<p> The quality of educators&rsquo; teaching practices is a crucial aspect of children&rsquo;s learning. This is why researchers, policy makers, teacher educators and educational leaders have focused their efforts on developing methods and programs to support educators&rsquo; teaching practices. Although teachers are the ones who actually apply the contents and skills learned in professional development programs, there is little research that considers their perspectives. The purpose of this study was to explore Latina immigrant early childhood teachers&rsquo; professional identity and perspectives about their professional learning and development (PLD) experiences. Data collection consisted on eight in-depth face-to-face interviews with early childhood educators who work in four multicultural Head Starts, and who self-identified as Latina Spanish-speaker. Data analysis was conducted using open and axial coding techniques. The main findings suggest that Latina immigrant teachers share some values, beliefs and experiences that might play a role in shaping their careers, as well as their identities as teachers and learners. Also, the findings suggest that teachers present a positive attitude towards ongoing professional learning. However, they believe that in order to be effective for their learning, PLD programs should include more active, collaborative and contextualized approaches. Additionally, the findings indicate that teachers perceive that their work environments constrain their possibilities to fully exercise their profession.</p><p>

<p> Music plays a fundamental role in early childhood education. Research shows that the first of the intelligences developed is the musical intelligence. Educators argue that while this is an intelligence with which all human beings are born, development of this intelligence will depend on the environment and the opportunities that are provided to the child. In today's global society, music has a permanent presence and is significant in everyday lives. It is a basic element in elementary education in many countries; however, few schools in Puerto Rico integrate music in their curriculum. In addition, there is unequal access to music education in schools in Southwest Puerto Rico because the justification for including it in the curricula is questioned. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study using secondary data was to determine if there is a relationship between music integration in Southwest Puerto Rico elementary schools and academic achievement. Secondary data from schools with and without music education were correlated to determine if a relationship existed that would justify the inclusion of music education in all such schools. The findings of this study support the importance of music education for elementary school students. Children acquire more knowledge in reading and writing when music education is integrated into the curriculum. Findings show that the stage of literacy of elementary school students is higher, according to the academic achievement tests of the Department of Education of Puerto Rico, when there is music education integrated in the curricula. In summary, it is concluded that music education is of great importance for improving reading, and hence, improving the development of children.</p><p>

<p> This study was undertaken to explore ways to assist at-risk African American students in phonemic awareness skills using their cultural vernacular. African American, at-risk preschoolers typically lag behind their peers. Teachers typically do not use culturally responsive methods to instruct them. For these reasons, these children struggle with literacy. Research questions were as follows: (1) Do African American at-risk preschoolers&rsquo; phonemic awareness increase after exposure to AAVE instructional strategies? (2) Do African American at-risk preschoolers&rsquo; rhyming and alliteration increase after exposure to AAVE language instructional strategies? and (3) Do African American at-risk preschoolers&rsquo; blending, manipulation, and segmenting increase after exposure to AAVE language instructional strategies? The theoretical framework of this study was African American at-risk preschoolers and all children must be taught in a manner in which they can learn and this would include using their vernacular. The methodology used was a quantitative study involving two groups of 20 randomly sampled preschoolers enrolled in a Head Start Preschool for All program. The study took place for twelve weeks with a control group of 20 and a treatment group of 20. Data analysis included an independent T-test, followed by a paired dependent T-test. Results indicated there were insufficient data to indicate significant differences in phonemic awareness. Recommendations include further research regarding culturally responsive teaching. </p><p>

