressed include community outreach, capacity building, teacher preparation, and use of technology.

The Past as a Puzzle: How Essential Questions Can Piece Together a Meaningful Investigation of History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obenchain, Kathryn M.; Orr, Angela; Davis, Susan H.

2011-01-01

This article details a professional development program focused on the use of essential questions in reframing U.S. history learning experiences in elementary, middle, and high schools. Teachers identified four problems in designing and teaching engaging, relevant, and challenging U.S. history lessons. Each problem was addressed through the…

Literacy from A to Z: Engaging Students in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, Barbara R.

2008-01-01

This book offers strategies, activities, and tools to help teachers and reading specialists teach elementary and middle school students to become better readers, writers, speakers, and listeners. Written in a lively and accessible style with one chapter for each letter of the alphabet, the book offers practical advice and fully realized examples…

Contextually Authentic Science for Young Children: A Study of Two Summer Herpetology Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Catherine Marie

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge, skills, and dispositions enabled for elementary school participants in two summer herpetology programs, one in North Carolina and one in Florida. An additional purpose of this study was to examine the normative scientific practices in which participants engaged and to describe how these…

Growing Plants and Scientists: Fostering Positive Attitudes toward Science among All Participants in an Afterschool Hydroponics Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patchen, Amie K.; Zhang, Lin; Barnett, Michael

2017-01-01

This study examines an out-of-school time program targeting elementary-aged youth from populations that are typically underrepresented in science fields (primarily African-American, Hispanic, and/or English Language Learner participants). The program aimed to foster positive attitudes toward science among youth by engaging them in growing plants…

Going down the Rabbit-Hole: Teachers' Engagements with "Dialectical Images" in Canadian Children's Literature on Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strong-Wilson, Teresa; Yoder, Amarou; Phipps, Heather

2014-01-01

This article explores the attraction of Canadian elementary teachers to children's stories that narrate trauma, particularly the trauma associated with First Nations peoples' experiences in Canadian residential schools as told by Indigenous authors. The teachers' responses to these texts are conceived of as occurring within a "contact…

Mindcrime and Doublethink: Using Music to Teach Dystopian Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Daniel Ian

2011-01-01

It is essential that language arts teachers attempt to incorporate nonprint materials in their classrooms, such as music, film, and art, to involve, engage, and motivate a new generation of students. Using music in the classroom has shown to be effective from the elementary school level all the way to the university level. Using various forms of…

Formative Assessment and Elementary School Student Academic Achievement: A Review of the Evidence. REL 2017-259

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klute, Mary; Apthorp, Helen; Harlacher, Jason; Reale, Marianne

2017-01-01

Formative assessment is a process that engages teachers and students in gathering, interpreting, and using evidence about what and how students are learning in order to facilitate further student learning during a short period of time. The process offers the potential to guide educator decisions about midstream adjustments to instruction that…

Applying HOPSCOTCH as an Exer-Learning Game in English Lessons: Two Exploratory Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucht, Martina; Heidig, Steffi

2013-01-01

This article describes HOPSCOTCH, a design concept for an "exer-learning game" to engage elementary school children in learning. Exer-learning is a new genre of digital learning games that combines playing and learning with physical activity (exercise). HOPSCOTCH is a first design concept for exer-learning games that can be applied to…

"Venimos Para Que se Oiga la Voz": Activating Community Cultural Wealth as Parental Educational Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernández, Erica; Paredes Scribner, Samantha M.

2018-01-01

This article expands a more inclusive parental engagement framework by broadening notions of educational leadership using an example of organizing actions of Latina parent leaders amid a hostile anti-immigrant climate within an urban elementary school. Researchers draw on Yosso's community cultural wealth framework to analyze how a Latinx parent…

The Creation of a Culture of Inquiry: Engaging Teachers in Experiences with Art Objects in Museums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Stacy

2012-01-01

The problem under investigation in this dissertation concerns teachers and their ability to continue to be lifelong learners through professional development initiatives in art museums. In this serial case study five teachers from elementary, middle and high schools visited the free choice learning environments of art museums and were interviewed…

Examining Elementary School Students' Mental Models of Sun-Earth Relationships as a Result of Engaging in Engineering Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dankenbring, Chelsey; Capobianco, Brenda M.

2016-01-01

Current reform efforts in science education in the United States call for students to learn science through the integration of science and engineering practices. Studies have examined the effect of engineering design on students' understanding of engineering, technology, and science concepts. However, the majority of studies emphasize the accuracy…

What's behind Bad Behavior on the Web?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Englander, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Most kids are very much aware that the Internet isn't, by and large, a private space. In fact, most teens have been hearing that message since elementary school. But despite being educated about these issues, many teens continue to engage in digital behaviors that imply that they really don't understand how public and permanent the Internet really…

The Use of Video Self-Modeling to Increase On-Task Behavior in Children with High-Functioning Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schatz, Rochelle B.; Peterson, Rachel K.; Bellini, Scott

2016-01-01

In the present study, the researchers implemented a video self-modeling intervention for increasing on-task classroom behavior for three elementary school students diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The researchers observed the students' on-task engagement three times a week during their respective math classes. A multiple baseline design…

Mental Hygienic Aspects of Animal Assisted Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takács, István; Szalai, Katalin

2015-01-01

The Institution for Special Education at the Faculty of Pedagogic of the University of Kaposvár has been engaged in animal assisted activities for about three years. Our most recent research program was conducted for over two month in the Spring of 2014 with the involvement of 66 children--all kindergarten and elementary school age--11 special…

Literacy, Parental Roles, and Support Systems among Single Latino Father Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Rose A.; Alfred, Mary V.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of eight Latino single fathers as primary caregivers and their engagement with the literacy development of their children. The sample for this study consisted of eight single Latino fathers with children of elementary to middle school age. The primary method of data collection was…

Teacher Collaborative Inquiry in the Context of Literacy Education: Examining the Effects on Teacher Self-Efficacy, Instructional and Assessment Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciampa, Katia; Gallagher, Tiffany L.

2016-01-01

This case study research reports on elementary (grade 8) and secondary school (grade 9) teachers' participation in job-embedded, professional learning and engagement in collaborative inquiry. Teachers constructed an inquiry-oriented media literacy unit following the collaborative inquiry model. The current study sought to investigate how…

A Little Area Challenge: A Sod Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Perla L.; Pelak, Colleen N.

2012-01-01

As partners in a professional development project, the authors jumped at the opportunity to use a real-life problem to engage elementary and middle school teachers in a one-day exploration of the concept of area. "Length times width"--a common response to the question, "What is area?"--is a rote formulaic expression that applies only to certain…

The Impact of Music on Student Achievement in the Third and Fifth Grade Math Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albright, Ruth E.

2012-01-01

Research indicates students who engage in music exhibit improved cognitive development. The quantitative study was conducted in a large suburban school district in Southeast Georgia. This study investigated the impact of music on student achievement when music is incorporated with the core academic subject of mathematics at the elementary level.…

How Does a Cowboy Make Money? Using Student Curiosities to Further Elementary School Inquiries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitlock, Annie McMahon; Brugar, Kristy A.

2017-01-01

This article explores examples of student-initiated inquiries (in Grades 1 and 5) and the opportunities and challenges with engaging in them. To explore these student-initiated inquiries, we use the "C3 Framework" Inquiry Arc (National Council for the Social Studies, 2013) and Harvey and Daniels's (2009) Small-Group Inquiry Model to…

Using a modified argument-driven inquiry to promote elementary school students' engagement in learning science and argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Hui; Lu, Ying-Yan; Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R.

2016-01-01

This study explored the effects of a modified argument-driven inquiry approach on Grade 4 students' engagement in learning science and argumentation in Taiwan. The students were recruited as an experimental group (EG, n = 36) to join a 12-week study, while another 36 Grade 4 students from the same schools were randomly selected to be the comparison group (CG). All participants completed a questionnaire at the beginning and end of this study. In addition, four target students with the highest and the other four students with the lowest pretest engagement in learning science or argumentation to be observed weekly and interviewed following the posttest. Initial results revealed that the EG students' total engagement in learning science and argumentation and the claim and warrant components were significantly higher than the CG students. In addition, the EG students' anxiety in learning science significantly decreased during the study; and their posttest total engagement in learning science scores were positively associated with their argumentation scores. Interview and observation results were consistent with the quantitative findings. Instructional implications and research recommendations are discussed.

Toward a More Dialogic Pedagogy: Changing Teachers' Beliefs and Practices through Professional Development in Language Arts Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkinson, Ian A. G.; Reznitskaya, Alina; Bourdage, Kristin; Oyler, Joseph; Glina, Monica; Drewry, Robert; Kim, Min-Young; Nelson, Kathryn

2017-01-01

In this paper, we report findings from the second year of a three-year research and professional development program designed to help elementary school teachers engage in dialogic teaching to support the development of students' argument literacy. We define argument literacy as the ability to comprehend and formulate arguments through speaking,…

Teaching Skills for Complex Text: Deepening Close Reading in the Classroom. Common Core State Standards in Literacy Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mesmer, Heidi Anne E.

2016-01-01

Tired of hearing about "complex text"? Bothered by the pushy messages about "challenge"? This book is for you! Unlike the many other materials on text complexity, this one focuses on specific comprehension skills that students need in order to really engage with text. This book will help elementary school teachers equip their…

A Proposal for Teaching Undergraduate Chemistry Students Carbohydrate Biochemistry by Problem-Based Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Figueira, Angela C. M.; Rocha, Joao B. T.

2014-01-01

This article presents a problem-based learning (PBL) approach to teaching elementary biochemistry to undergraduate students. The activity was based on "the foods we eat." It was used to engage students' curiosity and to initiate learning about a subject that could be used by the future teachers in the high school. The experimental…

Sacred Structures: Narrating Lifeworlds and Implications for Urban Arts Education Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rolling, James Haywood, Jr.

2012-01-01

This article utilizes the story of an art studio project involving 2nd-grade students in a new urban elementary school as they explored and engaged with architectural spaces in their community during their yearlong study of the theme of "Community." The purpose of this writing is to theorize and codify some major tenets of a narrative…

Developing a Zone of Relevance: Emergent Bilinguals' Use of Social, Linguistic, and Cognitive Support in Peer-Led Literacy Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin-Beltrán, Melinda; Daniel, Shannon; Peercy, Megan; Silverman, Rebecca

2017-01-01

This article analyzes how emergent bilinguals discursively support one another during literacy activities in a cross-aged peer-tutoring program in their elementary school. Drawing from Vygotskian sociocultural theory, we frame peer supports as developing a zone of relevance that fosters and sustains peer engagement in literacy discussions.…

Using Design Thinking to Create a New Education Paradigm for Elementary Level Children for Higher Student Engagement and Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noel, Lesley-Ann; Liub, Tsai Lu

2017-01-01

Can design education have a positive impact on primary school education beyond merely preparing designers? As designers, we know almost intuitively that design education is "good education", and most designers would affirm that it would be beneficial to expose children to design education, because of the benefits of the signature…

What Works Clearinghouse Quick Review: "Academic Music: Music Instruction to Engage Third-Grade Students in Learning Basic Fraction Concepts"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

2012-01-01

The study examined the effectiveness of an intervention designed to teach mathematical concepts through music. Specifically, it investigated the effect of the intervention on third-grade students' understanding of fractions. Sixty-seven students from one northern California elementary school participated in the study over a period of six weeks; of…

The Influence of Developmentally Appropriate Practice on Children's Cognitive Development: A Qualitative Metasynthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Christopher P.; Lan, Yi-Chin

2013-01-01

Background: As policymakers and advocates across the United States look to early childhood educators to improve children's cognitive development so they enter elementary school ready to learn, debates have emerged over what types of practices these educators should be engaged in to achieve this goal. Historically, the field of early childhood…

Comparison of Parent and Teacher Perceptions of Essential Website Features and Elementary Teacher Website Use: Implications for Teacher Communication Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Tiffany A.; Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Anne T.

2016-01-01

Within the United States, there has been a call for timely, effective, and targeted communication between home and school environments to increase student achievement and engage parents (Project Tomorrow, 2011a). Although teachers can use websites as a means of communication to connect with parents online (Dunn, 2011; Janicki &…

Using Cogenerative Dialogues to Improve Coteaching for Language Learner (LL) Students in an Inclusion Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Im, Sungmin; Martin, Sonya N.

2015-01-01

This paper presents findings from a study conducted in an urban elementary school in the United States with an English language learner (ELL) student and two teachers engaged in collaborative teaching in an inclusion science classroom. This study examines the efficacy of utilising cogenerative dialogues between an ELL student and his science…

Beyond Problem-Solving: Elementary Students' Mathematical Dispositions When Faced with the Challenge of Unsolved Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Dell, Jenna R.

2017-01-01

The goal of this study was to document the characteristics of students' dispositions towards mathematics when they engaged in the exploration of parts of unsolved problems: Graceful Tree Conjecture and Collatz Conjecture. Ten students, Grades 4 and 5, from an after-school program in the Midwest participated in the study. I focused on the…

Something That Test Scores Do Not Show: Engaging in Community Diversity as a Local Response to Global Education Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valdiviezo, Laura A.

2014-01-01

At Smith Street Elementary School, the globalizing education trends that English language learner (ELL) teachers face focus on measuring student achievement through testing and the English mainstreaming of non-dominant students as opposed to the cultivation of the students' linguistic and cultural diversity. The ELL teachers at Smith Street…

Bit by Bit or All at Once? Splitting up the Inquiry Task to Promote Children's Scientific Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazonder, Ard W.; Kamp, Ellen

2012-01-01

This study examined whether and why assigning children to a segmented inquiry task makes their investigations more productive. Sixty-one upper elementary-school pupils engaged in a simulation-based inquiry assignment either received a multivariable inquiry task (n = 21), a segmented version of this task that addressed the variables in successive…

Effects of Check In/Checkout with a Fading Procedure on the Academic Engagement and Problem Behavior of Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Leila Mullooly

2013-01-01

Though preliminary research indicates Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) is an effective intervention for improving problematic behavior in a variety of populations, the literature is limited in several ways. Several studies have relied on indirect measures of behavior, such as office discipline referrals (ODRs) and teacher ratings, to determine the…

Academic Goals, Student Homework Engagement, and Academic Achievement in Elementary School.

PubMed

Valle, Antonio; Regueiro, Bibiana; Núñez, José C; Rodríguez, Susana; Piñeiro, Isabel; Rosário, Pedro

2016-01-01

There seems to be a general consensus in the literature that doing homework is beneficial for students. Thus, the current challenge is to examine the process of doing homework to find which variables may help students to complete the homework assigned. To address this goal, a path analysis model was fit. The model hypothesized that the way students engage in homework is explained by the type of academic goals set, and it explains the amount of time spend on homework, the homework time management, and the amount of homework done. Lastly, the amount of homework done is positively related to academic achievement. The model was fit using a sample of 535 Spanish students from the last three courses of elementary school (aged 9 to 13). Findings show that: (a) academic achievement was positively associated with the amount of homework completed, (b) the amount of homework completed was related to the homework time management, (c) homework time management was associated with the approach to homework, (d) and the approach to homework, like the rest of the variables of the model (except for the time spent on homework), was related to the student's academic motivation (i.e., academic goals).

Academic Goals, Student Homework Engagement, and Academic Achievement in Elementary School

PubMed Central

Valle, Antonio; Regueiro, Bibiana; Núñez, José C.; Rodríguez, Susana; Piñeiro, Isabel; Rosário, Pedro

2016-01-01

There seems to be a general consensus in the literature that doing homework is beneficial for students. Thus, the current challenge is to examine the process of doing homework to find which variables may help students to complete the homework assigned. To address this goal, a path analysis model was fit. The model hypothesized that the way students engage in homework is explained by the type of academic goals set, and it explains the amount of time spend on homework, the homework time management, and the amount of homework done. Lastly, the amount of homework done is positively related to academic achievement. The model was fit using a sample of 535 Spanish students from the last three courses of elementary school (aged 9 to 13). Findings show that: (a) academic achievement was positively associated with the amount of homework completed, (b) the amount of homework completed was related to the homework time management, (c) homework time management was associated with the approach to homework, (d) and the approach to homework, like the rest of the variables of the model (except for the time spent on homework), was related to the student's academic motivation (i.e., academic goals). PMID:27065928

Square pegs in round holes: Montessori principals' perceptions of science education in Texas public schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, Lindsey

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of Texas public Montessori school principals as instructional leaders in science. Twelve public Montessori school principals were interviewed for this study. Two research questions were used: How do public Montessori principals perceive Texas science standards in public Montessori Elementary classrooms? How do principals view their role as an instructional leader in elementary science related to teachers' effectiveness and student outcomes? Research question one resulted in the following themes: (a) aligning curricula to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), (b) engaging science instruction as integrated and hands-on lessons, (c) emphasizing required district and state assessments, and (d) incorporating traditional teaching methodologies to support Montessori instruction. Research question two yielded common themes: (a) balancing Montessori methodologies and philosophies in public school settings with competing demands, (b) monitoring assessment scores as the determination of student success, (c) working in collaboration to support teacher effectiveness, and (d) providing resources and support to teachers. Implications for Montessori practitioners: paradox of Montessori education in a public school setting, strong support for science in classrooms from the principal and a need for continued research around Montessori education in public school settings.

