In the study of positive psychology and mental health there has been greater emphasis placed on the presence of indicators of well-being, as opposed to previous models solely based on the presence or absence of psychopathological symptoms. This has yielded a model titled the Dual Factor Model of Mental Health (DFM; Suldo, 2016). Psychopathological symptoms have been conceptualized as a categorical variable encompassing an elevated level of symptoms of either externalizing or internalizing disorders. Complete Mental Health (CMH) is generally conceptualized as having low psychopathology (PTH) and high subjective well-being (SWB). Previous research has indicated more positive outcomes, such as academic achievement and supportive social relationships, are associated with CMH. The DFM has been examined in adolescents and young adults, however, only one study has identified the model in elementary school students (Greenspoon & Saklofske, 2008). The current study completed secondary analysis of an archival data set (Hearon, 2017) to examine the distribution of the DFM in a sample of 178 elementary school students (grades 4th and 5th) and the impact that mental health group status had on social functioning levels with teachers and classmates. Results from this study indicated the DFM was present in a sample of elementary school students, with the majority of participants being classified in the CMH group, consistent with previous literature. Additionally, regarding students’ perceived social support of classmates and teachers, those groups with elevated levels of SWB reported greater mean values than those groups that had decreased levels of SWB. Finally, between group differences in terms of psychopathology were present, whereas within group differences in terms of externalizing and internalizing behavior were not present in any group. Implications for school psychologists, such as the importance of assessing SWB in tandem with psychopathology are presented. Finally, limitations of this study (i.e., nested data) and avenues for future research (i.e., mental health status predicting peer networks, continued evaluation of DFM psychopathology make-up) are reviewed.

In line with the positive psychology movement and the dual factor model of mental health, professionals are increasingly compelled to consider not only mechanisms through which mental distress can be alleviated, but also pathways through which students’ wellness can be fostered. While research in this area has primarily focused on positive indicators of adults’ and adolescents’ mental health, there is a need to address those factors that contribute to the wellness of elementary-aged youth. Participants in the current study included 179 fourth and fifth grade students from an elementary school located in a southeastern state. For this secondary analysis, a mixed methods approach with an explanatory design was adopted to investigate both the quantitative relationship between school social support variables (i.e., Teacher-Student Relations, Teacher Support, Classmate Support) and students’ subjective well-being (SWB; i.e., happiness), as well as qualitative responses of students and teachers regarding displays of support and care in the classroom. Results provide support for the existence of a relationship between Classmate and Teacher Support and elementary students’ subjective well-being, with student perceptions of Instrumental and Emotional Classmate Support and Teacher Emotional Support as unique contributors to student subjective well-being. Qualitative results supplement quantitative findings by highlighting the salience of forms of Instrumental and Emotional Support in discussions of both Teacher and Classmate Support and care. These findings add to the current knowledge base on how building supportive relationships may be incorporated in prevention efforts aimed at fostering a positive school climate and enhancing students’ complete mental health.

National attention given to heightening the quality of educators, calls attention to the practices used by programs to prepare teachers (CAEP, 2013). The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) requires evidence novice teachers “apply the professional… skills and dispositions preparation experiences were designed to achieve” (p.13). Grounded in reflection, teacher inquiry serves as a pedagogical practice to prepare teachers to systematically learn from their problems of practice (Shulman, 1986; Yendol-Hoppey & Franco, 2014). Despite evidence teacher inquiry leads preservice teachers (PSTs) to focus on student learning with the goal of improving practice (Capobianco, 2007; Dawson, 2006; Taylor & Pettit, 2007), research has yet to identify how beginning teachers approach their problems. Using a narrative methodology, this qualitative study interviewed two first-year teachers to glean insight into the problems of practice they identified, the inquiry related skills and dispositions that surfaced when they approached problems, and the barriers and facilitators to resolving challenges experienced in their elementary school context (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). Findings include (a) novices identified problems related to instructional methods, collaborating with stakeholders and teaching special need students; (b) inquiry skills and dispositions were most evident when approaching problems related to students’ needs and instructional methods; (c) critical learning and emotional intelligence surfaced, though with varying levels of depth, depended on the identified problem of practice; (d) novices demonstrated awareness their instructional practices impacted students; (e) novices sought ways to drive change in practice; and (f) critical learning and reflective dispositions supported novices to regulate emotions. The study suggests several implications for school administrators, mentors, and teacher educators, such as (a) leading novices to see beyond classroom management; (b) emphasizing essential problem solving skills; (c) supporting novices when the nature of the problem of practice inhibits asking investigative questions; (d) communicating boundaries for novices to drive change; (e) fostering critical learning with reflective focus on student needs; (f) cultivating the symbiotic relationship between emotional intelligence, critical learning, and reflection; and (g) promoting the novice teacher researcher in a traditional novice teacher culture.

