Eye movements provide a sensitive window into cognitive processing during reading. In the present study, we investigated beginning readers' longitudinal changes in temporal and spatial measures of eye movements during oral versus silent reading, the extent to which variation in eye movements is attributable to individual differences and text…

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to…

Most school districts across the country continue to research how to help their students become better prepared to enter the workforce and higher education. As a result, the extent to which dynamic teaching techniques affect the success of classroom-taught material currently is not known. Much of the current literature reveals studies on teaching…

In recent years, the number of English learners (ELs) in U.S. public schools has rapidly grown, with Hispanic children accounting for more than half of Texas public school students, including pre-kindergarten and early childhood education. ELs continue to demonstrate lower reading achievement in comparison to their native English-speaking peers.…

This study emphasizes formal and informal reading development, race, and socioeconomic status as significant components of the lived experiences of four low socioeconomic Black/Brown second- and third-graders who struggled with reading. The research acknowledges historical progression of the American public education system, exploring…

Supporting students with mathematics learning difficulties (MLD) as they transition from arithmetic to algebra remains a challenge within the special education and mathematics education research communities. This dissertation includes 3 manuscripts focused on how fifth graders with MLD develop algebraic understandings related to equivalence and…

Social-emotional competence (SEC) is a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills that enable an individual to engage in healthy interactions with oneself and other human beings. SEC is a critical factor for individual well-being and may also contribute to creating a more safe and caring community. SEC can develop throughout a lifetime,…

The overall aim of this grounded theory multiple-case study was to better understand how K-12 independent schools ("schools") in the United States cultivate a connection between children and adolescents ("students") and the natural world ("environment") by exploring the interplay between this connection and (a) the…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the extent to which a digital dialogic reading intervention, shared among adult-child dyads, impacted the reading comprehension of three at-risk readers of primary school age, between six and nine. This age range was an appropriate age for assessing reading comprehension, therefore…

One of the areas that was the topic of discussion amongst educational stakeholders was behavior. This includes incentives, intervention systems, awards, and consequences, addressing an individual vs addressing an entire group, triggers, and/or past influences, to name a few. Behavior is a broad topic and naturally, educators are interested in…

Few studies have systematically investigated the reading skill profiles of English Learners (ELs) in late elementary school, a critical developmental period for language and literacy and the most common grades for initial identification with specific learning disabilities (O'Connor et al., "Learning Disabilities Research & Practice,"…

Few studies have systematically investigated the reading skill profiles of English learners (ELs) in late elementary school, a critical developmental period for language and literacy and the most common grades for initial identification with specific learning disabilities (O'Connor et al., "Learning Disabilities Research & Practice,"…

The present study aims to investigate correlation between development of socio-emotional skills and transition from intellectual reality to visual reality. Therefore, it was designed in correlational research. Research sample included 120 primary school children. Data was collected through Facial Emotion Recognition and Empathy Test (FERET), and a…

Since the late 1990s, increased public and academic attention has been focused on topics related to bullying and peer aggression in schools, yet these behaviors have proven difficult for schools to address. Using data from an ethnographic study of two rural elementary schools in the Midwestern United States, I make both methodological and…

Background: Mode share is an important metric for active school travel programs. Common methods for measuring mode share include Hands Up surveys and family surveys, but these require teacher and parental involvement. We used these methods as part of an evaluation of a school-based bicycle training program, and added a novel observational count…