Instructional leadership in elementary science: How are school leaders positioned to lead in a next generation science standards era?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winn, Kathleen Mary

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are the newest K-12 science content standards created by a coalition of educators, scientists, and researchers available for adoption by states and schools. Principals are important actors during policy implementation especially since principals are charged with assuming the role of an instructional leader for their teachers in all subject areas. Science poses a unique challenge to the elementary curricular landscape because traditionally, elementary teachers report low levels of self-efficacy in the subject. Support in this area therefore becomes important for a successful integration of a new science education agenda. This study analyzed self-reported survey data from public elementary principals (N=667) to address the following three research questions: (1) What type of science backgrounds do elementary principals have? (2) What indicators predict if elementary principals will engage in instructional leadership behaviors in science? (3) Does self-efficacy mediate the relationship between science background and a capacity for instructional leadership in science? The survey data were analyzed quantitatively. Descriptive statistics address the first research question and inferential statistics (hierarchal regression analysis and a mediation analysis) answer the second and third research questions.The sample data show that about 21% of elementary principals have a formal science degree and 26% have a degree in a STEM field. Most principals have not had recent experience teaching science, nor were they every exclusively a science teacher. The analyses suggests that demographic, experiential, and self-efficacy variables predict instructional leadership practices in science.

Meanings teachers make of teaching science outdoors as they explore citizen science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benavides, Aerin Benavides

This descriptive case study examined the meanings public elementary school teachers (N = 13) made of learning to enact citizen science projects in their schoolyards in partnership with a local Arboretum. Utilizing Engestrom's (2001) framework of cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), the Arboretum's outreach program for area Title 1 schools was viewed as an activity system composed of and acting in partnership with the teachers. The major finding was that teachers designed and mastered new ways of teaching (expansive learning) and transformed their citizen science activity to facilitate student engagement and learning. I highlight four important themes in teachers' expansive learning: (a) discussion, (b) inclusion, (c) integration, and (d) collaboration. Teacher learning communities formed when colleagues shared responsibilities, formed mentor/mentee relationships, and included student teachers and interns in the activity. This program could serve as a model for elementary school citizen science education, as well as a model for professional development for teachers to learn to teach science and Environmental Education outdoors.

Assessing handwriting intervention effectiveness in elementary school students: a two-group controlled study.

PubMed

Howe, Tsu-Hsin; Roston, Karen Laurie; Sheu, Ching-Fan; Hinojosa, Jim

2013-01-01

This study examined the effectiveness of two approaches used in elementary schools to improve children's handwriting. Participants were 72 New York City public school students from the first and second grades. A nonequivalent pretest-posttest group design was used in which students engaged in handwriting activities using two approaches: intensive handwriting practice and visual-perceptual-motor activities. Handwriting speed, legibility, and visual-motor skills were examined after a 12-wk Handwriting Club using multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed that students in the intensive handwriting practice group demonstrated significant improvements in handwriting legibility compared with students in the visual-perceptual-motor activity group. No significant effects in handwriting speed and visual-motor skills were found between the students in intensive handwriting practice group and the students in visual-perceptual-motor activities group. The Handwriting Club model is a natural intervention that fits easily into existing school curriculums and can be an effective short-term intervention (response to intervention Tier II). Copyright © 2013 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

34 CFR 300.13 - Elementary school.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2011-07-01 2010-07-01 true Elementary school. 300.13 Section 300.13 Education... DISABILITIES General Definitions Used in This Part § 300.13 Elementary school. Elementary school means a nonprofit institutional day or residential school, including a public elementary charter school, that...

Advancing School and Community Engagement Now for Disease Prevention (ASCEND).

PubMed

Treu, Judith A; Doughty, Kimberly; Reynolds, Jesse S; Njike, Valentine Y; Katz, David L

2017-03-01

To compare two intensity levels (standard vs. enhanced) of a nutrition and physical activity intervention vs. a control (usual programs) on nutrition knowledge, body mass index, fitness, academic performance, behavior, and medication use among elementary school students. Quasi-experimental with three arms. Elementary schools, students' homes, and a supermarket. A total of 1487 third-grade students. The standard intervention (SI) provided daily physical activity in classrooms and a program on making healthful foods, using food labels. The enhanced intervention (EI) provided these plus additional components for students and their families. Body mass index (zBMI), food label literacy, physical fitness, academic performance, behavior, and medication use for asthma or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Multivariable generalized linear model and logistic regression to assess change in outcome measures. Both the SI and EI groups gained less weight than the control (p < .001), but zBMI did not differ between groups (p = 1.00). There were no apparent effects on physical fitness or academic performance. Both intervention groups improved significantly but similarly in food label literacy (p = .36). Asthma medication use was reduced significantly in the SI group, and nonsignificantly (p = .10) in the EI group. Use of ADHD medication remained unchanged (p = .34). The standard intervention may improve food label literacy and reduce asthma medication use in elementary school children, but an enhanced version provides no further benefit.

Engaging Elementary School Pre-Service Teachers in Modeling a Socioscientific Issue as a Way to Help Them Appreciate the Social Aspects of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evagorou, Maria; Mauriz, Blanca Puig

2017-01-01

Socioscientific issues are ill-structured problems that involve moral, ethical, and financial aspects, and lack clear-cut solutions. Teaching socioscientific issues necessarily puts a demand on teachers to draw on knowledge stemming from other domains, and to also appreciate, and present to the students the societal aspects of science. For new…

Associations between Physical and Relational Forms of Peer Aggression and Victimization and Risk for Substance Use among Elementary School-Age Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fite, Paula J.; Gabrielli, Joy; Cooley, John L.; Rubens, Sonia L.; Pederson, Casey A.; Vernberg, Eric M.

2016-01-01

This study examined associations between physical and relational forms of aggression and victimization and risk for willingness to engage in substance use and actual use in a sample of 231 (50% male) second- through fourth-grade students (mean age = 8.3 years). Physical aggression was more strongly associated with risk for substance use outcomes…

An Investigation of the Impact of Function of Problem Behavior on Effectiveness of the Behavior Education Program (BEP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawken, Leanne S.; O'Neill, Robert E.; MacLeod, K. Sandra

2011-01-01

The Behavior Education Program (BEP) is a check-in, check-out intervention implemented with students who are at-risk for engaging in more severe problem behavior. Previous research with middle and elementary school students found that the BEP was more effective with students who had adult attention maintained problem behavior. The purposes of this…

Learning Problems of Junior Level Children: A Nordic Joint Research Project (No. 2108).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jansson, Karin, Ed.

1981-01-01

Four cities in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have been engaged since 1977 in a joint study of the junior level of elementary school. (More than 5,000 pupils are involved in the study.) The Department of Education at the University of Turku joined the project in the autumn term of 1979. The purpose of the Swedish project, reported here, was to…

Teaching a Pedagogy of Peace: A Study of Peace Educators in United States Schools in the Aftermath of September 11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Pamela Bolotin; Duss, Leslie Smith

2009-01-01

This qualitative study, based on in-depth semi-structured interviews, depicts practices of seven peace educators in public elementary and secondary classrooms in the United States during the time of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 through the US engagement in war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Focusing on individual perceptions of practice…

Association between elementary school personality and high school smoking and drinking.

PubMed

Peterson, Sarah J; Smith, Gregory T

2017-11-01

Among US high school students, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are associated with numerous concurrent and future harms. We tested whether multiple elementary school personality dispositions to behave impulsively can predict these addictive behaviors invariably across gender and race. This longitudinal design involved testing whether individual differences on impulsigenic traits in elementary school predicted drinking and smoking 4 years later in high school in 23 public schools in Kentucky, USA. A total of 1897 youth, mean age 10.33 at wave 1, drawn from urban, rural and suburban backgrounds. Drinking and smoking frequency were assessed by single-item questions. The key predictors were impulsigenic traits measured with the UPPS-P Child Version impulsive behavior scale. Important covariates included were pubertal status, depression, negative affect and positive affect; each was assessed by self-report. Three personality traits measured in 5th grade, each representing different dispositions to engage in impulsive behavior, predicted drinking and smoking in 9th grade above and beyond other risk factors and 5th grade drinking and smoking. Specifically, urgency (b = 0.10, 0.13), sensation-seeking (b = 0.13, 0.07) and low conscientiousness (b = 0.14, 0.11) each uniquely predicted both high school drinking and smoking, respectively. There was no evidence that any trait predicted either outcome more strongly than the other traits, nor was there evidence that predictive results varied by gender or race. Three personality traits (urgency, sensation-seeking and low conscientiousness), when measured in 11-year-old children, predict those children's drinking and smoking behavior individually at age 15. The effects are invariant across gender and race. © 2017 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Connecting Scientists, College Students, Middle School Students & Elementary Students through Intergenerational Afterschool STEM Programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, N. A.; Paglierani, R.; Raftery, C. L.; Romero, V.; Harper, M. R.; Chilcott, C.; Peticolas, L. M.; Hauck, K.; Yan, D.; Ruderman, I.; Frappier, R.

2015-12-01

The Multiverse education group at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Lab created the NASA-funded "Five Stars Pathway" model in which five "generations" of girls and women engage in science together in an afterschool setting, with each generation representing one stage in the pathway of pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). The five stages are: elementary-age students, middle-school-age students, undergraduate-level college students, graduate-level college students and professional scientists. This model was field-tested at two Girls Inc. afterschool locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and distributed to Girls Inc. affiliates and other afterschool program coordinators nationwide. This presentation will explore some of the challenges and success of implementing a multigenerational STEM model as well as distributing the free curriculum for interested scientists and college students to use with afterschool programs.

School-time physical activity among Arab elementary school children in Qatar.

PubMed

Zimmo, Lena; Farooq, Abdulaziz; Almudahka, Fuad; Ibrahim, Izzeldin; Al-Kuwari, Mohamed Ghaith

2017-03-15

Recent data from a self-administered questionnaire show that approximately 75% of school children in Qatar do not meet the daily recommended levels of physical activity (PA). Since children spend half of their waking hours in school, it is important to understand when and how much PA children accumulate during the school day. This study aimed to objectively assess school-time PA among elementary school children in Qatar and to determine association of PA with age, gender, body mass index (BMI) status, or day of the week. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in four randomly selected elementary schools in Qatar. Two classes representing grade 1 children (age 5) and grade 4 children (age 9) were randomly selected within each school. A total of 183 elementary school children (86 boys and 97 girls) ages 6-12 years participated in this study. PA was assessed using a three-axial accelerometer (ActiGraph® wGT3X-BT). Participants wore accelerometers on their non-dominant wrist at school (7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) for five consecutive school days during the week. A cutoff points of 818 counts per 5 s was classified as moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The average duration of MVPA in our study was 28.2 ± 13.5 min per day. Only 39% of participated children reach the recommended school-based MVPA of 30 min or more per day. Students spent on average 58.1 ± 8.4% of school time on sedentary activities. MVPA of boys and girls was similar in age 5 while girls age 9 were less active (23.7 ± 1.5 min/day) than boys of the same age (42.7 ± 1.8 min/day), ES = 0.269, P < 0.001. Neither overweight children nor children at risk for being overweight showed any differences in physical activity parameters when compared to children of normal weight. Our results showed, percentage of MVPA on the first (7.7 ± 5.1%) and last (7.1 ± 4.1%) day of the week was generally lower compared to other weekdays (P < 0.001). This was the first study to objectively assess PA during school hours among elementary school-children in Qatar. This study found that many of school children do not perform sufficient time being physically active at school. All students in two age categories (age 5 and age 9) spend the majority of school time engaged in sedentary activities. The low participation of girls age 9 in MVPA is a cause for concern and need to be addressed.

Longitudinal effects of student mobility on three dimensions of elementary school engagement.

PubMed

Gruman, Diana H; Harachi, Tracy W; Abbott, Robert D; Catalano, Richard F; Fleming, Charles B

2008-01-01

Working within the developmental science research framework, this study sought to capture a dynamic and complex view of student mobility. Second- through fifth-grade data (N = 1,003, predominantly Caucasian) were drawn from a longitudinal study, and growth curve analyses allowed for the examination of mobility effects within the context of other factors that put children at risk, including behavior problems and family stress. School changes predicted declines in academic performance and classroom participation but not positive attitude toward school. Time-varying factors such as peer acceptance and teacher support had a positive influence on the growth trajectories of child outcomes. Additionally, teacher support had a particularly strong influence on positive attitudes toward school among children who had more school changes.

Longitudinal Effects of Student Mobility on Three Dimensions of Elementary School Engagement

PubMed Central

Gruman, Diana H.; Harachi, Tracy W.; Abbott, Robert D.; Catalano, Richard F.; Fleming, Charles B.

2013-01-01

Working within the developmental science research framework, this study sought to capture a dynamic and complex view of student mobility. Second- through fifth-grade data (N = 1,003, predominantly Caucasian) were drawn from a longitudinal study, and growth curve analyses allowed for the examination of mobility effects within the context of other factors that put children at risk, including behavior problems and family stress. School changes predicted declines in academic performance and classroom participation but not positive attitude toward school. Time-varying factors such as peer acceptance and teacher support had a positive influence on the growth trajectories of child outcomes. Additionally, teacher support had a particularly strong influence on positive attitudes toward school among children who had more school changes. PMID:19037953

National Science Resources Center Project for Improving Science Teaching in Elementary Schools. Appendix A. School Systems With Exemplary Elementary Science Programs. Appendix B. Elementary Science Network

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

Department Campbell, Judy S., Principal Seedling Mile Elementary School Campbell, Kelly, Vice President International Services, Inc. Campbell, Larry...Agency #5 Coverdale, Miles , Principal Baxter Coveyou, Tony, Cowan, Ann, Education Specialist Hanford Science Center Cowan, Margaret, Cowan, Peggy...Science State Department of Education Ezell, James, No. 92 Elementary School Ezzell , Effie, No. 45 Elementary School 09/03/88 NSRC Elementary Science

Objectively Measured School Day Physical Activity Among Elementary Students in the United States and Finland.

PubMed

Yli-Piipari, Sami; Kulmala, Janne Santeri; Jaakkola, Timo; Hakonen, Harto; Fish, Joseph Cole; Tammelin, Tuija

2016-04-01

Schools are in a unique position to ensure that all students meet the current physical activity (PA) recommendations. This study aimed to examine 1st to 3rd grade elementary students' accelerometer measured school day PA in the United States (U.S.) and Finland. The sample consisted of 200 students (107 girls, 93 boys; ages 6 to 8) and their school day PA was monitored with hip-worn ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers across a 5-day school week and the thresholds 100 and 2296 count per minute were used to separate sedentary time, light PA, and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). On an average school day, students were engaged in MVPA for 20.0 min in the U.S. and 24.1 min in Finland. Students' school-day MVPA was 9 to 16 minutes higher during physical education (PE) days compared with non-PE days (U.S: 25.8 vs. 16.6 min/day; Finland: 36.3 vs. 20.1 min/day). Girls had less MVPA and more sedentary time compared with boys in both samples. This study highlights both the role of PE and other school day physical activities in meeting PA guidelines. Policy measures are needed to change the structure of the school day and enhance PA to ensure that students meet the PA recommendations.

Mapping the Social World of Classrooms: A Multi-Level, Multi-Reporter Approach to Social Processes and Behavioral Engagement.

