The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore strategies to overcome limitations to instructional creativity resulting from an emphasis on standardized test preparation in southeast Michigan. The target population for this study were elementary teachers who taught 4th grade with 5 or more years of teaching experience. Purposeful…

The goal of Smithsonian Science for North and South Carolina Classrooms was to provide teachers with ongoing, differentiated professional development and research-based curricular materials to improve elementary student achievement in science, mathematics, and reading. This work used an inquiry-based science curriculum, Smithsonian Science for the…

Background/Context: Schools are spending more money than ever on a growing number of educational technology programs which are designed to boost student learning outcomes, especially after the integration of online learning that was necessitated by COVID-19 pandemic school closures and disruptions (Instructure, 2024; Teras et al., 2020). Rigorous…

The goal of this qualitative case study was to investigate the influence of culturally responsive teaching on the academic engagement of Black third and fourth grade students. For many years, schools have been faced with evidence that shows classrooms and schools are failing to meet the academic needs of students of color, particularly Black…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of writing for learning and model-based learning activities on academic achievement in the "Simple Electrical Circuits" unit of the fourth-grade science course and the views of students and classroom teachers about these activities. In the quantitative part of the research, which has…

Technology's rapid development is changing how educators plan lessons and incorporate these digital resources into classrooms with the expectation of impacting student academic performance. The problem is that teachers need professional development related to blended learning implementation to improve student achievement in elementary (An, 2021;…

This study tests the effects of performing daily kind acts over a 4-week period on upper elementary students' subjective well-being (happiness) and academic engagement. It also tests the correlation between increases in both measures. Upper elementary students often experience a decrease in academic engagement due to increased difficulty and…

When compared to pre-pandemic scores, results from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed the most substantial declines in 4th and 8th grade math achievement on record. More than one-quarter of 4th graders scored below the basic level of achievement. Roughly 4 in 10 8th grade students scored below the basic achievement level.…

Time has come for parents to be more involved than ever with children's educational lives. Teachers need the support at home and school to produce citizens that can work, play, and survive in the environment. When parents are involved in children's education, there is accountability that lies with each student. Grades and attendance are usually…

This descriptive case study addressed the gap in knowledge concerning the connection between fourth-grade educators' perceptions of their Black male students' sense of belonging and attitudes about academic success. This exploration offered a context-specific examination of 12 fourth-grade educators within the elementary school setting of a…

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of IXL Math in an elementary school context, using a randomized-control trial (RCT). This study examined mathematics achievement trajectories of 545 Grades 3-5 students across four elementary schools in a small Michigan school district during the 2022-23 school year. Teachers were randomly…

The kindergarten through twelfth-grade school experience, marked by a series of transitions between grades and learning environments, has a significant impact on academic performance, behavior, and social/emotional connection for students. The purpose of this study is to determine if the academic performance of third through eighth-grade students…

Grade-level retention is a common educational practice with the goal of improving academic performance, but the evidence of its influence is mixed. This study examines the academic effect of repeating kindergarten, first grade, second grade, or third grade on English Language Arts performance at the end of fourth grade. This study also examines…

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…

There is lack of inclusive diversity within gifted and talented education programs, which has been a persistently clear problem since their inauguration in 1962. Existing data shows there are more girls than boys identified as gifted and talented, yet a disparaging difference continues where girls identified for English as a second language…