Often children with disabilities have difficulty engaging in tasks and may display off-task behaviors. Children learn best when they are interested in a topic. This generalized learning is more meaningful than memorization of facts (McWilliam & Casey, 2008). When engagement time is increased, children often display higher cognitive skills and…

The current study examined the effectiveness of a novel method of delivering classwide literacy instruction in preschool. The need to improve preschool instruction with evidenced based techniques, especially around literacy instruction is warranted. Four preschool classrooms were involved in the study for a total of 95 students and 4 teachers.…

This doctoral thesis explored six preschool principals' perceptions of leadership in early childhood education in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government implemented a series of educational reforms in 2000, introduced the Pre-Primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) during the 2007-2008 school term and planned to implement a free kindergarten education…

This study used a quantitative, correlational research design to examine Early Childhood Teachers' Knowledge of Self-Regulation. The data used in this non-experimental study were collected from the in-service early childhood teachers who enrolled in a Summer Pre-Kindergarten Endorsement Program in a large University in Middle Tennessee.…

Public school spaces play a large role in developing people's understandings of civic knowledge and responsibility. Teachers, administrators, and policy-makers design school curriculum to reflect the types of citizens they believe a society needs, and thus, determines approaches to teaching and curriculum development (Labaree, 1997). This action…

This study examined the relationship between PK3-12 teacher's perceived Leader Member Exchange with his/her principal and teacher job satisfaction. A demographic survey, the Leader Member Exchange Questionnaire 7 (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1994) were completed by 252 teachers from the researcher's…

The purpose of this current study was to examine the effect of a preschool teacher intervention around the use self-monitoring and the online learning modules. The interventions were delivered online using: online learning modules that provided exemplars of the operationally defined instructional language supports. The study included 12 Head Start…

Literacy standards in early childhood education have recently foregrounded emergent reading processes along with recommended oral language and literacy pedagogies that includes reading aloud informational and literary picturebooks (National Institute for Early Education Research, 2006). To understand how reading pedagogy makes a difference in…

This study focuses on preschool teachers' professional development experiences and how they influence their emergent literacy beliefs. With increasing pressure to increase reading test scores, administrators are starting to question the literacy instruction methods used in preschool classrooms. This qualitative phenomenographic study explored the…

Parent engagement in education benefits a child academically and socially, regardless of a family's socioeconomic status. It is critical for school personnel to use effective outreach approaches to engage and support families in their children's learning. The purpose of this qualitative bounded single case study was to explore parent and school…

This case study examined the pedagogies and perceptions of kindergarten teachers who integrate technology in their practice. While there has been a significant increase in technology integration in K-12 schools, the U.S. Department of Education has reported that the use of technology in the classroom tends to be meaningless and low level. For that…

The study of school readiness is multifaceted, encompassing an understanding of many developmental areas and skills. In the current educational culture of high-stakes testing, increased rigor, and high learning expectations, parents may be concerned about a child's readiness to begin kindergarten. With increased accountability, teachers may also…

How can preschool programs situated in public schools "get better at getting better?" This dissertation suggests a framework based on the principles of Improvement Science as one-way school districts can include preschool in their continuous improvement efforts. Document Analysis, is the method used to examine a continuous improvement…

The research on elementary teachers' implementation of peer collaboration strategies is limited. Yet, the extensive peer collaboration literature that does exist focuses on student outcomes in urban and suburban settings. A problem with most of the current scope of research about peer collaboration is that it has marginalized the voice of teachers…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how general education teachers of grades K-6 describe their experiences modeling social acceptance of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. The overarching research question was as follows: How do general education teachers of grades K-6 describe their experiences…