PubMed

Kim, Ha Yeon; Cappella, Elise

2016-03-01

Understanding the social context of classrooms has been a central goal of research focused on the promotion of academic development. Building on the current literature on classroom social settings and guided by a risk and protection framework, this study examines the unique and combined contribution of individual relationships and quality of classroom interactions on behavioral engagement among low-income Latino students in kindergarten to fifth grade (N = 111). Findings indicate that individual relationships with teachers and peers and classroom quality, each independently predicted behavioral engagement. Moreover, high-quality classrooms buffered the negative influence of students' difficulties in individual relationships on behavioral engagement. Findings illuminate the need to consider multiple layers of social classroom relationships and interactions and suggest the potential benefit of targeting classroom quality as a mechanism for improving behavioral engagement in urban elementary schools. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Acting in Our Own Self-Interests: Blending University and Community in Informal Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelstein, Noah D.; Mayhew, Laurel

2008-10-01

Research in physics education has demonstrated new tools and models for improving the understanding and engagement of traditional college students [1]. Building on this base, the research community has bridged the gap from college to pre-college education, even elementary school [2]. However, little work has been done to engage students in out-of-school settings, particularly for those students from populations under-represented in the sciences. We present a theoretically-grounded model of university-community partnership [3] that engages university students and children in a collective enterprise that has the potential to improve the participation and education of all. We document the impact of these programs on: university participants who learn about education, the community and even some science; children in the community who learn about science, the nature of science and develop their identities and attitudes towards science; and, shifts in institutional practice which may allow these programs to be sustained, or not.

Classroom and Teacher Support in Kindergarten: Associations with the Behavioral and Academic Adjustment of Low-Income Students

PubMed Central

Lee, Phyllis; Bierman, Karen L.

2016-01-01

For socio-economically disadvantaged children, a positive experience in kindergarten may play a particularly important role in fostering the behavioral adjustment and learning engagement necessary for school success. Prior research has identified supportive student-teacher relationships and classroom emotional support as two features of the classroom context that can promote student adjustment; however, very few studies have examined these two aspects of the classroom context simultaneously. Given their modest inter-correlations, these dimensions of classroom context may have both unique and shared associations with child progress. This study followed 164 children as they transitioned from Head Start into elementary school, and regressions revealed significant unique associations between each type of kindergarten support and children’s aggressive behaviors, social withdrawal, learning engagement, and emergent literacy skills in first grade, controlling for their pre-kindergarten adjustment. In addition, learning engagement significantly mediated the association between a supportive relationship with the kindergarten teacher and first grade literacy skills. PMID:27274606

Assessing Elementary Prospective Teachers' Mathematical Explanations after Engagement in Online Mentoring Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, Jennifer; Selmer, Sarah; Bingham Brown, Amy

2016-01-01

Prospective elementary teachers at three universities engaged in online modules called the Virtual Field Experience, created by the Math Forum. The prospective teachers learned about problem solving and mentoring elementary students in composing solutions and explanations to nonroutine challenge problems. Finally, through an asynchronous online…

Enhancing Self-Efficacy in Elementary Science Teaching With Professional Learning Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mintzes, Joel J.; Marcum, Bev; Messerschmidt-Yates, Christl; Mark, Andrew

2013-11-01

Emerging from Bandura's Social Learning Theory, this study of in-service elementary school teachers examined the effects of sustained Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on self-efficacy in science teaching. Based on mixed research methods, and a non-equivalent control group experimental design, the investigation explored changes in personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy among teachers engaged in PLCs that featured Demonstration Laboratories, Lesson Study, and annual Summer Institutes. Significant changes favoring the experimental group were found on all quantitative measures of self-efficacy. Structured clinical interviews revealed that observed changes were largely attributable to a wide range of direct (mastery) and vicarious experiences, as well as emotional reinforcement and social persuasion.

Sleep Habits of Elementary and Middle School Children in South Texas

PubMed Central

Surani, Salim; Hesselbacher, Sean; Surani, Saherish; Sadasiva, Sreevidya; Surani, Zoya; Surani, Sara S.; Khimani, Amina; Subramanian, Shyam

2015-01-01

Background. Sleep difficulties, including insufficient sleep and inadequate sleep hygiene, have been prevalent among children. Sleep deprivation can lead to poor grades, sleepiness, and moodiness. We undertook this study to assess the prevalence of sleep abnormalities among elementary and middle school students in South Texas and how the groups compare with one another. Method. After approval from the appropriate school district for a sleep education program, a baseline survey was taken of elementary and middle school students, using the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire-Sleep Self-Report Form, which assessed the domains of bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, sleep anxiety, sleep duration, night awakening, and daytime sleepiness. Results. The survey was completed by 499 elementary and 1008 middle school children. Trouble sleeping was reported by 43% in elementary school, compared with 29% of middle school children. Fifty percent of middle school children did not like sleeping, compared with 26% in elementary school. Bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and nighttime awakening were more common among elementary school students. Daytime sleepiness was more common among the middle school children when compared to elementary school children. Conclusions. Sleep abnormalities are present in elementary school children with changes in sleep habits into middle school. PMID:26770835

Sleep Habits of Elementary and Middle School Children in South Texas.

PubMed

Surani, Salim; Hesselbacher, Sean; Surani, Saherish; Sadasiva, Sreevidya; Surani, Zoya; Surani, Sara S; Khimani, Amina; Subramanian, Shyam

2015-01-01

Background. Sleep difficulties, including insufficient sleep and inadequate sleep hygiene, have been prevalent among children. Sleep deprivation can lead to poor grades, sleepiness, and moodiness. We undertook this study to assess the prevalence of sleep abnormalities among elementary and middle school students in South Texas and how the groups compare with one another. Method. After approval from the appropriate school district for a sleep education program, a baseline survey was taken of elementary and middle school students, using the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire-Sleep Self-Report Form, which assessed the domains of bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, sleep anxiety, sleep duration, night awakening, and daytime sleepiness. Results. The survey was completed by 499 elementary and 1008 middle school children. Trouble sleeping was reported by 43% in elementary school, compared with 29% of middle school children. Fifty percent of middle school children did not like sleeping, compared with 26% in elementary school. Bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and nighttime awakening were more common among elementary school students. Daytime sleepiness was more common among the middle school children when compared to elementary school children. Conclusions. Sleep abnormalities are present in elementary school children with changes in sleep habits into middle school.

School Resources and Engagement in Technical Assistance Programs Is Associated with Higher Prevalence of Salad Bars in Elementary School Lunches in the United States.

PubMed

Ohri-Vachaspati, Punam; Turner, Lindsey; Adams, Marc A; Bruening, Meg; Chaloupka, Frank J

2016-03-01

Salad bars have been promoted as a strategy for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in schools. To examine school-level resources and programs associated with the presence of salad bars in elementary schools and to assess whether there were differential changes in salad bar prevalence based on school-level resources and programs before and after the new US Department of Agriculture schools meals standards were proposed (January 2011) and implemented (July 2012). Repeated cross-sectional design. Data were collected annually between 2006-2007 and 2013. Nationally representative sample of 3,956 elementary schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. School personnel (ie, administrators and foodservice staff) provided data using a mail-back survey. Presence of salad bars in school was the primary outcome variable. School-level programs and resources were investigated as independent variables. Weighted logistic regression analyses examined associations between dependent and independent variables controlling for school demographic characteristics. Prevalence of salad bars increased significantly from 17.1% in 2006-2007 to 29.6% in 2012-2013. The prevalence of salad bars was significantly higher among schools that participated in the Team Nutrition program (odds ratio [OR] 1.37, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.70), the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.95), a Farm to School program (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.36 to 2.33), and where school meals were provided by a foodservice management company (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.97). No association was found for schools with full-service kitchen, school gardens, those offering nutrition education, or those with dietitians/nutritionists on staff. Prevalence of salad bars increased significantly after the US Department of Agriculture school meal guidelines were proposed and implemented. It is likely that schools are using salad bars to offer a variety of fruits and vegetables to students, and schools with greater numbers of school-level resources and programs are better positioned for having salad bars. Copyright © 2016 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparison of the Perceptions of Technostress Experienced by Teachers versus Technology Used by Teachers in Elementary Education in a Southeastern School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longman, Stephanie Melynda Dobson

2013-01-01

In the past two decades, technology has grown exponentially in society. New inventions and innovations are on the rise in relation to technology. Because of this growth in technology use in society, technology integration in the classrooms has also been on the rise. Technology has supported student involvement and engagement in the classrooms.…

A multilingual and multimodal approach to literacy teaching and learning in urban education: a collaborative inquiry project in an inner city elementary school.

PubMed

Ntelioglou, Burcu Yaman; Fannin, Jennifer; Montanera, Mike; Cummins, Jim

2014-01-01

This paper presents findings from a collaborative inquiry project that explored teaching approaches that highlight the significance of multilingualism, multimodality, and multiliteracies in classrooms with high numbers of English language learners (ELLs). The research took place in an inner city elementary school with a large population of recently arrived and Canadian-born linguistically and culturally diverse students from Gambian, Indian, Mexican, Sri Lankan, Tibetan and Vietnamese backgrounds, as well as a recent wave of Roma students from Hungary. A high number of these students were from families with low-SES. The collaboration between two Grade 3 teachers and university-based researchers sought to create instructional approaches that would support students' academic engagement and literacy learning. In this paper, we described one of the projects that took place in this class, exploring how a descriptive writing unit could be implemented in a way that connected with students' lives and enabled them to use their home languages, through the creation of multiple texts, using creative writing, digital technologies, and drama pedagogy. This kind of multilingual and multimodal classroom practice changed the classroom dynamics and allowed the students access to identity positions of expertise, increasing their literacy investment, literacy engagement and learning.

Promoting elementary students' epistemology of science through computer-supported knowledge-building discourse and epistemic reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Feng; Chan, Carol K. K.

2018-04-01

This study examined the role of computer-supported knowledge-building discourse and epistemic reflection in promoting elementary-school students' scientific epistemology and science learning. The participants were 39 Grade 5 students who were collectively pursuing ideas and inquiry for knowledge advance using Knowledge Forum (KF) while studying a unit on electricity; they also reflected on the epistemic nature of their discourse. A comparison class of 22 students, taught by the same teacher, studied the same unit using the school's established scientific investigation method. We hypothesised that engaging students in idea-driven and theory-building discourse, as well as scaffolding them to reflect on the epistemic nature of their discourse, would help them understand their own scientific collaborative discourse as a theory-building process, and therefore understand scientific inquiry as an idea-driven and theory-building process. As hypothesised, we found that students engaged in knowledge-building discourse and reflection outperformed comparison students in scientific epistemology and science learning, and that students' understanding of collaborative discourse predicted their post-test scientific epistemology and science learning. To further understand the epistemic change process among knowledge-building students, we analysed their KF discourse to understand whether and how their epistemic practice had changed after epistemic reflection. The implications on ways of promoting epistemic change are discussed.

A multilingual and multimodal approach to literacy teaching and learning in urban education: a collaborative inquiry project in an inner city elementary school

PubMed Central

Ntelioglou, Burcu Yaman; Fannin, Jennifer; Montanera, Mike; Cummins, Jim

2014-01-01

This paper presents findings from a collaborative inquiry project that explored teaching approaches that highlight the significance of multilingualism, multimodality, and multiliteracies in classrooms with high numbers of English language learners (ELLs). The research took place in an inner city elementary school with a large population of recently arrived and Canadian-born linguistically and culturally diverse students from Gambian, Indian, Mexican, Sri Lankan, Tibetan and Vietnamese backgrounds, as well as a recent wave of Roma students from Hungary. A high number of these students were from families with low-SES. The collaboration between two Grade 3 teachers and university-based researchers sought to create instructional approaches that would support students’ academic engagement and literacy learning. In this paper, we described one of the projects that took place in this class, exploring how a descriptive writing unit could be implemented in a way that connected with students’ lives and enabled them to use their home languages, through the creation of multiple texts, using creative writing, digital technologies, and drama pedagogy. This kind of multilingual and multimodal classroom practice changed the classroom dynamics and allowed the students access to identity positions of expertise, increasing their literacy investment, literacy engagement and learning. PMID:24994986

Reciprocal Education Experiences In Two GK-12 Programs: Teachers Learning And Students Teaching In Diverse Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, M.; Williams, C.; Rodriguez, T.; Greely, T.; Pyrtle, A. J.; Rivera-Rentas, A. L.; Vilches, M.

2004-12-01

The National Science Foundation's Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program has enabled science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate schools across the country to become more active in local area K-12 schools. An overview of a graduate student's experiences, insights gained and lessons learned as a Fellow in the 2003-2004 Universidad Metropolitana's (UMET) environmental science and the 2004-2005 University of South Florida's (USF) ocean science GK-12 Programs is presented. The major goals of the 2003-2004 UMET GK-12 Program were 1) to enrich environmental science teaching and learning via a thematic approach in eight local public schools and 2) to provide UMET graduate students with exposure to teaching methodologies and practical teaching experience. Utilizing examples from local environments in and nearby Carolina, Puerto Rico to teach key science principles at Escuela de la Comunidad Juana Rodriguez Mundo provided numerous opportunities to relate science topics to students' daily life experiences. By 2004, the UMET GK-12 Program had successfully engaged the entire student body (primarily comprised of bilingual minority kindergarten to sixth graders), teachers and school administrators in environment-focused teaching and learning activities. Examples of such activities include tree planting projects to minimize local erosion, conducting a science fair for the first time in many years, and numerous opportunities to experience what "real scientists do" while conducting environmental science investigations. During the 2004-2005 academic year, skills, insights and lessons learned as a UMET GK-12 Fellow are being further enhanced through participation in the USF GK-12 OCEANS Program. The overall objectives of the 2004-2005 USF GK-12 OCEANS assignment at Madeira Beach Elementary School in Saint Petersburg, Florida are to 1) engage students from various ethnic backgrounds and cultures in hands-on science activities, 2) enhance the school's third grade ocean science education curriculum, and 3) foster dialog between students at Madeira Beach Elementary School and Escuela de la Comunidad Juana Rodriguez Mundo, via exchange of pictures, video recordings, letters and emails related to environment-focused learning activities being undertaken at the two schools. In addition to these objectives, during the 2004-2005 academic year several ocean science-focused activities, the majority of which were adapted and/or identified from either the UMET GK-12 or USF OCEAN GK-12 Programs, will be utilized to further stimulate Madeira Beach Elementary School third graders' critical thinking skills. Examples of such activities, including hands-on exercises, case studies, games and field trips are highlighted in this presentation.

Obesity Prevention Practices of Elementary School Nurses in Minnesota: Findings from Interviews with Licensed School Nurses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison-Sandberg, Leslie F.; Kubik, Martha Y.; Johnson, Karen E.

2011-01-01

Elementary schools are an optimal setting to provide obesity prevention interventions, yet little is known about the obesity prevention practices of elementary school nurses. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into current obesity-related school nursing practice in elementary schools in Minnesota, opinions regarding school nurse-led…

Reading Engagement in Science: Elementary Students' Read-Aloud Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliveira, Alandeom W.

2015-01-01

This study examines student reading engagement with children's science books in elementary classrooms. "Reading engagement" in science is conceived in terms of a Transmission-Transaction continuum. When centered on transmission, science reading entails passive reception of a textually encoded scientific message. By contrast, when science…

City of Huntsville Public Housing Areas STEM Initiative Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colon, Tomeka; Smith, Cydale; Pugh, Marcus; Budak, Satilmis; Muntele, Claudiu

2012-02-01

Students in high-poverty and high-minority schools are entering the classroom without the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. In order to bridge the gaps in opportunity and achievement that separate low-income students and students of color from other young Americans, we have introduced elementary and middle school students to the basic concepts of biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Within the project, we have provided students with excellent learning opportunities, engaging hands-on experiences, and outstanding advising and mentoring. We have assessed student development and impact before, during, and after the program.

Middle and Elementary School Students’ Changes in Self-Determined Motivation in a Basketball Unit Taught using the Tactical Games Model

PubMed Central

Harvey, Stephen; Gil-Arias, Alexander; Smith, Megan Lorraine; Smith, Lindsey Rachel

2017-01-01

Abstract Studies examining student motivation levels suggest that this is a significant factor in students’ engagement in physical education and may be positively affected when teachers employ alternative pedagogical models such as game-centered approaches (GCAs). The aim of this study was to investigate changes in self-determined motivation of students as they participated in a GCA-basketball unit taught using the Tactical Games Model (TGM). Participants were 173 students (84 girls), 79 middle school (45 girls) and 94 (39 girls) elementary school students from four seventh and five fourth/fifth grade co-educational classes. Two teachers taught 32 (middle) and 33 (elementary) level one TGM basketball lessons. Need satisfaction and self-determined motivation data were collected using a previously validated instrument, while lesson context and teacher behavior data were recorded using systematic observation instruments. Repeated measures MANOVAs were employed to examine pre-posttest differences. Results revealed a significant main effect for time in need satisfaction for both middle (relatedness increased) and elementary school students (autonomy decreased) and a significant main effect in self-determined motivation for middle school students only (introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation all increased). Approximately 48%/42% (middle/elementary) of lesson time was game play, 22%/22% skill practice, 17%/17% management, and 13%/19% knowledge. The primary teacher behaviors used were instruction, management, specific observation, corrective feedback and modelling. Results indicate that it is important for future research to pay greater attention to the contextual factors associated with the application of the TGM, such as the students’ previous exposure to TGM lessons, and the teachers’ training and experience in utilizing the TGM. Indeed, results of the present study demonstrate that a longer-term commitment to the TGM is necessary to reduce controlling teacher behaviors, which will lead to positive changes in students’ need satisfaction and self-determined motivation. Future research is therefore needed to embrace this challenge to provide an increased evidence-base for GCAs such as the TGM. PMID:29134047

Middle and Elementary School Students' Changes in Self-Determined Motivation in a Basketball Unit Taught using the Tactical Games Model.