What relationship exists between working conditions and teacher turnover in child-care (early care and education) programs? Research has shown high staff turnover is a major factor affecting the quality of care. Using a new survey and data set I designed of union and randomly selected non-union programs in Massachusetts, I examine factors other than compensation that might be related to lower teacher turnover. Focusing on different institutional settings, including unionization and regional unemployment, I use economist Albert Hirschman's theory of exit, voice and loyalty to see if "voice" alternatives to quitting are an effective method of reducing exits. "Voice" alternatives studied include working relationships and practices between management and labor; identified paths for promotion and compensation; and processes for making decisions and addressing grievances. I discuss three research questions: What working conditions or practices affect teacher turnover in child-care programs in the private market? Results indicate the presence and type of worker voice affects teacher turnover. Programs with collective bargaining agreements have lower rates of turnover than those without. Unionized programs also employ more staff per child, pay higher wages, and serve a higher percentage of state-subsidized children. How does "voice" differ in nature and quantity across different types of workplaces? I find there is more voice in unionized programs. Also different voice practices are used in programs operating in a high-unemployment compared to a low-unemployment environment. What, if any, is the statistical relationship (correlation) between teacher turnover and voice, and how does this relationship vary across workplaces? My results show a consistently negative relationship between teacher turnover and voice in these workplaces even when controlling for wages. Programs with more voice aspects have less teacher turnover.

Education reform efforts in the last fifteen to twenty years at the state and federal levels have provisions for family/community involvement in the schools based on beliefs that partnerships lead to higher student achievement and better outcomes for students, parents and teachers. These requirements have embraced the concept of parent and community involvement in various forms including some aspects of school governance. The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 included this concept of participatory governance with the establishment of local school councils (LSC). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the function and influence of local school councils on school improvement and to provide a better understanding of the role of parent/family and community involvement in those efforts. Data was gathered over a nine month period in three elementary schools in different communities through observation of school council meetings; interviews with various members of the school community, and review of relevant materials. Results of data analysis showed that the function and influence of local school councils on school improvement, and the impact of parent and community involvement on school council function were related to the overall culture of the school. Parent involvement in the school and parent influence on the work of the school council was strengthened by the relationship with the parent organization and other parent involvement activities in the school. The attitude and commitment to parent involvement present in the school culture, as well as, the efforts to recruit parent and community members with the resulting parity in membership also influenced the work of the school council. The results mirrored previous research that showed inconsistencies in the implementation of school councils across the country, that the evidence of their influence on school improvement has been limited, and that schools with existing parent involvement activities before the initiation of school councils had more positive influence on school improvement. Recommendations for further research in family-school relationships, training and oversight of school councils, training for educators, and the allocation of more state and local resources to support school improvement efforts are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a literacy-based intervention on the conventional pretend play skills of preschool children who are visually impaired. The intervention involved experience books, real objects, story-reading, and role-play, which are common strategies used to teach children with visual impairments. A multiple-probe single case design across story sets was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Two participants completed the study, one with low vision and one with no functional vision. Free play sessions were conducted during each visit to measure the effect of the intervention on the dependent variables, which required the participant to generalize behaviors from the intervention sessions. Data were analyzed within and across participants. Visual analysis showed an experimental effect with two of the three stories for the participant with low vision and no effect of the intervention with the second participant. A clear functional relationship was not demonstrated. Analysis of intervention sessions showed increases in the conventional pretend play of both participants, particularly the second participant, who showed no consistent change during free play sessions. Generalization to other material sets was not demonstrated. Maintenance data for both participants were limited, but promising in that both participants showed at least one instance of increased conventional pretend play after the end of the intervention. The findings from this study contribute to the knowledge of play skills of young children who are visually impaired. Additional research is necessary to further investigate the influence of each component of the intervention, the involvement of peers as play partners, and investigating other ways to experimentally measure pretend play. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2015. / December 8, 2015. / pretend play, single-case design, visual impairment / Includes bibliographical references. / Sandra Lewis, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Amy Guerette, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Tom Welsh, University Representative; Mary Frances Hanline, Committee Member; Sarah Ivy, Committee Member.