The most recent phase of curriculum reform in the era of accountability is the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) which have essentially reshaped the landscape of public education. Its objective of preparing K-12 students for college and career upon high school graduation have prioritized English language arts, mathematics, and science over social studies, which is not part of widespread high-stakes testing for elementary students. This qualitative case study investigated eleven intermediate elementary teachers’ perceptions of alignment between CCSS and the elementary social studies curriculum. Data gathering analysis included two semi-structured interviews and an archival analysis of the mandated curriculum. The data revealed that perceptions of alignment vary among teachers and were influenced by the perceived effects of inadequate instructional time and resources, lack of content knowledge, and insufficient district levels of professional support. Teachers perceived some similarities between the methods of thinking skills, such as historical thinking and higher-order thinking, and the English/Language Arts standards of the Common Core and their district social studies curriculum. Despite perceived inadequate instructional time and resources, teachers believed that elementary social studies must be an instructional priority and found ways to include social studies through interdisciplinary approaches. Recommendations include district-level professional development focused on an integration between CCSS and social studies modeled in classroom practices. These approaches may improve use of instructional time and resources and reduce the marginalization of elementary social studies.

English Language Learners (ELLs) are students who speak a language other than English; they are the fastest growing student population in United States’ (US) public schools and will include over 17 million students by the year 2020 (NCES,2015). The dramatic increase in the ELL student population means that all mainstream classroom teachers will teach at least one ELL within their first year of graduating from a teacher preparation program. However, most US teachers hold misconceptions about ELLs and feel unprepared for ELL instruction (Coady, Harper, & de Jong, 2011). More empirical research is needed to inform teacher preparation programs on the practices that work best to prepare teachers for effective ELL instruction. Video refection and video annotation tools have become increasingly popular in teacher preparation (Calandra & Rich, 2015; Rich & Hannafin, 2009). Video annotation tools provide affordances to teacher candidates’ understanding of pedagogy and support teacher professional development (Borko et al., 2008). Still, most of the empirical research that has been done on teacher candidates’ use of video reflection reports on general education, English-speaking student learning contexts, and the research that has been done on teacher candidates use of video to reflect on ELL instruction is limited. This research aimed to fill the gap in what is known about video reflection for ELL teacher preparation, and examined how three, undergraduate, final semester teacher candidates used V- Note (a video annotation tool), and instructional coaching to reflect on instruction for elementary-aged ELLs. Sociocultural Theory was used to answer the following research questions: (a) How does video-elicited reflection shape undergraduate teacher candidates’ beliefs about ELLs and instruction for ELLs? (b) How does video-elicited reflection affirm, challenge, or reconstruct teacher candidates’ beliefs about ELLs and instruction for ELLs? Data included interviews, written reflections, and a researcher’s journal. A qualitative multiple-case study analysis (Stake, 2013) was used to generate case and cross case findings surrounding Taylor, Susan’s and Erica’s cases. Taylor’s case revealed that as Taylor used video-elicited reflection, her instruction increasingly included more language accommodations and began to include student-centered learning, video-elicited reflection reconstructed Taylor’s beliefs about using one-on-one instruction with ELLs, and collaborative coaching behaviors influenced Taylor’s instruction of ELLs more than directive coaching behaviors did. Susan’s case findings showed that video-elicited reflection challenged Susan’s misconceptions about ELLs’ language needs, Susan needed more explicit modeling to demonstrate how teachers can intentionally support ELLs’ language needs with accommodated instruction, and instructional coaching supported Susan’s understanding of ELLs’ English language proficiency levels and how these levels could be used to inform instruction. Erica’s case findings revealed that video-elicited reflection reconstructed Erica’s beliefs about collaborative learning, video-elicited reflection created a space where Erica explored using accommodations to support ELL comprehension, and video-elicited reflection developed Erica’s beliefs about language. Cross case findings reported on similarities across Taylor’s, Susan’s and Erica’s cases. The first cross case finding showed that video-elicited reflection challenged teacher candidates’ misconceptions about ELLs. The second cross case findings reported that video-elicited reflection allowed teacher candidates to develop an understating of language through appropriation, and the third cross case findings illustrated that video-elicited reflection mediated teacher candidates’ ELL pedagogical development. Findings from this research led to a discussion on the continuous use of video annotation and instructional coaching as permanent scaffolds that promote teacher candidates’ understanding of ELL pedagogy. Additionally, a discussion surrounding a cyclic model of teacher professional development that employs video-elicited reflection is shared, and the use of video-elicited reflection to facilitate teacher candidates’ participatory appropriation is discussed.

No description available.

