Academic self-efficacy is an essential role in student's academic success. There are several factors that can contribute to student academic self-efficacy. Identifying student's self-efficacy can help their experiences in school. Understanding factors that can contribute to student's self-efficacy can better prepare them for academic success. The…

This qualitative study focuses on the importance of reading picture books aloud to improve students' social skills capacity by utilizing literacy and social skills in a rural setting. It is designed to address a problem of practice: the need for striving third, fourth, and fifth-grade students to gain and maintain motivation and positive attitudes…

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the purposes and effectiveness of homework and effective and ineffective homework strategies at the elementary level. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experiences of six elementary teachers from one public school division in the southeast region…

Students face daily academic challenges when trying to learn new content in school, and these challenges can make it increasingly difficult for students to continue to work when frustrated. Students who put forth extended effort into their learning are said to have a growth mindset. Teachers heavily influence students by the way they present…

There is a noticeable deficit in the research examining how a motivational intervention such as a robotics curriculum might provide a possible route to positively impacting elementary students' interest, attitude, and self-efficacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and their persistence and interest in pursuing a STEM…

This study provides important insights about the dynamic landscape of technology integration in early childhood education, particularly its role in supporting reading development among students in kindergarten through third grade. The research methodology adopted for this study was a mixed-method approach, incorporating both quantitative and…

Reading motivation is an important contributor to reading achievement. Students with higher levels of motivation tend to outperform those with lower levels. Reading motivation is a dynamic, situational, context-dependent trait that can vary in children over time and across tasks. Teachers have a valuable opportunity to support students' reading…

Students with emotional behavioral disorders often exhibit comorbid academic and behavior deficits and benefit from strategies that address those needs. Writing can be significantly difficult for students with EBD due to the complex requirements when completing written activities. Chapter 1 consists of two research to practice papers discussing…

The study was designed to provide key factors that impact male reading gaps in relation to females using a quantitative approach. K-5 teachers and reading specialists were given a survey on reading and how it pertains to males and reading. The surveys consisted of the importance of reading, reading efficacy, reading avoidance, reading challenges,…

Highly effective elementary teachers faced challenges to professional development which differed from their urban or suburban peers. With the increasing need for student proficiency in reading, strategies to help grow their engagement and motivation were necessary to investigate and apply to instructional habits. The purpose of this basic…

This mixed-methods research study focuses on students', teachers', and parents' perceptions of the influence therapy dogs in schools can have on reluctant readers' attitudes about reading and motivation to read at school and at home as well as exploring changes in the participants' oral fluency. Eight student participants read to our school…

Motivational variables, such as writing self-efficacy and writing attitudes, are not emphasized in writing frameworks for developing writers. The purpose of this research study was to extend the research literature on elementary-aged students' writing development by examining the potential mediational role of writing self-efficacy and writing…

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of extrinsic motivational factors on upper elementary students who are reading at least two grade levels below their current grade. Research was conducted using a mixed methods approach to examine the perceptions of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students who have difficulty in reading. A purposeful…

Students who score one or more grade levels below the standard expectations in reading tests are defined as struggling readers. Struggling readers have difficulty in reading and/or comprehending a text, which affects them personally and academically. They will continue to fail in reading assessments conducted by their literacy teachers and state…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how professional development on the topics of mathematics anxiety and incremental theories of intelligence affect the planning and instruction of mathematics by classroom teachers, as well as changes in student mindset and grit as perceived by teachers. This study was conducted at a…