PubMed

Harvey, Stephen; Gil-Arias, Alexander; Smith, Megan Lorraine; Smith, Lindsey Rachel

2017-10-01

Studies examining student motivation levels suggest that this is a significant factor in students' engagement in physical education and may be positively affected when teachers employ alternative pedagogical models such as game-centered approaches (GCAs). The aim of this study was to investigate changes in self-determined motivation of students as they participated in a GCA-basketball unit taught using the Tactical Games Model (TGM). Participants were 173 students (84 girls), 79 middle school (45 girls) and 94 (39 girls) elementary school students from four seventh and five fourth/fifth grade co-educational classes. Two teachers taught 32 (middle) and 33 (elementary) level one TGM basketball lessons. Need satisfaction and self-determined motivation data were collected using a previously validated instrument, while lesson context and teacher behavior data were recorded using systematic observation instruments. Repeated measures MANOVAs were employed to examine pre-posttest differences. Results revealed a significant main effect for time in need satisfaction for both middle (relatedness increased) and elementary school students (autonomy decreased) and a significant main effect in self-determined motivation for middle school students only (introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation all increased). Approximately 48%/42% (middle/elementary) of lesson time was game play, 22%/22% skill practice, 17%/17% management, and 13%/19% knowledge. The primary teacher behaviors used were instruction, management, specific observation, corrective feedback and modelling. Results indicate that it is important for future research to pay greater attention to the contextual factors associated with the application of the TGM, such as the students' previous exposure to TGM lessons, and the teachers' training and experience in utilizing the TGM. Indeed, results of the present study demonstrate that a longer-term commitment to the TGM is necessary to reduce controlling teacher behaviors, which will lead to positive changes in students' need satisfaction and self-determined motivation. Future research is therefore needed to embrace this challenge to provide an increased evidence-base for GCAs such as the TGM.

Educational System for Enhancing the Creative Interest of Elementary School Students: A Case Study of a Science Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soe, Kumi; Motohashi, Mitsuya; Niwa, Masaaki; Tamaki, Akira

Abstract Our research group engages in activities for promoting science education among children. A characteristic of our science curriculum is that it comprises two parts. To elaborate, a requirement of our science curriculum is that before proceeding to a handcrafting activity, students take part in experiments and observe the physical phenomena related to the object that they construct in the second part. We believe that our science class, which comprises two phases of education, can further stimulate students' interest in science because they not only engage in handcrafting of objects, but also learn the underlying principles and structures of these objects.

Engaging Caregivers in School-Based Obesity Prevention Initiatives in a Predominantly Latino Immigrant Community: A Qualitative Analysis.

PubMed

Berger-Jenkins, Evelyn; Jarpe-Ratner, Elizabeth; Giorgio, Margaret; Squillaro, Alexa; McCord, Mary; Meyer, Dodi

2017-01-01

To explore caregiver perceptions of, and barriers and facilitators to, their involvement in school-based obesity prevention programs in underserved Latino immigrant communities. Focus groups discussions were conducted with caregivers (n = 42) at 7 elementary schools with an academic partnership-based obesity prevention program. Thematic analysis was used to identify key findings in the data. Caregivers described their role as (1) learners of new and often complex health information using their children as primary messengers and (2) champions within their homes in which healthier choices are assimilated. Barriers to involvement included lack of time, financial pressures, unhealthy family practices, and concern that attempts to engage peers would be perceived as intrusive. Facilitators included assurance that stigmatizing health issues would be addressed with sensitivity. Caregiver involvement in obesity prevention may be fostered by transmitting information through children, addressing cultural barriers, and avoiding potentially stigmatizing approaches to delivering health messages. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Elementary School Guidance Counselor: A Developmental Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gum, Moy F.

The position taken is that elementary schools need a guidance program and an elementary school guidance counselor who is a regular member of a given school staff. However, it is advocated that elementary guidance should not be merely an extension of the secondary guidance program. The viewpoint taken here is that elementary guidance should be…

A Profile of Active Transportation in Colorado Public Schools, 2014-2015.

PubMed

Behrens, Timothy K; Osman, Randa; Whitney, Paige; Carpenter, Dick; Tucker, Elizabeth; Field, Julaine; Kelly, Cheryl

2017-02-01

Active transportation (AT) may represent an ideal opportunity to accumulate physical activity (PA). Thus, the purpose of this study was to describe the AT profile among students from two Colorado school districts. Students completed a survey on AT resulting in a final dataset (n = 3738) from which descriptive and inferential statics were calculated. Respondents were 11.32 ± 2.82 years of age (Boys = 48.27 %; Girls = 51.73 %). Most students (87.29 %) traveled to or from school via automobile, while 11.17 % walked and 1.53 % biked. Boys rode bicycles to school significantly more (p < 0.0001) than girls, and when walking, accumulated significantly more time (p = 0.02) than females. When examining by grade level significant differences were found for days/week walking (p = 0.0002) to school and biking (p < 0.001) to school. High school students accumulated significantly (p < 0.0001) more time walking to school than middle or elementary school students. Similarly, high school students spent more time biking (p < 0.0001) to school than middle school and elementary school respondents. These findings indicate that travel to school by automobile is still the dominant mode of travel for most public school students. Further, males were generally more likely to obtain extra time in AT. Moreover, older students were more likely to engage in AT, and to spend more time during their AT.

Perceptions of Elementary Teachers on the Instructional Leadership Role of School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yavuz, Mustafa; Bas, Gokhan

2010-01-01

In this research, elementary school principals' instructional leadership behavior was evaluated based on the perceptions of elementary school teachers. The research is believed to contribute to the development of instructional leadership behavior of elementary school principals for the development of school organization. A "semi-structured…

Physician as teacher: promoting health and wellness among elementary school students.

PubMed

Stefaniak, Jill E; Lucia, Victoria C

2014-01-01

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. As a required component of a longitudinal prevention and public health course that spans the first and second years of undergraduate medical education, second year students at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, in Detroit, Michigan, in the USA completed a service-learning activity, which included teaching a standardized curricular module to local elementary school children. Students were required to complete a reflection assignment based on their teaching experience. Medical students' responses to assignment's three guided questions were qualitatively coded to identify common themes among the responses related to the teaching activity. Qualitative analysis of students' reflections revealed several themes regarding what the students learned and viewed as the benefits of the activity: The importance of early education and parental involvement; the importance of understanding your audience when teaching; the importance of simplifying complex concepts to the audience's level; and the importance of preparation for teaching. Medical students identified the difficulties of communicating at an audience appropriate level and providing patient education outside the confines of a controlled classroom setting. This activity provided medical students with hands-on experience presenting to an audience age-appropriate, health-related topics. Presenting in an elementary school environment helped students better understand what health information various age groups knew about and the importance of clarifying information when communicating with a younger audience.

High Hopes--Few Opportunities: The Status of Elementary Science Education in California. Summary Report & Recommendations. Strengthening Science Education in California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd, 2011

2011-01-01

This report summarizes research findings on science education in California's elementary schools from multiple sources of data collected during 2010-11, specifically, surveys of district administrators, elementary school principals, and elementary school teachers; case studies of elementary schools; analysis of statewide secondary data sets; and…

Elementary Teachers' Curriculum Design and Pedagogical Reasoning for Supporting Students' Comparison and Evaluation of Evidence-Based Explanations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biggers, Mandy; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura

2013-01-01

Previous research suggests that elementary teachers vary in their enactment of science curriculum materials and may not always engage students in substantive sense making. This mixed-methods study investigates elementary teachers' use of science curriculum materials to engage students in the scientific practice of comparing and evaluating…

Scotts Bluff County Nebraska Juniors Educated in Class I Elementary Schools v. Juniors Educated in Class II or Class III Elementary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Boskirk, La Rita

In Nebraska, where nearly 70% of elementary school districts are rural, there is much debate about whether students from small rural schools have educational opportunities equal to those of students from town or city schools. This paper compares the performance, participation, and behavior of high school juniors who attended elementary schools in…

PERCEPTIONS OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELOR.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BRADEN, BILLY; AND OTHERS

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELOR AS THEY WERE PERCEIVED BY SELECTED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELORS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, COUNSELOR EDUCATORS, AND STATE SUPERVISORS IN THE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION FOR COUNSELOR EDUCATION AND SUPERVISION (SACES) REGION WERE IDENTIFIED. THREE INSTRUMENTS WERE…

Prioritizing Elementary School Writing Instruction: Cultivating Middle School Readiness for Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciullo, Stephen; Mason, Linda

2017-01-01

Helping elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) prepare for the rigor of middle school writing is an instructional priority. Fortunately, several standards-based skills in upper elementary school and middle school overlap. Teachers in upper elementary grades, specifically fourth and fifth grades, have the opportunity to provide…

Behaviour of Turkish Elementary School Principals in the Change Process: An Analysis of the Perceptions of Both Teachers and School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gokce, Feyyat

2009-01-01

Technological and economic changes affect societies, and consequently bring about change in education. Elementary school principals in Turkey spend considerable time and effort managing change in their schools. This study contributes to the better management of Turkish elementary schools by determining the behavior of elementary school principals…

What Makes a Scientific Research Question Worth Investigating? Students' Epistemic Criteria and Considerations of Contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berson, Eric Bruckner

This dissertation introduces the construct of worthwhileness as an important aspect of students' practical epistemologies of science (Sandoval, 2005). Specifically, it examines how students conceptualize what makes a scientific research question worthwhile, through a close analysis of the criteria they use for evaluating scientific research questions. Elementary (n=21) and high school students (n=21) participated in this study. As part of semi-structured interviews, students engaged in three novel tasks designed to elicit the epistemic criteria they use to evaluate scientific research questions in a variety of contexts. Findings indicate that elementary and high school students alike could engage in the practice of evaluating the worth of scientific questions. The criteria they employed included degree of interest, difficulty, and the contribution of questions to knowledge or to solving a problem. The criteria students considered varied by context. Several key differences emerged between the reasoning of the two grade cohorts. High school students tended to place more weight on the contribution of the research question. Also, the criteria reflected in the high school students' judgments of the scientific value of individual questions more closely accorded with the criteria they identified retrospectively as the basis of their judgments. Furthermore, the older cohort more often rationalized the selection and sequence of research questions within a single domain on the basis of epistemic contingency between questions. How students conceptualize what makes a scientific research question worthwhile constitutes a key aspect of students' epistemic reasoning. It is particularly important to understand how students judge the worthwhilness of scientific research questions given the central epistemic role of research questions in scientific inquiry.

Supporting Academic Language Development in Elementary Science: A Classroom Teaching Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Karl Gerhard

Academic language is the language that students must engage in while participating in the teaching and learning that takes place in school (Schleppegrell, 2012) and science as a content area presents specific challenges and opportunities for students to engage with language (Buxton & Lee, 2014; Gee, 2005). In order for students to engage authentically and fully in the science learning that will take place in their classrooms, it is important that they develop their abilities to use science academic language (National Research Council, 2012). For this to occur, teachers must provide support to their students in developing the science academic language they will encounter in their classrooms. Unfortunately, this type of support remains a challenge for many teachers (Baecher, Farnsworth, & Ediger, 2014; Bigelow, 2010; Fisher & Frey, 2010) and teachers must receive professional development that supports their abilities to provide instruction that supports and scaffolds students' science academic language use and development. This study investigates an elementary science teacher's engagement in an instructional coaching partnership to explore how that teacher planned and implemented scaffolds for science academic language. Using a theoretical framework that combines the literature on scaffolding (Bunch, Walqui, & Kibler, 2015; Gibbons, 2015; Sharpe, 2001/2006) and instructional coaching (Knight, 2007/2009), this study sought to understand how an elementary science teacher plans and implements scaffolds for science academic language, and the resources that assisted the teacher in planning those scaffolds. The overarching goal of this work is to understand how elementary science teachers can scaffold language in their classroom, and how they can be supported in that work. Using a classroom teaching experiment methodology (Cobb, 2000) and constructivist grounded theory methods (Charmaz, 2014) for analysis, this study examined coaching conversations and classroom instruction to identify and understand what scaffolds are planned and implemented, and how that planning and implementation occurred through an instructional coaching partnership. Findings from this study showed the elementary science teacher planned and implemented a number of scaffolds for science academic language, focusing primarily on the use of sentence starters as a scaffolding strategy. The findings also indicated that the instructional coaching partnership played a vital role as the main resource that assisted the planning of scaffolds. These findings provide insights into the types of scaffolds that elementary science teachers can implement to scaffold science academic language, and the role that instructional coaching can play in supporting teachers as they work to provide instruction that scaffolds their students' language use and development.

A model for evaluating the environmental benefits of elementary school facilities.

PubMed

Ji, Changyoon; Hong, Taehoon; Jeong, Kwangbok; Leigh, Seung-Bok

2014-01-01

In this study, a model that is capable of evaluating the environmental benefits of a new elementary school facility was developed. The model is composed of three steps: (i) retrieval of elementary school facilities having similar characteristics as the new elementary school facility using case-based reasoning; (ii) creation of energy consumption and material data for the benchmark elementary school facility using the retrieved similar elementary school facilities; and (iii) evaluation of the environmental benefits of the new elementary school facility by assessing and comparing the environmental impact of the new and created benchmark elementary school facility using life cycle assessment. The developed model can present the environmental benefits of a new elementary school facility in terms of monetary values using Environmental Priority Strategy 2000, a damage-oriented life cycle impact assessment method. The developed model can be used for the following: (i) as criteria for a green-building rating system; (ii) as criteria for setting the support plan and size, such as the government's incentives for promoting green-building projects; and (iii) as criteria for determining the feasibility of green building projects in key business sectors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can student engagement serve as a motivational resource for academic coping, persistence, and learning during late elementary and early middle school?

PubMed

Skinner, Ellen A; Pitzer, Jennifer R; Steele, Joel S

2016-12-01

How children and youth deal with academic challenges and setbacks can make a material difference to their learning and school success. Hence, it is important to investigate the factors that allow students to cope constructively. A process model focused on students' motivational resources was used to frame a study examining whether engagement in the classroom shapes students' academic coping, and whether coping in turn contributes to subsequent persistence on challenging tasks and learning, which then feed back into ongoing engagement. In fall and spring of the same school year, 880 children in 4th through 6th grades and their teachers completed measures of students' engagement and disaffection in the classroom, and of their re-engagement in the face of obstacles and difficulties; students also reported on 5 adaptive and 6 maladaptive ways of academic coping; and information on a subset of students' classroom grades was collected. Structural analyses, incorporating student-reports, teacher-reports, and their combination, indicated that the model of motivational processes was a good fit for time-ordered data from fall to spring. Multiple regressions examining each step in the process model also indicated that it was the profile of coping responses, rather than any specific individual way of coping, that was most centrally connected to changes in engagement and persistence. Taken together, findings suggest that these internal dynamics may form self-perpetuating cycles that could cement or augment the development of children's motivational resilience and vulnerability across time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Student access to competitive foods in elementary schools: trends over time and regional differences.

PubMed

Turner, Lindsey R; Chaloupka, Frank J

2012-02-01

To examine the availability of competitive foods in elementary schools. Nationally representative mail-back survey. United States public and private elementary schools during the 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 school years. Survey respondents at 2647 public and 1205 private elementary schools. The availability of foods offered in competitive venues. Elementary school students' access to foods in competitive venues on campus (vending machines, school stores, snack bars, or à la carte lines) remained constant over time. As of the 2009-2010 school year, approximately half of all public and private elementary school students could purchase foods in 1 or more competitive venues on campus. Sugary foods were available to almost all students with access to competitive foods on campus. Public elementary school students in the South had more access to competitive food venues and greater availability of salty and sweet products in those venues compared with students in other parts of the country; however, they also had greater availability of healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Many elementary school students can purchase competitive foods on campus. Most students with access to competitive venues could purchase sweet products, but healthier foods were less widely available.