Guided by the constructivist framework, the focus of the investigation was on second-grade students and their perceptions of their classrooms’ physical learning environment. A qualitative multiple case study approach was employed, and data were collected through interviews, participant-generated photographs, and observations. Participants in the study were 16 second-grade students in four classrooms in three school districts in Northeast Tennessee. A physical learning environment tool, Assessing the Pillars of the Physical Environment for Academic Learning (APPEAL), developed by Evanshen and Faulk (2019) was used to select classrooms to take part in the study. The tool focuses on dimensions that help observers evaluate the quality of the primary classroom physical learning environment on a continuum of traditional to constructivist elements. Findings revealed that second-grade students are aware of, and are affected by, their classrooms’ physical learning environment. Generally, participants believed that classroom physical learning environments that were best for them were meaningful, offered easy access to resources and materials, and provided opportunities for active learning and social engagement. Both physical and emotional comfort were important to participants. There were more similarities than differences between the perceptions shared by participants in the classrooms that scored highest on the APPEAL (more constructivist or student-centered) and the classrooms that scored lowest (more traditional or teacher-centered) on the scale. Some of the differences that emerged were that all the students who were in the teacher-centered classrooms identified features connected to computers as something they liked whereas most of the students in the learner-centered classrooms did not. Students in the learner-centered classrooms were more articulate in talking about how displays helped them to learn, and students in the teacher- centered classroom communicated the need to change displays. Additionally, the findings suggested that young children’s perceptions about the environment can be influenced by their experiences or contexts and their individual differences. The findings encourage teachers of young children to think about their students as actively affected by their environment and challenge them to design classroom physical learning environments that support the diverse needs of students within these spaces.

The field of teacher education is in tumultuous times. Criticisms and questions about teacher preparation have led to calls for reform, including grounding teacher preparation programs in clinically rich experiences. Responsible for preparing these teachers, university- based supervisors are under added pressure to provide opportunities that connects theoretical knowledge with field experience. Complicating matters, views of supervision continue to evolve and remain divided, creating uncertainty over how to best approach the role. In light of these challenges, I argue in this study that current conceptions of supervision need to be reevaluated and expanded by entertaining new views, namely those from outside of traditional Western perspectives. For instance, scholars (Burns, Jacobs, & Yendol-Hoppey, 2018; Glanz, 1995; Tremmel, 1993) have referenced Eastern philosophies of Taoism and Zen Buddhism as ways to improve supervision practices. To more deeply explore this line of thinking, I studied the enactment of Zen Buddhist constructs within my role of supervising teacher candidates in a clinically rich teacher program. Using a spiritual self-study methodology, I collected data through journaling, field notes, surveying candidates, and candidate artifacts, such as lesson plans and observation reflections. I analyzed data through meditative writings and mindful coding practices. Eight findings, or “awakenings,” emerged from the analysis, including experiencing anxiety as a I became more mindful of my supervision practices, experiencing a flow state during supervision, feeling more connected with triad members, and noticing an enhancement of the observation cycle through deep listening and other mindfulness techniques. Implications from the study include Zen assisting in developing a state of mind that enables supervisors to flow more seamlessly between tasks and functions, manage the stresses of the function and role, and became more mindful of the needs of teacher candidates. I also present a reconceptualizing of supervision, reframing it as a present-moment experience that can transform.

Many elementary students read below grade level, resulting in an inability to meet expectations on state testing. Epstein and other researchers theorized 3 influential factors that work together to help students achieve higher levels of attainment-home, school, and community. Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Epstein's Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork interactive homework (IH) to promote parent-child communication during learning interactions at home for students in language arts in Grades 6-8; however, there is little information on the effects of IH on reading achievement for elementary students. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the effect IH has on reading achievement. Third grade students at a school in Georgia participated in IH (n = 18) and non-IH (n = 27) groups over a 9-week period. Reading achievement was measured by comparing standardized pre- and posttests. An analysis of covariance was used to analyze the interval-level pre- and posttest results while controlling for preexisting differences between the treatment and control group. The adjusted mean difference between the groups was not statistically significant. A white paper that discussed the results of the study and recommended further study of IH with incentives to increase participation was the project deliverable. Although findings were not significant, this study may contribute to social change by encouraging dialogue about using and constructing methods that could promote increased reading achievement in the elementary setting, provided adequate student participation.

In a Mid-Atlantic school district, the administration of standardized assessments begins in third grade. Over the past 3 years, these assessments revealed that an average of 37% of third graders in the local district did not possess necessary reading skills, although over 86% of this group received intervention support in second and third grade. It is unclear how effective the implementations of various interventions are in instruction with struggling second graders to prepare them for the rigors of third grade. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore the perspectives of 9 second grade teachers on research-based interventions implemented to increase the reading skills of struggling second grade readers in 2 elementary schools. The bottom-up theory, which holds that reading is an automatic information process that allows readers to read fluently and comprehend without individual focus on any one reading element, guided this study. Research questions sought to identify research-based reading interventions and strategies participants implemented. Data collection occurred via semi-structured interviews, document review, and observational data obtained during second grade team meetings. Data were analyzed through descriptive and categorical coding to identify themes related to participants' perspectives on instructional practice. Results of the data analysis showed that the 9 teachers did not implement interventions according to the research-based guidelines. This finding led to a system-wide professional development focused on increasing teachers' capacities to implement interventions effectively. This study has the potential to promote positive social change by enhancing teachers' instructional delivery and increasing students' reading abilities.