Teachers' noticing of students' mathematical thinking plays an important role in supporting student learning. Yet little is known about how online professional development (PD)--a growing setting for PD in the USA--can cultivate this noticing. Here, we explore the potential of using two online tools for engaging video to support K-2 teachers'…

With a change in access to information and a rising social and political consciousness for young people, elementary schools must start to think more about their role in shaping kids' understanding of social issues. While researchers certainly have not agreed upon a single definition of social justice education, Bell (2016) defines its aim as…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how teachers of kindergarten through second grade describe students' socialization opportunities during online learning and the supports needed for effective fostering of socialization during online learning in southeastern Pennsylvania. The theoretical foundation for this research…

The aim of this study was to explore how the Coding as Another Language (CAL) curriculum, developed by Boston College's DevTech Research Group and utilizing the ScratchJr app, impacted students' computational thinking, coding skills, and reading comprehension. To accomplish this, the research team randomly assigned thirteen schools in a…

Teachers' noticing of students' mathematical thinking plays an important role in supporting student learning. Yet little is known about how online professional development (PD)--a growing setting for PD in the USA--can cultivate this noticing. Here, we explore the potential of using two online tools for engaging video to support K-2 teachers'…

Districts across the country are using Preschool to Third Grade (P-3) approaches to address long-standing barriers to achieving positive outcomes for young children, for example by helping increase children's readiness for elementary school. P-3 approaches are promising for realizing these results because they demand investments in the systems…

This study describes an information/digital literacy project that was conducted with kindergarten and second-grade students and teachers at a university-assisted school. The study centered on the I-LEARN model--a learning model that blends research and theory from information science and instructional systems design--and investigated how the model…

With the poverty cycle continuing and many communities facing an increased number of lower socioeconomic status (SES) families, it is essential to understand the perception teachers have regarding students living in poverty and how teachers' life experiences may differ from those of students who come from lower SES families. Many constructs,…

The purpose of this explanatory mixed method study was to assess teachers' perceptions of whole brain learning (WBL) and its effects on student success within eight southern Illinois school districts in rural and suburban areas in kindergarten through fourth grade. Quantitative data were collected from survey questions in SurveyMonkey, providing…

A contributing factor to the loss of play in many early childhood classrooms is a sharp separation between literacy learning as serious, even urgent, academic work and play as optional, socially-beneficial-at-best, fun. To recenter play in the academic curriculum, early childhood educators must not only demonstrate how play benefits the existing…

The use of data to inform instruction has been linked to improved student outcomes, early identification of intervention needs, and teacher decision-making and efficacy. Additionally, data are used as a means of accountability within educational settings. However, little is known about data use practices among early grades teachers. The purpose of…

The problem addressed in this study is that novice early childhood educators (ECEs, Grades kindergarten through 3) underestimate the challenges of teaching. Researchers have shown that although over three million teachers are employed in public schools yearly, on average 23% and up to 50% of newly inducted teachers leave the profession within 5…

Black and Latinx students, along with those in special education programs, are suspended and expelled at rates higher than their peers. Exclusionary discipline can lead to poor academic performance, high dropout rates, and incarceration. Restorative practices (RP) promote a positive school culture, reduce punitive discipline, and build strong…

This dissertation focused on mathematics instruction in early grades (Pre-K-3rd grade) by exploring teachers' beliefs about mathematics teaching and the teaching practices of one teacher. I specifically examined teachers' beliefs and one teacher's practices that reflect asset-based views of students and support mathematics learning with…

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' beliefs about and responses to children's withdrawn behaviors (reticence and solitary-passive behavior) and aggressive behaviors (relational and physical aggression) on the playground across grades (preschool through 2nd grade) and by gender. Participants included 171 female…