Professional Identity and Burnout among Pre-School, Elementary, and Post-Elementary School Teachers in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisherman, Shraga

2015-01-01

The novelty of the present study is its attempt to distinguish between pre-school, elementary, and post-elementary school teachers, regarding the relationship between professional identity and burnout. Two hundred and forty teachers responded to two questionnaires: professional identity and teacher burnout scales. Pre-school teachers were found to…

The Effects of Social Capital Levels in Elementary Schools on Organizational Information Sharing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekinci, Abdurrahman

2012-01-01

This study aims to assess the effects of social capital levels at elementary schools on organizational information sharing as reported by teachers. Participants were 267 teachers selected randomly from 16 elementary schools; schools also selected randomly among 42 elementary schools located in the city center of Batman. The data were analyzed by…

A Study of Anger and the Elementary Student. Research Brief #25.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyer, Robin; Wise, Stephanie

A survey was developed to study anger in elementary school students drawing on the experience of school counselors and teachers. The final survey was distributed to elementary school counselors, school administrators, and teachers to use with children referred for anger control issues. In 7 elementary schools, 1 female and 36 male students in…

Examining curricular coherence in an exemplary elementary school program.

PubMed

Ennis, Catherine D

2008-03-01

A coherent curriculum is characterized by visible connections between purposes and experiences so that students acknowledge the content's immediate value. This study examined an exemplary elementary physical education curriculum for coherence components. Research questions examined the role of coherence in connecting and engaging students meaningfully in physical education. Observations and interviews were conducted to collect qualitative data in one program for 22 weeks. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Results described two units, Balls Skills, leading to modified basketball, and Scooter City, a theme-based unit emphasizing student choice and responsibility. Students reported that both units were enjoyable. Although the Balls Skills unit was well planned, taught, and managed, some students commented that the skill and games content was valuable only in basketball. In the Scooter City unit, students identified numerous connections to out-of-school activities that enhanced content value. Comparisons with Beane's coherence criteria suggested that students valued Scooter City based on concrete connections to their lived experiences.

Food-related practices and beliefs of rural US elementary and middle school teachers.

PubMed

Findholt, Nancy E; Izumi, Betty T; Shannon, Jackilen; Nguyen, Thuan

2016-01-01

Childhood obesity disproportionately affects rural populations; therefore, promoting healthy eating among rural children is essential. Teachers are important role models for children and can influence children's eating behaviors through their own behaviors and beliefs about food. This study examined the food-related practices and beliefs of rural elementary and middle school teachers. Data were used from the SNACZ study, a school- and community-based trial conducted in rural Oregon. Kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers (n=87), teaching students usually aged 5-14 years, from eight rural school districts completed a baseline survey in November 2012 concerning their classroom food practices, eating behaviors at school, beliefs about the school food environment, and nutrition knowledge. Frequencies of responses to each item were calculated. Nearly all teachers (97.6%) agreed that a healthy school food environment is important, but fewer agreed that teachers' behaviors and the foods available at school influence students' eating behaviors (71.0% and 67.0%, respectively). Nearly 86% of teachers used candy as a reward for students, while 78.2% consumed unhealthy snacks and 42.5% consumed sweetened beverages in the classroom. The results suggest that most rural teachers recognize that having a healthy school food environment is important, but are less aware of factors within the school that influence students' eating behaviors - including their own eating behaviors and classroom food practices - and, perhaps for this reason, many rural teachers engage in classroom practices and behaviors that do not promote healthy eating. Teacher training and expanded school policies that focus on teacher behavior may be needed to ensure a healthier rural school food environment.

Effect of Retention in Elementary Grades on Transition to Middle School

PubMed Central

Im, Myung Hee; Hughes, Jan H.; Kwok, Oi-man; Puckett, Stevie; Cerdia, Carissa Analise

2013-01-01

The authors investigated the effects of retention in grades 1 to 5 on students’ reading and math achievement, teacher-rated engagement, and student-reported school belonging in middle school. From a multiethnic sample (N = 784) of children who scored below the median on a test of literacy in grade 1, an average of 75 students subsequently retained in grades 1 to 5 were matched with an average of 299 continuously promoted students on the basis of propensity to be retained in the elementary grades. A total of 20 imputed datasets were analyzed, all of which showed good balance across the 67 baseline covariates used to calculate propensity scores. The hypothesis that retained students, who are “old for grade” when they make the transition to middle school, would have a more difficult transition to middle school than promoted peers was tested with 3-level, piecewise growth modeling. Piece 1 included assessments prior to the transition to middle school, and piece 2 included assessments after the transition. Retained and continuously promoted students did not differ on any of the outcome measures during the year prior to transition, nor did they differ in their post-transition trajectories. Discrepancies between these results and results of prior research are discussed in terms of demographic and generational differences as well as differences in methodological rigor. PMID:23816229

'Thoroughly Good Football': Teachers and the Origins of Elementary School Football.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerrigan, Colm

2000-01-01

Discusses the origins of elementary school soccer (football), addressing topics such as: the role of public schools in organized soccer, soccer in elementary schools, the first schoolboy soccer association, South London Schools' Football Association, the London Schools' Football Association, and the English Schools' Football Association. (CMK)

CSRQ Center Report on Elementary School Comprehensive School Reform Models: Educator's Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education (NJ3), 2008

2008-01-01

Which comprehensive school reform programs have evidence of positive effects on elementary school achievement? To find out, this review summarizes evidence on comprehensive school reform (CSR) models in elementary schools, grades K-6. Comprehensive school reform models are programs used schoolwide to improve student achievement. They typically…

From Texas to Alaska: Leading Hearing Impaired Elementary Students in Texas to Engage in Science of the Northern Lights Performed in Alaska.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahn, J. M.; Ibarra, S.; Pfeifer, M. D.; Samara, M.; Michell, R.

2014-12-01

Interacting with hearing impaired students who communicate using auditory/oral methods provides challenges and opportunities to education/outreach activities. Despite many advances in assistive technologies, these hearing impaired students will learn much less incidentally than their peers with typical hearing. In other words, they will often require repeated auditory and perhaps visual reinforcement in order to learn a new word or a new concept. This need leads to a much more deliberate and conscious interaction between educators or scientists and the students. We are reporting from a unique joint project between the Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), to bring actual space research to life for hearing impaired elementary school students. During this project, we combined the unique capabilities of Deaf Education educators with the excitement and wonder of researching the northern lights. For three consecutive winters, we conducted a series of informal yet structured activities each year with fourth and fifth grade students. Our interactions went beyond typical classroom activities and readily available educational materials. Our goal was to engage and excite the students. To do so, we set up a series of interactions and mini-projects that introduced the students to actual research and actual researchers. From "meet the scientists" visits to school over a field trip to the SwRI space research facilities to observing and predicting the aurora using real-time space weather data, we engaged students in the "who" and "how" of doing research and field work in Alaska's winter. Over the course of this project, students connected with a remote school in the interior of Alaska, participated in the excitement of a NASA sounding rocket campaign in in Poker Flat, AK, skyped with researchers and students in Alaska, and made aurora predictions using NOAA real time space weather data. The highlight of the program each year was the in-school overnight camp-out in February, where we attempted to observe the aurora occurring real-time in Alaska. In this presentation, we discuss the challenges and lessons learned from this project, focusing particularly on the lessons learned from the hearing impaired students that would directly benefit more typical school settings.

An Exploration of Elementary School Counselors' Perceptions of Students' Exposure to Violent Video Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woody, Tammy Lynn

2010-01-01

This study explored elementary school counselors' perceptions of working with students exposed to violent video games. Certified elementary school counselors participated in both an online survey and individual interviews, revealing their observations regarding elementary school children and the phenomenon of gaming. An emphasis was placed on…

A Study of Health Education and Its Needs for Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussain, Irshad; Alamgir, Muhammad Ahmad; Shahzad, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Health Education, particularly in elementary schools, appears to be a neglected area in Pakistan. This study investigated the health education needs of elementary school students. The purpose of the present study is to assess health education needs of elementary school students. The study adopted mix approach of (qualitative and quantitative)…

Delivering Technological Literacy to a Class for Elementary School Pre-Service Teachers in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Hyuksoo

2017-01-01

This study was conducted with the aim of creating a new introductory course emphasizing the development of technological literacy for elementary school pre-service teachers. This study also aimed to investigate elementary school pre-service teachers' attitudinal transition toward elementary school technology education (ESTE) and its…

The Profession of Elementary Teaching from the Perspective of School Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turan, Mehmet; Turhan, Muhammed

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify how school administrators perceive the elementary teaching profession and elementary teachers. The population of the study comprised the administrators of elementary schools located in the center of Elazig, Adana and Malatya. A total of 185 questionnaires were sent to the school administrators included and…

Perceptions of Elementary School Students: Experiences and Dreams about the Life Studies Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baysal, Z. Nurdan; Tezcan, Özlem Apak; Araç, Kamil Ersin

2018-01-01

This study seeks to identify elementary school students' views and perceptions of the Life Studies course through verbal and visual instruments. It employs a descriptive phenomenological research design. The study surveyed second- and third-grade students attending one private elementary school and two state elementary schools. The data was…

Follow-up of an elementary school intervention for asthma management: do gains last into middle school?

PubMed

Greenberg, Cindy; Luna, Pamela; Simmons, Gretchen; Huhman, Marian; Merkle, Sarah; Robin, Leah; Keener, Dana

2010-06-01

Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted an evaluation to examine whether students who were exposed to the APS asthma program in elementary school retained benefits into middle school. APS middle school students who participated in the APS asthma program in elementary school, including the Open Airways for Schools (OAS) education curriculum, responded to a follow-up questionnaire (N = 121) and participated in student focus groups (N = 40). Asthma management self-efficacy scores from the follow-up questionnaire were compared to scores obtained before and after the OAS education component. Additional items assessed students' asthma symptoms, management skills, avoidance of asthma triggers, and school impact. Although asthma management self-efficacy scores declined in middle school among students exposed to the asthma program in elementary school, they remained significantly higher than scores obtained during elementary school prior to the OAS intervention. The results indicate that although students benefited from the asthma program delivered in elementary school, they need booster sessions and continued school support in middle school.

The effect and value of a WebQuest activity on weather in a 5th grade classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, Deborah

WebQuests are increasing in popularity across the country, yet it remains unclear whether WebQuests confer a significant benefit in student content learning. In addition, the perceptions of teachers regarding the classroom value and efficacy of WebQuests in teaching higher level thinking skills are still unclear. The goals of the study were (a) to determine the effect of WebQuests on elementary students' content area knowledge gains; (b) to investigate teacher perceptions of students' higher order thinking skills while engaged in a WebQuest activity and the value the of the WebQuest, as perceived by teacher. To accomplish the above research goals, a quasi-experimental design was used in this study. The subjects were four teachers and classes at an elementary school in southern California. Results of the study showed that the WebQuest did increase content knowledge in fifth grade students, but not significantly more than traditional teaching as measured by a researcher-modified WebQuest For Teacher Questionnaire (WQFT) (Zheng, Perez, Williamson & Flygare, 2007) and teacher interviews. Teachers responded positively to the value of the WebQuest in their daily teaching. Teachers also indicated that their students engaged in higher level thinking skills while engaged in the WebQuest activity. Keywords: WebQuest, higher level thinking, learning

Understanding violence: a school initiative for violence prevention.

PubMed

Nikitopoulos, Christina E; Waters, Jessica S; Collins, Erin; Watts, Caroline L

2009-01-01

The present study evaluates Understanding Violence, a violence prevention initiative implemented in a Boston-area elementary school whose students experience high rates of community violence. Understanding Violence draws on the educational and personal skills of youths and allows them to practice positive alternatives to violence. Participating 5th graders (n = 123) completed a survey that included rating scale items and open-ended questions to assess the program. Results indicate high levels of satisfaction with and learning from the program. Participants responded positively to the program's use of diverse components and community engagement. Developed as part of a larger community mental health outreach program, Understanding Violence offers an example of a school-based initiative to mitigate the effects of community violence.

Technical Knowledge in a Technical Society: Elementary School Technology Education in Sweden, 1919-1928

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallstrom, Jonas

2009-01-01

The aim of this article is to identify a technical domain of knowledge in the curriculum of the Swedish elementary school and views on elementary school technology of two interest groups--school teachers and engineers. Gradually during the early to mid-1920s there was increased technical content in the Swedish elementary school, if we look at the…

The Six-District Plan. Integration of the Springfield, Mass., Elementary Schools. A Report of the Massachusetts Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin, Laura, Ed.

This report reviews the first year of integration, under the implementation of the Six-District Plan, of the elementary schools in Springfield, Massachusetts. Through this plan the school department changed the racial composition in five previously imbalanced elementary schools and integrated the elementary school system. Redistricting, the…

A Comparison of Parental Involvement in a High Performing Elementary School and a Low Performing Elementary School in Rural Georgia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Angelica Rivers

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in parental involvement in a high performing elementary school and a low performing elementary school based on Epstein's Six Types of Involvement. The extent of parental involvement was identified by using The School and Family Partnership Survey Questionnaire for…

U.S. Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2016-2017. The Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment and Staffing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Dale; Schultz, Margaret

2017-01-01

The latest edition highlights information about schools, enrollment and staffing patterns for Catholic elementary and secondary schools. [For "U.S. Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2015-2016," see ED574513.

A formative evaluation of the SWITCH® obesity prevention program: print versus online programming.

PubMed

Welk, Gregory J; Chen, Senlin; Nam, Yoon Ho; Weber, Tara E

2015-01-01

SWITCH® is an evidence-based childhood obesity prevention program that works through schools to impact parenting practices. The present study was designed as a formative evaluation to test whether an online version of SWITCH® would work equivalently as the established print version. Ten elementary schools were matched by socio-economic status and randomly assigned to receive either the print (n = 5) or online (n = 5) version. A total of 211 children from 22, 3(rd) grade classrooms were guided through the 4 month program by a team of program leaders working in cooperation with the classroom teachers. Children were tasked with completing weekly SWITCH® Trackers with their parents to monitor goal setting efforts in showing positive Do (≥60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity), View (≤2 hours of screen time), and Chew (≥5 servings of fruits and vegetables) behaviors on each day. A total of 91 parents completed a brief survey to assess project-specific interactions with their child and the impact on their behaviors. The majority of parents (93.2%) reported satisfactory experiences with either the online or print SWITCH® program. The return rate for the SWITCH® Trackers was higher (42.5% ± 11%) from the print schools compared to the online schools (27.4% ± 10.9%). District program managers rated the level of teacher engagement in regards to program facilitation and the results showed a higher Trackers return rate in the highly engaged schools (38.5% ± 13.3%) than the lowly engaged schools (28.6 ± 11.9%). No significant differences were observed in parent/child interactions or reported behavior change (ps > .05) suggesting the equivalence in intervention effect for print and online versions of the SWITCH® program. The findings support the utility of the online SWITCH® platform but school-based modules are needed to facilitate broader school engagement by classroom teachers and PE teachers.

School staff, parent and student perceptions of a Breakfast in the Classroom model during initial implementation.

PubMed

Folta, Sara C; Carmichael Djang, Holly; Halmo, Megan; Metayer, Nesly; Blondin, Stacy A; Smith, Kathleen S; Economos, Christina D

2016-06-01

To understand perspectives of stakeholders during initial district-wide implementation of a Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) model of the School Breakfast Program. Qualitative data were collected from twenty-nine focus groups and twenty interviews with stakeholders in a school district early in the process of implementing a BIC model of the School Breakfast Program. Ten elementary schools within a large, urban school district in the USA that served predominantly low-income, racial/ethnic minority students. Purposively selected stakeholders in elementary schools that had implemented BIC for 3-6 months: students (n 85), parents/guardians (n 86), classroom teachers (n 44), cafeteria managers (n 10) and principals (n 10). Four primary themes emerged, which were interpreted based on the Diffusion of Innovations model. School staff had changed their perceptions of both the relative disadvantages and costs related to time and effort of BIC over time; the majority of each stakeholder group expressed an appreciation for BIC; student breakfast consumption varied from day to day, related to compatibility of foods with child preferences; and stakeholders held mixed and various impressions of BIC's potential impacts. The study underscores the importance of engaging school staff and parents in discussions of BIC programming prior to its initiation to pre-emptively address concerns related to cost, relative disadvantages and compatibility with child preferences and school routines/workflow. Effectively communicating with stakeholders about positive impacts and nutritional value of the meals may improve support for BIC. These findings provide new information to policy makers, districts and practitioners that can be used to improve implementation efforts, model delivery and outcomes.

