ERIC Number: ED649050
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 114
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3818-5215-8
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
An Exploration of the Lived Experiences of Texas Elementary Educators Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Academic Growth of Economically Disadvantaged Students
Rachel Madison
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Texas Wesleyan University
The problem of the study involved the pandemic exasperating the learning conditions for students of economic disadvantage and teacher turnover rates. Before the pandemic, educators of students of economic disadvantage worked in conditions that did not offer them the same experiences as educators in schools with fewer low-socioeconomic status. During the pandemic, some teachers with high percentages of low-income students lacked the opportunity to reach and communicate with students due to these students' lack of access to the internet, landline telephones in their homes, or parents who were unavailable to help students during the school day. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Texas elementary educators who taught during the pandemic, seeking to ensure the academic growth of students of economic disadvantage. The study was conducted using a phenomenological research design to answer: (a) What experiences did Texas educators have teaching students of economic disadvantage during the COVID-19 pandemic? (b) Have Texas educators reconciled the challenges of delivering curriculum during the pandemic with the need to ensure their economically disadvantaged students' academic growth? Nine elementary educators, including five teachers, two counselors, and two administrators, working with economically disadvantaged students during the pandemic participated in interviews with the researcher. The interviews lasted between 30 and 60 minutes. The participants provided rich, in-depth descriptions of themselves as part of conveying data to describe working with economically disadvantaged students in Texas as elementary educators during the phenomenon of the pandemic. Data were coded over multiple rounds that included open and axial coding, which led to the five themes: (a) learning loss, (b) eliminating assumptions, (c) access to technology, (d) equity and access, and (e) turnover post-COVID. Therefore, a critical implication for education is the pre-established pandemic disaster plan, which will involve policymakers providing funding and personnel to support educators and prevent the type of untenable conditions the participants described in this study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, Elementary School Teachers, Economically Disadvantaged, Disadvantaged Youth, Teaching Experience, Barriers, Electronic Learning, School Counselors, Administrators, Achievement Gap, Equal Education, Access to Computers, Educational Technology
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A