Matching Items (3)
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- All Subjects: Early Childhood
- All Subjects: Child Trauma
- Creators: Dahlstrom, Margo
- Creators: Chen, Ying Chih
- Status: Published
Description
STEM education stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and is necessary for students to keep up with global competition in the changing job market, technological advancements and challenges of the future. However, American students are lacking STEM achievement at the state, national and global levels. To combat this lack of achievement I propose that STEM instruction should begin in preschool, be integrated into the curriculum and be inquiry based. To support this proposal I created a month-long physics unit for preschoolers in a Head Start classroom. Students investigated the affect of incline, friction and weight on the distance of a rolling object, while developing their pre-math, pre-literacy and social emotional skills.
ContributorsGarrison, Victoria Leigh (Author) / Kelley, Michael (Thesis director) / Dahlstrom, Margo (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Over the past few years, the issue of childhood trauma in the United States has become significant. A growing number of children are experiencing abuse, neglect, or some other form of maltreatment each year. Considering the stressful home lives of maltreated children, the one sure sanctuary is school. However, this idea requires teachers to be actively involved in identifying and caring for the children who need it most. Traumatic childhood experiences leave lasting scars on its victims, so it is helpful if teachers learn how to identify and support children who have lived through them. It is unfortunate that teachers will most likely encounter children throughout their career who have experienced horrendous things, but it is a reality. With this being said, teachers need to develop an understanding of what traumatized children live with, and learn how to address these issues with skilled sensitivity. Schools are not just a place where children learn how to read and write; they build the foundation for a successful life. This project was designed to provide teachers with a necessary resource for helping children who have suffered traumatic experiences. The methodology of this project began with interviews with organizations specializing in working with traumatized children such as Arizonans for Children, Free Arts for Abused Children, The Sojourner Center, and UMOM. The next step was a review of the current literature on the subject of childhood trauma. The findings have all been compiled into one, convenient document for teacher use and distribution. Upon completion of this document, an interactive video presentation will be made available through an online education website, so that distribution will be made simpler. Hopefully, teachers will share the information with people in their networks and create a chain reaction. The goal is to make it available to as many teachers as possible, so that more children will receive the support they need.
ContributorsHanrahan, Katelyn Ann (Author) / Dahlstrom, Margo (Thesis director) / Kelley, Michael (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Across contexts, researchers have exposed the immense impact that early childhood experiences and high-quality caregiver relationships have on a developing child, which has resulted in much motivation to increase the quality of early care and education (ECE) programs at a national level. Unfortunately, as research has revealed the positive influence that quality ECE has on a child’s ultimate outcomes, it has also shed light on a social problem that intricately affects society: preschool expulsion. To address this issue, several interventions have been created, however the teacher-caregiver relationship has yet to be a central point of solution. Therefore, a relational cultural communication training (RCCT) was developed to support teachers as they work with families whose children are at-risk for expulsion, and it served as the intervention that was studied in this action research project.
This mixed method action research study (MMAR) sought to examine the constructs of empathy and culture as they pertain to teacher-caregiver relationships from the vantage point of the eight ECE teachers that participated in this project. Specifically, interview transcripts and journals were qualitatively assessed to illuminate teacher perspectives on the roles that both culture and empathy play in relationships with caregivers whose children are at-risk for expulsion. Further, the study examined teacher attitudes towards engaging with caregivers before and after the RCCT intervention using interviews, journals and an evidence-based pre- and post-survey tool as data sources. Bioecological systems theory (BST) and relational cultural theory (RCT) framed the research questions that guided this project.
Results suggested that the RCCT was a useful intervention that supported ECE teachers in their ability to connect with caregivers whose children are at-risk. Particularly, findings revealed that (a) ECE teachers do feel that both empathy and culture influence their ability to connect with caregivers, (b) RCCT was helpful in shifting teacher practices with families from an empathy standpoint, and (c) cultural differences and negative interactions adversely informed a teacher’s relational capacity with caregivers, ultimately adversely affecting child outcomes. The discussion of these findings summarizes study conclusions and how they might inform practice, implications for future research and practice, and limitations to consider.
This mixed method action research study (MMAR) sought to examine the constructs of empathy and culture as they pertain to teacher-caregiver relationships from the vantage point of the eight ECE teachers that participated in this project. Specifically, interview transcripts and journals were qualitatively assessed to illuminate teacher perspectives on the roles that both culture and empathy play in relationships with caregivers whose children are at-risk for expulsion. Further, the study examined teacher attitudes towards engaging with caregivers before and after the RCCT intervention using interviews, journals and an evidence-based pre- and post-survey tool as data sources. Bioecological systems theory (BST) and relational cultural theory (RCT) framed the research questions that guided this project.
Results suggested that the RCCT was a useful intervention that supported ECE teachers in their ability to connect with caregivers whose children are at-risk. Particularly, findings revealed that (a) ECE teachers do feel that both empathy and culture influence their ability to connect with caregivers, (b) RCCT was helpful in shifting teacher practices with families from an empathy standpoint, and (c) cultural differences and negative interactions adversely informed a teacher’s relational capacity with caregivers, ultimately adversely affecting child outcomes. The discussion of these findings summarizes study conclusions and how they might inform practice, implications for future research and practice, and limitations to consider.
ContributorsMeaney, Caitlin adele (Author) / Chen, Ying Chih (Thesis advisor) / Barnett, Juliet (Committee member) / Shivers, Eva (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020