Using Children's Drawings to Examine Student Perspectives of Classroom Climate in a School-within-a-School Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, Jennie L.; Spearman, Mindy; Qian, Meihua; Leonard, Alison E.; Rosenblith, Suzanne

2018-01-01

This study examines student perceptions of classroom climate at a school-within-a-school (SWAS) elementary school located in the southeastern United States. The elementary school contains a school for students identified as highly gifted within a neighborhood school. Researchers utilized drawings to determine students' perceptions of their…

Evaluating virtual STEM mentoring programs: The SAGANet.org experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Som, S. M.; Walker, S. I.; Miller, E.; Anbar, M.; Kacar, B.; Forrester, J. H.

2014-12-01

Many school districts within the United States continue to seek new ways of engaging students within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. SAGANet.org, a web-based 501c3 Astrobiology outreach initiative, works with a number of schools, partnering K-12 students and their families with professional scientist mentors from around the world to teach and inspire students using virtual technology platforms. Current programs include two mentoring partnerships: pairing scientist-mentors with at-risk youth at the Pittsburg Community School in Pittsburg CA, and pairing scientist-mentors with families from the Kyrene del Cielo Elementary School in Chandler AZ. These programs represent two very different models for utilizing the virtual media platform provided by SAGANet.org to engage K-12 students and their families in STEM. For the former, scientists mentor the students of the Pittsburg School as part of the formal in-class curriculum. For the latter, scientists work with K-5 students and their families through Cielo's Science & Engineering Discovery Room to develop a science project as part of an informal learning experience that is independent of the formal curriculum. In this presentation, we (1) discuss the challenges and successes of engaging these two distinct audiences through virtual media, (2) present the results of how these two very-different mentoring partnership impact K-12 students science self-efficacy, interest in science, and STEM career awareness, and (3) share the impact of the mentoring experience on the mentor's confidence and self-efficacy with communicating science to the public.

Elementary Counselor Need and Duties: Do Nevada's Principals Reflect the National Opinion?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Keith A.

In a leading Nevada school district 35 elementary principals were surveyed to determine their perception of the need for elementary school counselors and the duties they would like a counselor to perform in their schools should counselors become available. Two findings emerged prominently: (1) the principals do want elementary school counselors;…

Comparing Slovenian Year 8 and Year 9 Elementary School Pupils' Knowledge of Electrolyte Chemistry and Their Intrinsic Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devetak, Iztok; Lorber, Erna Drofenik; Jurisevic, Mojca; Glazar, Sasa A.

2009-01-01

This study explored the differences between eight-year elementary school pupils (before the curriculum reform) and nine-year elementary school pupils (soon after the curriculum reform) in Slovenia, as regards specific chemistry knowledge and motivation to learn chemistry. Altogether, 191 elementary school pupils participated in the study. The…

Assessing the Effectiveness of New Hampshire Elementary Schools: An Effective Schools Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fortner, Tara

2017-01-01

Despite consistently strong performances among NH 4th graders on the NAEP assessments, large disparities have been observed among NH elementary students on the NECAP assessments based on race and SES. The current study assessed the effectiveness of NH elementary schools, as defined by the effective schools research. Of the 209 elementary schools…

The Effect of No Child Left Behind on Elementary School Principals as Instructional Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Ronald W.

2011-01-01

This quantitative survey-design research study examined elementary school principals' perceptions regarding the effect of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). A primary focus of the study was to determine how elementary school principals feel about the influence of NCLB on their role as instructional leader. A sample of 133 elementary school principals…

Does elementary school alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use increase middle school risk?

PubMed

Wilson, Nance; Battistich, Victor; Syme, S Leonard; Boyce, W Thomas

2002-06-01

To assess whether alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use in elementary school may have serious implications for continued ATOD use in middle school and beyond. Longitudinal analyses were conducted on questionnaire data from 331 middle school students who had previously provided ATOD-use data during elementary school. Non-school personnel administered questionnaires in three participating school districts in three different states. The sample of students was ethnically and geographically diverse, including students from a range of low socioeconomic status backgrounds living in rural, urban or inner-city environments. Middle school alcohol use was almost three times as likely to occur if alcohol use had occurred in elementary school (OR = 2.94, p <.001). Elementary school use of tobacco and marijuana also greatly increased the likelihood of middle school use (OR = 5.35, p <.001 and OR = 4.25, p <.05, respectively). Early use of ATOD is associated with greatly increased odds of later use, which has important implications for the timing of drug prevention programs. Preventive interventions designed for use in pediatric practice settings should commence no later than elementary school, during the middle childhood years.

Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Elementary Schools: Analysis of Contextual Conditions

PubMed Central

McKenzie, Thomas L.; Crespo, Noe C.; Baquero, Barbara; Elder, John P.

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND Little is known about children’s leisure-time physical activity (PA) at school and how it is associated with contextual variables. The purpose of this study was to objectively assess children’s voluntary PA during 3 daily periods and examine modifiable contextual factors. METHODS We conducted SOPLAY (System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth) observations before school, during recess, and at lunchtime in 137 targeted activity areas in 13 elementary schools over 18 months. During observations, each child was coded as Sedentary, Walking, or Vigorous, and simultaneous entries were made for area characteristics (accessibility, usability, presence of supervision, loose equipment, and organized activities). Logistic regression analysis was used to test associations between PA and area characteristics. RESULTS Assessors made 2349 area visits and observed 36,995 children. Boys had more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; 66.2 vs 60.0%, p < .001) and more vigorous PA (29.8 vs 24.6%; p < .001) than girls. Areas were typically accessible and usable, but provided organized activities infrequently (16.5%). Odds of engaging in MVPA were greater during lunch and recess than before school and in areas with play equipment (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS Children accrued a substantial amount of voluntary PA during leisure time at school. Their PA would likely be increased if school playground equipment was more readily available and if supervisors were taught to provide active games and promote PA rather than suppress it. PMID:20840656

Increasing Bellevue School District's elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science: Using ideas from contemporary learning theory to inform professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maury, Tracy Anne

This Capstone project examined how leaders in the Bellevue School District can increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science through the use of professional learning activities that are grounded in ideas from human learning theory. A framework for professional development was constructed and from that framework, a set of professional learning activities were developed as a means to support teacher learning while project participants piloted new curriculum called the Isopod Habitat Challenge. Teachers in the project increased their understanding of the learning theory principles of preconceptions and metacognition. Teachers did not increase their understanding of the principle of learning with understanding, although they did articulate the significance of engaging children in student-led inquiry cycles. Data from the curriculum revision and professional development project coupled with ideas from learning theory, cognition and policy implementation, and learning community literatures suggest Bellevue's leaders can encourage peer-to-peer interaction, link professional development to teachers' daily practice, and capitalize on technology as ways to increase elementary teachers' capacity for teaching inquiry-based science. These lessons also have significance for supporting teacher learning and efficacy in other subject areas and at other levels in the system.

75 FR 1611 - Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; Elementary and Secondary School...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-12

... Secondary School Counseling Programs; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010...: The purpose of the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling program is to support efforts by local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish or expand elementary school and secondary school counseling programs...

Factors Influencing Students' Adaptability in School: A Production Function Model and Multilevel Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du, Ping

2008-01-01

This study used sampling survey data from rural elementary schools in western China to analyze school adaptability, which is the representative noncognitive development of rural elementary students. It also investigated factors influencing the school adaptability of elementary school students at an individual and school level by using production…

Precision in the Teaching, Learning, and Communication of Elementary School Mathematics: A Reply to Wilson's "Elementary School Mathematics Priorities"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maher, Carolyn; Weber, Keith

2009-01-01

In "Elementary School Mathematics Priorities," Wilson (2009 [this issue]) presents a list of five core concepts that students should master in elementary school so that they can succeed in algebra. As researchers in mathematics education, the authors enthusiastically endorse Wilson's recommendations. Learning algebra is key to further study of…

Family involvement in music impacts participation of children with cochlear implants in music education and music activities.

PubMed

Driscoll, Virginia; Gfeller, Kate; Tan, Xueli; See, Rachel L; Cheng, Hsin-Yi; Kanemitsu, Mikiko

2015-05-01

Objective Children with cochlear implants (CIs) participate in musical activities in school and daily lives. Considerable variability exists regarding the amount of music involvement and enjoyment. Using the Music Engagement Questionnaire-Preschool/Elementary (MEQ-P/E), we wanted to determine patterns of musical participation and the impact of familial factors on engagement. Methods Parents of 32 children with CIs (16 preschool and 16 elementary) completed a questionnaire regarding the musical involvement of their child with an implant and a normal-hearing (NH) sibling (if one existed). We compared CI children's involvement to that of their NH siblings as well as across groups of children with and without CIs. Correlations between parent ratings of music importance, demographic factors, and involvement of CI and NH children were conducted within and across groups. Results No significant differences were found between children with CIs and NH siblings, meaning children from the same family showed similar levels of musical involvement. When compared at the same developmental stage, no significant differences were found between preschool children with and without CIs. Parents who rated the importance of music as 'low' or 'middle' had children (NH and CI) who were less involved in music activities. Children whose parents rated music importance as 'high' were involved in monthly to weekly music activities with 81.25% reporting daily music listening. Conclusion Despite a less-than-ideal auditory signal for music, preschool and school-aged CI children enjoy and are involved in musical experiences. Families who enjoy and spend a greater amount of time involved in music tend to have children who also engage more actively in music.

Family involvement in music impacts participation of children with cochlear implants in music education and music activities

PubMed Central

Driscoll, Virginia; Gfeller, Kate; Tan, Xueli; See, Rachel L.; Cheng, Hsin-Yi; Kanemitsu, Mikiko

2014-01-01

Objective Children with cochlear implants (CIs) participate in musical activities in school and daily lives. Considerable variability exists regarding the amount of music involvement and enjoyment. Using the Music Engagement Questionnaire-Preschool/Elementary (MEQ-P/E), we wanted to determine patterns of musical participation and the impact of familial factors on engagement. Methods Parents of 32 children with CIs (16 preschool, 16 elementary) completed a questionnaire regarding the musical involvement of their child with an implant and a normal-hearing (NH) sibling (if one existed). We compared CI children's involvement to that of their NH siblings as well as across groups of children with and without CIs. Correlations between parent ratings of music importance, demographic factors, and involvement of CI and NH children were conducted within and across groups. Results No significant differences were found between children with CIs and NH siblings, meaning children from the same family showed similar levels of musical involvement. When compared at the same developmental stage, no significant differences were found between preschool children with and without CIs. Parents who rated the importance of music as “low” or “middle” had children (NH and CI) who were less involved in music activities. Children whose parents rated music importance as “high” were involved in monthly to weekly music activities with 81.25% reporting daily music listening. Conclusion Despite a less-than-ideal auditory signal for music, preschool and school-aged CI children enjoy and are involved in musical experiences. Families who enjoy and spend a greater amount of time involved in music tend to have children who also engage more actively in music. PMID:25431978

Effective Schools: Do Elementary Prescriptions Fit Secondary Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firestone, William A.; Herriott, Robert E.

Most of the recent research identifying organizational characteristics that seem to make schools unusually effective has been conducted at the elementary level and may not be applicable to secondary schools. Research currently underway suggests that the basic organizational structures of elementary and secondary schools dictate two different…

Preparing Perservice Teachers to Teach Elementary School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Amy D.

2017-01-01

The development of scientifically literate citizens begins in the elementary school. Yet elementary school teachers are ill prepared to teach science (Trygstad, Smith, Banilower, Nelson, & Horizon Research, Inc., 2013). The research base on teacher preparation finds that programs designed to prepare elementary teachers are inadequate in…

Developing a Pedagogically Useful Content Knowledge in Elementary Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peck, Donald M.; Connell, Michael L.

Elementary school teacher candidates typically enter their professional training with deficiencies in their conceptual understanding of the topics of elementary school mathematics and with a reliance upon procedural (algorithmic) approaches to the solutions of mathematical problems. If elementary school teacher candidates are expected to teach…

Advantaged/Disadvantaged School Neighborhoods, Parental Networks, and Parental Involvement at Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Angran; Fischer, Mary J.

2017-01-01

This article examines the relationship between parental networks and parental school involvement during the elementary school years. Using a large, nationally representative data set of elementary school students--the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort--and contextual data from the 2000 U.S. Census, our multilevel analysis…

77 FR 10981 - Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

... encourages the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by elementary school children, thus improving their... participation to elementary schools beginning in school year 2010-2011. Additionally, the number of schools that... authorities for the service of fresh fruit and vegetables in selected elementary schools. Section 19 of the...

Theaters in Elementary Schools. AIA School Plant Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brush, Martha S.

1963-01-01

A national volunteer program for producing a children's theater in elementary schools is severaly limited by the inadequacy of theater facilities in local school systems. A general discussion of the theater program is presented, the current state of theater facilities in elementary schools, difficulties in play production, and possible causes for…

44 CFR 7.8 - Elementary and secondary schools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... schools. 7.8 Section 7.8 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY...) Nondiscrimination in FEMA-Assisted Programs-General § 7.8 Elementary and secondary schools. The requirements of section 7 with respect to any elementary or secondary school or school system shall be deemed to be...

A Qualitative Study on Sustainable Professional Learning Communities in Catholic Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Alexandra

2017-01-01

This qualitative study examined the elements of professional learning communities within Catholic elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate best practices of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as reported by elementary principals in a random sample of Catholic elementary schools. The researcher interviewed 14…

Elementary School Organization: Self-Contained and Departmentalized Classroom Structures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Des Moines Public Schools, IA.

Surveys were conducted to investigate contemporary thought regarding organizational practices at the elementary level, with particular attention to identifying the extent to which departmentalization was supported by research and actually employed in 24 elementary schools in the Midwest and in 41 Des Moines elementary schools. Four committees…

Integrating Environmental Education into the Elementary School Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hua, Bian

2004-01-01

Elementary education in China is mainly subject-based and courses are offered by discipline. Because of this, it is impossible to offer a special course in environmental education in elementary schools. This article explains that the best approach to teach environmental education to elementary schools is to integrate environmental education by…

Formative Assessment as Educational and Administrative Adhesive: Establishing an Elementary School Writing Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Brad; Black, Sharon; Anstead, Marcia Howell

1997-01-01

Describes the collaboration between a university and an elementary school to establish a writing center at the elementary school, staffed by university students (preservice teachers). Describes the crucial role of ongoing formative assessment activity for both elementary students and the university preservice teachers. (SR)

Perceptions of Future Elementary School Principals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Fred A., Ed.

This monograph consists of 12 short articles written by students enrolled in a basic course in elementary school administration at Indiana State University. The monograph is intended to provide some insight as to what future elementary administrators believe is important in administering an elementary school. Each article focuses on a slightly…

Awareness on Learning Disabilities among Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menon K. P., Seema

2016-01-01

The study aims to find out the awareness on learning disabilities among elementary school teachers. The sample for the present study consisted of 500 elementary school teachers of Kerala. In this study the investigator used an Awareness Test on Learning Disabilities to measure the Awareness on Learning Disabilities among Elementary School…

Students' Personal Traits, Violence Exposure, Family Factors, School Dynamics and the Perpetration of Violence in Taiwanese Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ji-Kang; Astor, Ron Avi

2011-01-01

School violence has become an international problem affecting the well-being of students. To date, few studies have examined how school variables mediate between personal and family factors and school violence in the context of elementary schools in Asian cultures. Using a nationally representative sample of 3122 elementary school students in…

"Nuestra Tierra Dinamica" Global Climate Change STEM Education Fostering Environmental Stewardship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Grave, M.; de Valenzuela, M.; Russell, R.