A mixed-method explanatory sequential design utilizing surveys and interviews conducted at three Florida library systems examines caregivers’ perceptions of emergent literacy programming, how these perceptions compare with the National Research Council’s Features for Quality Programs for children, and what is their motivation for attending these programs. The results from the survey and interview reveal that caregivers’ perceptions of emergent literacy programming align with the National Research Council’s Features for Quality Programs. The data shows caregivers’ perceptions are very positive toward emergent literacy programming in terms of learning and the environment. Themes emphasized in the interviews on why caregivers are motivated to attend include socialization, getting out of the house, and free access. The results of these surveys and interviews will inform public libraries as to how to design, market, and deliver emergent literacy programming to caregivers with very young children. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2016. / September 29, 2016. / Caregivers, Emergent Literacy, Motivation, National Research Council, Public Library Programming, Self-Determination Theory / Includes bibliographical references. / Melissa Gross, Professor Directing Dissertation; Juliann Woods, University Representative; Marcia A. Mardis, Committee Member; Lorri Mon, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to investigate what pre-service teachers focus on when reflecting on their mathematics instruction with the use of video clubs. Video clubs are groups where teachers meet and watch videos of their lessons and provide feedback to one another. The participants were pre-service teachers enrolled in an early childhood education program. The study was conducted during the fall semester within a mathematics methods course. Twenty-five students chose to participate in the study. The participants were grouped based on the grade level they were placed in for their field placements. There was a total of five groups who participated in the research. Only one of the groups was used in this study. The video club group used in this research included six pre-service teachers who volunteered to participate in this semester-long study. All the participants were placed in kindergarten classes for their field placements. Using qualitative research methods, the researcher investigated what pre-service teachers focused on when reflecting on their instruction as well as that of their peers, the quality of those reflections, as well as the perceived benefits of video club sessions. The data collected consisted of one micro teaching written reflection, two videotaped lessons, two written reflections, two revised reflections after video club session, and two transcribed video club sessions. The findings indicate that pre-service teachers focus on three main categories of teaching and learning classroom management, instruction, and understanding of students. Within each of these categories, themes emerged that illustrated how these participants viewed each category. When pre-service teachers reflected on classroom management their reflections included child blame, logistics and transitions, student engagement, and positive affirmations. First, pre-service teachers often make excuses or blame students for issues during a lesson. They also focus on logistics, mobility, and transition during their instruction and note these items in group discussions. Finally, they look at student engagement as a form of classroom management. When the focus of their conversation shifts to instruction the discussion is often surface-level, they focus on questioning as a tool to help themselves as teachers, not to help clarify student understanding. There is considerable conversation around assessment, but not to drive instruction, only as confirmation they have effectively taught a lesson. When looking at instruction they try to make connections with mathematics but these connections are surface-level and provide little insight into math practices. The final areas that pre-service teachers focus on is the focus understating their students which included discussion on student prior knowledge and misconceptions of students and pre-service teachers. The quality of written reflections were descriptive and evaluative in nature. The video club conversation was analyzed for the substance of the conversation. However, the findings suggest that the conversation remains surface-level and often off task. The video clubs’ discussion evolved over the two sessions from logistical concerns to a greater focus on instruction. All the participants reported positive feedback on the video club process and watching their own instruction. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2016. / July 8, 2016. / Early Childhood Education, Mathematics, Pre-service teachers, Reflection / Includes bibliographical references. / Lindsay Dennis, Professor Directing Dissertation; Motoko Akiba, University Representative; Ithel Jones, Committee Member; John Myers, Committee Member.

No description available.

State and federal guidelines for implementing programs for the gifted have required that placement into such programs being as early as kindergarten. In order to help determine whether a child was functioning significantly above age level on certain tasks through multiple sources, a checklist for parents was developed and validated.;The parent checklist was analyzed for reliability and validity. Analysis of pre-school scores on the instrument was also conducted to determine whether or not placement into programs for the gifted could be predicted from the results. Parental responses were also investigated in an effort to determine the reliability of parents as a source of information about their children. Correlational studies were conducted on group test data which consisted of the Metropolitan Readiness Test, the second grade administration of the SRA Achievement Series, and the third grade administration of the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test. Additionally, correlational studies were conducted on a small sample of the students as first graders utilizing the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (Figural Form A) and the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students.;Statistical analysis included the use of multiple regression analyses and the determination of correlation coefficients (Cronbach's Alpha and Pearson Product Moment).