2012-12-01

CLUB ECO LÓGICO is a democratic and participatory program that provides active citizenship in schools and community, placing climate change into context for the Latino Community. The program's objectives focus on: 1. The Environment. Reducing the school and community impact on the environment through environmental footprint through stewardship actions. 2. Empowerment. Engaging participants through project and service learning and make decisions about how to improve their schools, their homes and their community's environment. 3. Community and Research Partnerships. Fostering collaborations with local community, stakeholders, government, universities, research organizations, and businesses that have expertise in environmental research, management, education and climate change. 4. Awareness. Increasing environmental and climate science knowledge of participants through STEM activities and hands-on access to technology. 5. Research and evaluation. Assessing the relevance of program activities through the engagement of the Latino community in planning and the effectiveness and impact of STEM activities through formative and summative evaluation. To address these objectives, the program has several inter related components in an after school setting: SUN EARTH Connections: Elementary (grades K to 2) students learn the basic climate change concepts through inquiry and hands on STEM activities. Bilingual 8 facilitators adapt relevant NASA educational resources for use in inquiry based, hands on activities. Drama and the arts provide unique experiences as well as play a key role in learning, participation and facilitation. GREEN LABS: Elementary students (grades 3 to 5) participate in stations where each Lab is staffed by at least two professionals: a College level fully bilingual Latin American Professional and a stakeholder representing either a research organization or other relevant environmental organization. Our current Green Lab themes include: Air, Soils, Water, Energy, Health, Waste and Communicating Science. Parental and Community Engagement: Family or Community Nights and community events showcasing student products, videos, and service learning projects in a bilingual format; and presentations by research scientists on climate and environmental science topics of interest to the Latino community. Our events have been highlighted on Univision television evening news, reaching Latinos across the state. Digital Story Telling: Our Video Lab involves Latino high school students who are trained as mentors, encouraged to research climate change topics, meet scientists and learn about video technology. By fall 2013, our HS Video Lab will mentor local middle school students. Throughout the year students take field trips to film and interview key scientists and educators. The project will share lessons learned concerning several issues: 1. What environmental and climate science issues are most relevant for Latinos; 2. What strategies are effective in engaging the Latino community in program planning and in engaging participation; 3. What approaches are effective in developing or adapting environmental and climate science education activities for Latino students and families; 4. How to develop effective partnerships with research and other environmental organizations; 5. How to develop culturally sensitive evaluation strategies.

ELEMENTARY SCIENCE OUTLINE, A GUIDE TO SUGGESTED CURRICULUM PRACTICES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

KARTSOTIS, A. THOMAS; MESSERSCHMIDT, RALPH M.

THE COMMITTEE ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY SCHOOL STUDY COUNCIL REPORTS THEIR WORK ON SUGGESTED CURRICULUM FOR GRADES 1-6. THE BELIEF IS THAT SCIENCE IS A MAJOR STUDY AREA IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO ALL PUPILS IN A PLANNED LEARNING SEQUENCE, WITH DUE CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN TO THE MATURITY OF THE CHILD.…

Never Arrive: Teachers Reflect on a CES Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiri, Helen; Ayers, Pamela

2007-01-01

What is a Coalition elementary school? In the Chesapeake Coalition of Essential Schools network, each of its schools has made meaning of the ten Common Principles in very different ways. Many of the network's elementary schools have grown into fine examples of what CES brings to pre-kindergarten through fifth grade schooling. Principals, teachers,…

Promoting Prospective Elementary Teachers' Learning to Use Formative Assessment for Life Science Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabel, Jaime L.; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura

2015-06-01

To support elementary students' learning of core, standards-based life science concepts highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards, prospective elementary teachers should develop an understanding of life science concepts and learn to apply their content knowledge in instructional practice to craft elementary science learning environments grounded in students' thinking. To do so, teachers must learn to use high-leverage instructional practices, such as formative assessment, to engage students in scientific practices and connect instruction to students' ideas. However, teachers may not understand formative assessment or possess sufficient science content knowledge to effectively engage in related instructional practices. To address these needs, we developed and conducted research within an innovative course for preservice elementary teachers built upon two pillars—life science concepts and formative assessment. An embedded mixed methods study was used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on preservice teachers' (n = 49) content knowledge and ability to engage in formative assessment practices for science. Findings showed that increased life content knowledge over the semester helped preservice teachers engage more productively in anticipating and evaluating students' ideas, but not in identifying effective instructional strategies to respond to those ideas.

Wide availability of high-calorie beverages in US elementary schools.

PubMed

Turner, Lindsey; Chaloupka, Frank J

2011-03-01

To examine the availability of beverages for sale in elementary schools. Nationally representative mail-back survey. U.S. public and private elementary schools during the 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009 school years. Survey respondents at elementary schools. Availability of beverages offered in competitive venues and school lunches. Public elementary school students' access to beverages for sale in any competitive venue on campus (vending machines, stores, snack bars, and/or à la carte) increased from 49.0% in 2006-2007 to 61.3% in 2008- 2009 (P < .01). The percentage of public school students with access to only beverages allowed by the Institute of Medicine guidelines for competitive beverages (i.e., water, 100% juice, and 1% or nonfat milk) increased from 10.0% to 16.1% (P < .01). Access to higher-fat milk (2% or whole milk) in school lunches decreased from 77.9% of public school students in 2006-2007 to 68.3% in 2008-2009 (P < .001). Flavored milk was available at lunch on most days for 92.1% of public school students. As of the 2008-2009 school year, high-calorie beverages and beverages not allowed by national guidelines were still widely available in elementary schools.

Teacher recommended academic and student engagement strategies for learning disabled students: A qualitative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nwachukwu, Bethel C.

There has been a push towards the education of students with Learning Disabilities in inclusive educational settings with their non-disabled peers. Zigmond (2003) stated that it is not the placement of students with disabilities in general education setting alone that would guarantee their successes; instead, the strategies teachers use to ensure that these children are being engaged and learning will enable them become successful. Despite the fact that there are several bodies of research on effective teaching of students with learning disabilities, special education teachers continue to have difficulties concerning the appropriate strategies for promoting student engagement and improving learning for students with learning disabilities placed in inclusive educational settings (Zigmond, 2003). This qualitative study interviewed and collected data from fifteen high performing special education teachers who were employed in a Southern state elementary school district to uncover the strategies they have found useful in their attempts to promote student engagement and attempts to improve student achievement for students with learning disabilities placed in inclusive educational settings. The study uncovered strategies for promoting engagement and improving learning outcomes for students with learning disabilities placed in inclusive classrooms. The findings showed that in order to actually reach the students with learning disabilities, special education teachers must go the extra miles by building rapport with the school communities, possess good classroom management skills, and become student advocates.

The Influence of Toy Design Activities on Middle School Students' Understanding of the Engineering Design Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ninger; Pereira, Nielsen L.; George, Tarun Thomas; Alperovich, Jeffrey; Booth, Joran; Chandrasegaran, Senthil; Tew, Jeffrey David; Kulkarni, Devadatta M.; Ramani, Karthik

2017-10-01

The societal demand for inspiring and engaging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and preparing our workforce for the emerging creative economy has necessitated developing students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes from as early as elementary school levels. Hands-on engineering design activities have shown the potential to promote middle school students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes. However, traditional classrooms often lack hands-on engineering design experiences, leaving students unprepared to solve real-world design problems. In this study, we introduce the framework of a toy design workshop and investigate the influence of the workshop activities on students' understanding of and self-efficacy beliefs in engineering design. Using a mixed method approach, we conducted quantitative analyses to show changes in students' engineering design self-efficacy and qualitative analyses to identify students' understanding of the engineering design processes. Findings show that among the 24 participants, there is a significant increase in students' self-efficacy beliefs after attending the workshop. We also identified major themes such as design goals and prototyping in students' understanding of engineering design processes. This research provides insights into the key elements of middle school students' engineering design learning and the benefits of engaging middle school students in hands-on toy design workshops.

Parental Perceptions of Elementary School Counselors in a Suburban Atlanta School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillilan, Dana C.

2006-01-01

This action research study revealed common parental perceptions regarding the role of elementary school counselors. The paper discusses their perceptions and ways in which counselors can better communicate their role to parents. The research was conducted in an elementary school of approximately 1,136 students. The school opened in 2003, and is…

Perceptions of Elementary School Children's Parents Regarding Sexuality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Christine M.; Telljohann, Susan K.; Price, James H.; Dake, Joseph A.; Glassman, Tavis

2015-01-01

This study examined the preferences of parents of elementary school-aged children regarding when sexuality topics should be discussed in school and at home. The survey was mailed to a national random sample of parents of elementary school age children. Overall, 92% of parents believed that sexuality education should be taught in schools.…

The Association between Elementary School Start Time and Students' Academic Achievement in Wayzata Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dupuis, Danielle N.

2015-01-01

The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) conducted two analyses with the purpose of examining the association between elementary school start time and students' academic achievement in mathematics and reading in Wayzata Public Schools. The first analysis examined the association between elementary school start time and…

Increasing Prevalence of US Elementary School Gardens, but Disparities Reduce Opportunities for Disadvantaged Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Lindsey; Eliason, Meghan; Sandoval, Anna; Chaloupka, Frank J.

2016-01-01

Background: We examined the prevalence of school garden programs at US public elementary schools. The study examined time trends, demographic and regional disparities, and associations with related programs such as farm-to-school. Methods: Annual surveys were gathered from nationally representative samples of elementary schools between 2006-2007…

Contrasts in Openness toward Mobile Learning in the Classroom: A Study of Elementary, Middle and High School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Rhonda; Knezek, Gerald

2017-01-01

In a study involving 1414 elementary, middle school, and high school teachers from a large school district in the southwestern USA, the authors examine the similarities and differences among teachers at the three levels of K-12 education common in US school systems: elementary, middle school and high school. Major findings are that elementary…

Contemporary Issues in Elementary Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Policies Commission, Washington, DC.

Generalized views of the role of the elementary school in a democratic society and of the uniqueness of each student have implications for policy in improving elementary education. Owing to the youth of its clientele, the elementary school has an intense impact. No school so greatly affects so many Americans. It is a democratic institution…

Key Findings. 5th Grade. Fall 2004. Sample Report Elementary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WestED (NJ3), 2004

2004-01-01

This document is a sample framework for elementary school reports. The framework is for an elementary school district that administered the Elementary School California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) in Fall 2004 to fifth-grade students. The CHKS is a comprehensive youth health-risk and resilience data collection service, sponsored by the California…

Elementary School Psychologists and Response to Intervention (RTI)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Suzanne; Marrs, Heath; Bogue, Heidi

2017-01-01

The implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) in elementary schools may have important implications for school psychologists. Therefore, it is important to better understand how elementary school psychologists perceive RTI and what barriers to successful RTI implementation they identify. Although previous research has investigated the…

Burnout in Prospective Elementary School Teachers: Is It Related to Reasons for Choosing the Elementary School Teaching Major, Beliefs about the Teaching Career and Satisfaction with the Choice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dundar, Sahin

2014-01-01

The present study was carried out to examine the relationships between elementary school teacher candidates' motivations for choosing the teaching profession, beliefs about the teaching profession, satisfaction with the choice, and burnout. The study was carried out with 171 senior elementary school teacher candidates at one public university in…

Effect of the SQ4R Technique on the Reading Comprehension of Elementary School 4th Grade Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basar, Murat; Gürbüz, Mehmet

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of SQ4R (Survey, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, Review) technique of the reading comprehension ability of elementary school 4th grade students. The sampling was constituted by 57 students from two different branches of the Ataturk Elementary School in the center of Usak region during the 2nd…

Documentation to the NCES Common Core of Data Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey: School Year 2003-04. NCES 2006-324

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sable, Jennifer; Thomas, Jane Moy; Shen, Quansheng

2006-01-01

The Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey Data provides information about schools such as: type of school (special education, vocational education, charter, magnet); students by grade, race/ethnicity and gender; free lunch eligibility; and classroom teachers. All data are for public elementary and secondary schools for the 2003-04…

Playing Fair: The Contribution of High-Functioning Recess to Overall School Climate in Low-Income Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

London, Rebecca A.; Westrich, Lisa; Stokes-Guinan, Katie; McLaughlin, Milbrey

2015-01-01

Background: Recess is a part of the elementary school day with strong implications for school climate. Positive school climate has been linked to a host of favorable student outcomes, from attendance to achievement. We examine 6 low-income elementary schools' experiences implementing a recess-based program designed to provide safe, healthy,…

The Impact of Elementary Gifted Mathematics Programming: Moving into Middle School Research Using the ECLS-K Database

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zayac, Joanne M.

2013-01-01

With tightened school budgets, school administrators need to know the short term and long range effects of providing gifted programs at the elementary level. Programming opportunities in elementary school have direct impact on middle school and this, in turn impacts high school and college course selection. This study used the Early Childhood…

Multiple levels of influence in the adoption of sun protection policies in elementary schools in Massachusetts.

PubMed

Geller, Alan C; Zwirn, Jodie; Rutsch, Linda; Gorham, Sue A; Viswanath, Vish; Emmons, Karen M

2008-04-01

To understand the factors that may influence sun protection policy development if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines are to be realized. Qualitative research methodology incorporating a socioecological framework using individual or small-group interviews, surveys, and environmental assessments with school superintendents, elementary school principals, elementary school nurses, and parent-teacher organization presidents and co-chairs as well as coding of school documents. Elementary schools in Massachusetts. Nine school superintendents, 18 elementary school principals, 18 elementary school nurses, and 16 parent-teacher organization presidents or co-chairs. Presence of school sun protection policies, sun protection curriculum, and communication portals for sun protection information to parents. None of the schools in the 9 districts had a sun protection policy, and only 1 had any type of sun protection curriculum. However, nearly all principals were receptive to developing sun protection policies and to making structural changes to increase the amount of accessible shade if funding were available. The schools' communication infrastructure could provide a key portal for disseminating sun protection information to parents. Although there are other resources that could be brought to bear, many challenges must be surmounted to develop effective sun protection policies.

Teaching science as argument: Prospective elementary teachers' knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreto-Espino, Reizelie

For the past two decades there has been increasing emphasis on argumentation in school science. In 2007, the National Research Council published a synthesis report that emphasizes the centrality of constructing, evaluating, and using scientific explanations. Participating in argumentation is seen as fundamental to children's science learning experiences. These new expectations increase challenges for elementary teachers since their understanding of and experiences with science are overwhelmingly inconsistent with teaching science as argument. These challenges are further amplified when dealing with prospective elementary teachers. The current study was guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the ways in which preservice elementary teachers appropriate components of "teaching science as argument" during their student teaching experience? (2) To what extent do components from prospective elementary teachers' reflections influence planning for science teaching? (3) What elements from the context influence preservice elementary teachers' attention to teaching science as argument? This study followed a multi-participant case study approach and analyses were informed by grounded theory. Three participants were selected from a larger cohort of prospective elementary teachers enrolled in an innovative Elementary Professional Development School (PDS) partnership at a large Northeast University. Cross-case analysis allowed for the development of five key assertions: (1) The presence of opportunities for interacting with phenomena and collecting first hand data helped participants increase their emphasis on evidence-based explanations. (2) Participants viewed science talks as an essential mechanism for engaging students in the construction of evidence-based explanations and as being fundamental to meaning-making. (3) Participants demonstrated attention to scientific subject matter during instruction rather than merely focusing on activities and/or inquiry processes. (4) Scaffolded protocols positively influenced participants' attention to having students construct evidence-based explanations during science planning and teaching. (5) Teachers' beliefs about children's science capabilities influence their attention to and adoption of practices associated with teaching science as argument. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for teacher education, such as the use of coherent conceptual frameworks to guide coursework and field experiences and the development of video-based cases that represent "images of the possible" associated with challenging reform-oriented teaching practices.

Design Approaches to Support Preservice Teachers in Scientific Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenyon, Lisa; Davis, Elizabeth A.; Hug, Barbara

2011-02-01

Engaging children in scientific practices is hard for beginning teachers. One such scientific practice with which beginning teachers may have limited experience is scientific modeling. We have iteratively designed preservice teacher learning experiences and materials intended to help teachers achieve learning goals associated with scientific modeling. Our work has taken place across multiple years at three university sites, with preservice teachers focused on early childhood, elementary, and middle school teaching. Based on results from our empirical studies supporting these design decisions, we discuss design features of our modeling instruction in each iteration. Our results suggest some successes in supporting preservice teachers in engaging students in modeling practice. We propose design principles that can guide science teacher educators in incorporating modeling in teacher education.

The efficacy of student-centered instruction in supporting science learning.

PubMed

Granger, E M; Bevis, T H; Saka, Y; Southerland, S A; Sampson, V; Tate, R L

2012-10-05

Transforming science learning through student-centered instruction that engages students in a variety of scientific practices is central to national science-teaching reform efforts. Our study employed a large-scale, randomized-cluster experimental design to compare the effects of student-centered and teacher-centered approaches on elementary school students' understanding of space-science concepts. Data included measures of student characteristics and learning and teacher characteristics and fidelity to the instructional approach. Results reveal that learning outcomes were higher for students enrolled in classrooms engaging in scientific practices through a student-centered approach; two moderators were identified. A statistical search for potential causal mechanisms for the observed outcomes uncovered two potential mediators: students' understanding of models and evidence and the self-efficacy of teachers.

Questioning Questions: Elementary Teachers' Adaptations of Investigation Questions Across the Inquiry Continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biggers, Mandy

2018-02-01

Questioning is a central practice in science classrooms. However, not every question translates into a "good" science investigation. Questions that drive science investigations can be provided by many sources including the teacher, the curriculum, or the student. The variations in the source of investigation questions were explored in this study. A dataset of 120 elementary science classroom videos and associated lesson plans from 40 elementary teachers (K-5) across 21 elementary school campuses were scored on an instrument measuring the amount of teacher-direction or student-direction of the lessons' investigation questions. Results indicated that the investigation questions were overwhelmingly teacher directed in nature, with no opportunities for students to develop their own questions for investigation. This study has implications for researchers and practitioners alike, calling attention to the teacher-directed nature of investigation questions in existing science curriculum materials, and the need for teacher training in instructional strategies to adapt their existing curriculum materials across the continuum of teacher-directed and student-directed investigation questions. Teachers need strategies for adapting the teacher-directed questions provided in their existing curriculum materials in order to allow students the opportunity to engage in this essential scientific practice.

Implementing Inclusive Engineering Challenges for Elementary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva Mangiante, Elaine; Moore, Adam

2015-01-01

The Next Generation Science Standards emphasize the need to promote equitable opportunities for all students to engage in science and engineering. This article offers eight tips that educators can use to support students of all abilities, including those with special learning needs, to engage in engineering challenges at the elementary level.

Elementary Technology Demonstration Schools: The Third Year 1992-93. Publication Number 92.31.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabatino, Melissa

The 1992-93 school year was the third year of the Elementary Technology Demonstration Schools program of the Austin (Texas) schools; the project is funded by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and Apple Computer Inc. Grants from these corporations were used to equip three elementary schools with IBM equipment and one with Apple…

Funding Lutheran Elementary Schools. Planning for Lutheran Elementary Schools. E09.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, St. Louis, MO.

Part of a 13-volume series designed to help Lutheran communities assess the feasibility of starting a Lutheran elementary school and to assist ongoing schools in current operation, this handbook focuses on financial support for Lutheran schools. It attempts to present a comprehensive description of factors to be considered in funding a Lutheran…

Improved Attitude and Achievement: A Case Study of an Elementary School Academic Advisement Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamrath, Barry; Brooker, Teresa

2018-01-01

School counselors are often called upon to develop and implement academic interventions. In this case study of one urban elementary school, a school counselor conducted a small group academic advisement intervention. The results suggest that integrating the activities into the elementary school counseling program can be an effective Response to…

An Analysis of Academic Achievement in Public Elementary Open-Enrollment Charter and Traditional Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benson, Tammy

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine two types of school organizational structures: elementary open-enrollment charter schools and elementary traditional public schools. The study examined the degree to which attendance rates (based upon the prior school year's data), class size and average number of years of teaching experience were related…

Integration of School Features into Taiwanese Elementary School New English Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chin-Wen

2014-01-01

Elementary school English activation curriculum, an additional two culture classes, has been implemented only in New Taipei City in Taiwan starting from 2010, so only a few studies focus on it. This is a case study of an English teacher's integration of a school's features into the activation curriculum in a rural elementary school. This study…

Changes in cognitive functions of students in the transitional period from elementary school to junior high school.

PubMed

Mizuno, Kei; Tanaka, Masaaki; Fukuda, Sanae; Sasabe, Tetsuya; Imai-Matsumura, Kyoko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2011-05-01

When students proceed to junior high school from elementary school, rapid changes in the environment occur, which may cause various behavioral and emotional problems. However, the changes in cognitive functions during this transitional period have rarely been studied. In 158 elementary school students from 4th- to 6th-grades and 159 junior high school students from 7th- to 9th-grades, we assessed various cognitive functions, including motor processing, spatial construction ability, semantic fluency, immediate memory, delayed memory, spatial and non-spatial working memory, and selective, alternative, and divided attention. Our findings showed that performance on spatial and non-spatial working memory, alternative attention, divided attention, and semantic fluency tasks improved from elementary to junior high school. In particular, performance on alternative and divided attention tasks improved during the transitional period from elementary to junior high school. Our finding suggests that development of alternative and divided attention is of crucial importance in the transitional period from elementary to junior high school. Copyright © 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examining Behavioral Risk and Academic Performance for Students Transitioning from Elementary to Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Oakes, Wendy Peia; Carter, Erik W.; Messenger, Mallory

2015-01-01

We studied the transition from elementary to middle school for 74 fifth-grade students. Specifically, we examined how behavioral risk evident in the elementary years, as measured by the "Student Risk Screening Scale" (SRSS), impacts students transitioning from elementary to middle school. First, we examined how student risk status shifts…

Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions toward ICT: The Case of Using Magic Board for Teaching Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Yuan; Lee, Chun-Yi

2012-01-01

This study aims at investigating elementary school teachers' perceptions toward to the use of ICT. Magic Board, an interactive web-based environment which provides a set of virtual manipulatives for elementary mathematics, is used as the case of ICT. After participating in Magic Board workshops, 250 elementary school teachers in Taiwan responded…

The school nutrition program's role in weight management of 4th grade elementary students

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We are attempting to uncover the school nutrition program's role in weight management of 4th grade elementary students. Data was collected within a time frame for the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) set at two months at the WT Cheney Elementary School and South Wood Elementary for 4th grade stud...

Results of a Survey about Homework and Homework Hotlines for Elementary School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Bulwant

Reported are responses of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students, their parents and teachers to a survey conducted to determine the need for a homework hotline. Discussion is based on data from 379 randomly selected parents of students in intermediate elementary grades of 21 elementary schools, 333 elementary school teachers, and 392 randomly…

Subject Matter Assessment of Prospective Elementary School Teachers. Report of the California State University Workgroup on Assessment of Prospective Elementary School Teachers (Irvine, California, November 30-December 1, 1987). Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ. and Colleges, Long Beach. Office of the Chancellor.

This publication is a guide to assessing the competence of prospective elementary school teachers in the liberal studies teacher preparation programs in California. The guide was developed as part of a statewide response to legislated entry and exit standards for teachers in elementary and secondary schools. An introduction describes the…

Metacognitive Knowledge in Children at Early Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haberkorn, Kerstin; Lockl, Kathrin; Pohl, Steffi; Ebert, Susanne; Weinert, Sabine

2014-01-01

In metacognition research, many studies focused on metacognitive knowledge of preschoolers or children at the end of elementary school or secondary school, but investigations of children starting elementary school are quite limited. The present study, thus, took a closer look at children's knowledge about mental processes and strategies in…

Student Perceptions of the Transition from Elementary to Middle School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akos, Patrick

2002-01-01

This study sought to learn more about student perceptions during the transition from elementary to middle school. In response to students' concerns, it is suggested that school counselors implement preventive or proactive programming to assist students with the elementary to middle school transition. (Contains 22 references.) (GCP)

Teachers' Perspectives of Children's Mental Health Service Needs in Urban Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, James Herbert; Horvath, Violet E.; Wei, Hsi-Sheng; Van Dorn, Richard A.; Jonson-Reid, Melissa

2007-01-01

This study uses a phenomenological approach to investigate elementary school teachers' perspectives on children's mental health service needs. Focus groups were conducted at two elementary schools with differing levels of available social services in a moderate-sized urban midwestern school district. Data collection centered on six prominent…

Bright Lights: Stories of Success and Excellence from BC Elementary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Dept. of Education, Victoria.

This document profiles 16 elementary schools in British Columbia that are creating excitement about learning through innovative and creative practices. The schools and their activities are: Westwood Elementary School (Port Coquitlam)--a 1-day "mini-conference" to show students how math is relevant in daily life; Henderson Elementary…

Younger elementary students waste more school lunch foods than older elementary students

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Children may not receive the nutritional benefits from school lunch meals if they do not eat the foods served. This study investigated whether there were differences in school lunch foods consumed and wasted by grade level of elementary school students. In this cross-sectional study, anonymous meal ...

Catholic Elementary School Teachers' Lived Experiences Regarding Homework: A Phenomenological Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wick, John E.

2017-01-01

This phenomenological investigation examined the perceptions of Catholic elementary school teachers and their homework practices within a suburban Catholic school in California. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of Catholic school teachers regarding the standard practice of assigning homework to elementary school…

Suicide awareness at the elementary school level.

PubMed

Fish, K B

2000-07-01

1. Suicidal behavior is a real and growing problem in elementary school-age children. 2. Childhood suicides often are mistaken for accidents. 3. Knowledge is an effective tool in preventing suicides. It is imperative that suicide awareness and orientation for all school staff and parents be initiated at the elementary school level.

Implementing the Extended School Day Policy in Florida's 300 Lowest Performing Elementary Schools. REL 2017-253

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Folsom, Jessica Sidler; Osborne-Lampkin, La'Tara; Cooley, Stephan; Smith, Kevin

2017-01-01

Since the 2012/13 school year Florida law has required the 100 lowest performing elementary schools in reading to extend the school day by one hour to provide supplemental reading instruction. In 2014 the law was broadened to include the 300 elementary schools with the lowest reading performance. A previous study of the state's first two cohorts…

What's Best for Our Students? Outcomes Are the Driving Force at One High-Achieving Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinzer, Cathy; Taft, Laura

2012-01-01

Monte Vista Elementary School is one of 24 K-5 elementary schools in Las Cruces Public Schools, an urban district in southern New Mexico. The school's 450 students reflect the diversity of its Southwestern community: 75% Hispanic, 17% English language learners, and 68% free or reduced lunch, thus qualifying Monte Vista as a Title I school. Monte…

Content knowledge of prospective elementary school teacher for fractional concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pattimukay, N.; Juniati, D.; Budiarto, M. T.

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to describe the content knowledge especially the concept of fraction of prospective elementary school teacher. The purpose of this study is to describe the content knowledge, especially the concept of fraction of prospective elementary school teacher. The subject of the study was one of prospective elementary school teacher of Pattimura University. This research is qualitative research. Data were collected through the provision of tests to explore the knowledge content of primary school teacher candidates about fractional concepts. Then continued with qualitative data analysis. The results of this study are as follows: that the prospective primary school teacher defines fractions as part of the whole if an object is divided into equal parts, so that the part that has been divided is part of the whole. Furthermore, the prospective elementary school teacher understood the fractions as division shown in two ways, namely the prospective elementary school teacher understood the fraction as a division operation, the primary school teacher candidate interpreted the fraction as a division when an object is divided be part of the same. Meanwhile, the fraction as a ratio is interpreted as the relationship between a pair of numbers. Then, the denominations are interpreted as a ratio between the numerator and the denominator of the same value. The prospective elementary school teacher also understands fractions of value when simplifying fractions. Primary school teacher candidates understand the concept of fractional operations.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Engaging K-12 Educators, Students, and the General Public in Space Science Exploration" included the following reports:Training Informal Educators Provides Leverage for Space Science Education and Public Outreach; Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education: K-12 Teacher Retention, Renewal, and Involvement in Professional Science; Telling the Tale of Two Deserts: Teacher Training and Utilization of a New Standards-based, Bilingual E/PO Product; Lindstrom M. M. Tobola K. W. Stocco K. Henry M. Allen J. S. McReynolds J. Porter T. T. Veile J. Space Rocks Tell Their Secrets: Space Science Applications of Physics and Chemistry for High School and College Classes -- Update; Utilizing Mars Data in Education: Delivering Standards-based Content by Exposing Educators and Students to Authentic Scientific Opportunities and Curriculum; K. E. Little Elementary School and the Young Astronaut Robotics Program; Integrated Solar System Exploration Education and Public Outreach: Theme, Products and Activities; and Online Access to the NEAR Image Collection: A Resource for Educators and Scientists.

How does a Next Generation Science Standard Aligned, Inquiry Based, Science Unit Impact Student Achievement of Science Practices and Student Science Efficacy in an Elementary Classroom?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittington, Kayla Lee

This study examined the impact of an inquiry based Next Generation Science Standard aligned science unit on elementary students' understanding and application of the eight Science and Engineering Practices and their relation in building student problem solving skills. The study involved 44 second grade students and three participating classroom teachers. The treatment consisted of a school district developed Second Grade Earth Science unit: What is happening to our playground? that was taught at the beginning of the school year. Quantitative results from a Likert type scale pre and post survey and from student content knowledge assessments showed growth in student belief of their own abilities in the science classroom. Qualitative data gathered from student observations and interviews performed at the conclusion of the Earth Science unit further show gains in student understanding and attitudes. This study adds to the existing literature on the importance of standard aligned, inquiry based science curriculum that provides time for students to engage in science practices.

Closing the Achievement Gap through Modification of Neurocognitive and Neuroendocrine Function: Results from a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of an Innovative Approach to the Education of Children in Kindergarten

PubMed Central

Blair, Clancy; Raver, C. Cybele

2014-01-01

Effective early education is essential for academic achievement and positive life outcomes, particularly for children in poverty. Advances in neuroscience suggest that a focus on self-regulation in education can enhance children’s engagement in learning and establish beneficial academic trajectories in the early elementary grades. Here, we experimentally evaluate an innovative approach to the education of children in kindergarten that embeds support for self-regulation, particularly executive functions, into literacy, mathematics, and science learning activities. Results from a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 29 schools, 79 classrooms, and 759 children indicated positive effects on executive functions, reasoning ability, the control of attention, and levels of salivary cortisol and alpha amylase. Results also demonstrated improvements in reading, vocabulary, and mathematics at the end of kindergarten that increased into the first grade. A number of effects were specific to high-poverty schools, suggesting that a focus on executive functions and associated aspects of self-regulation in early elementary education holds promise for closing the achievement gap. PMID:25389751

Closing the achievement gap through modification of neurocognitive and neuroendocrine function: results from a cluster randomized controlled trial of an innovative approach to the education of children in kindergarten.

PubMed

Blair, Clancy; Raver, C Cybele

2014-01-01

Effective early education is essential for academic achievement and positive life outcomes, particularly for children in poverty. Advances in neuroscience suggest that a focus on self-regulation in education can enhance children's engagement in learning and establish beneficial academic trajectories in the early elementary grades. Here, we experimentally evaluate an innovative approach to the education of children in kindergarten that embeds support for self-regulation, particularly executive functions, into literacy, mathematics, and science learning activities. Results from a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 29 schools, 79 classrooms, and 759 children indicated positive effects on executive functions, reasoning ability, the control of attention, and levels of salivary cortisol and alpha amylase. Results also demonstrated improvements in reading, vocabulary, and mathematics at the end of kindergarten that increased into the first grade. A number of effects were specific to high-poverty schools, suggesting that a focus on executive functions and associated aspects of self-regulation in early elementary education holds promise for closing the achievement gap.

An Evaluation of Changes in the Curriculum in Elementary School Level in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helvaci, M. Akif

2009-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the changes in the curriculum of 1-5 grades in Elementary Schools and the efficiency of school administrator in managing change in the change process. The questionnaire was applied to the school administrators for the elementary schools of Usak province of Turkiye. The questionnaire comprises 3 open-ended…

Space Science in the Kindergarten Classroom and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonett, D.

2000-12-01

With the advent of probes to our closest planet Mars and the multi-national construction of Earth's first International Space Station, it is not presumptive to introduce 5 year old school children to the space sciences. K. E. Little Elementary School is located in the community of Bacliff, Texas. It is the largest elementary school (950 students) in the Dickinson Independent School District. K. E. Little is a Title 1 school with a multi-ethnic student population. It's close proximity to the Johnson Space Center and the Lunar and Planetary Institute provide ample instructional support and material. Last fall, two kindergarten classes received space science instruction. Both were class sizes of 19 with one class predominantly children of Vietnamese immigrants. Our goal was to create curiosity and awareness through a year-long integrated space science program of instruction. Accurate information of the space sciences was conveyed through sources i.e. books and videos, as well as conventional song, movement, and artistic expression. Videotaping and photographs replaced traditional anecdotal records. Samples of student work were compiled for classroom and school display. This year, two fifth grade classes will receive space science instruction using the Jason Project XII curriculum. Students will engage in a year-long exploration of the Hawaiian Islands. Information will be conveyed via internet and live video presentations as well as traditional sources i.e. books and videos, as well as song, movement, and artistic expression. Comparison of volcanic activity in Hawaii to volcanoes on other planets will be one of several interplanetary correlations. Samples of student work will be compiled for classroom, school, and community display.