Degree Name
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Program
Early Childhood Education
Date of Award
12-2026
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Dr. Amy Malkus
Committee Members
Dr. Pamela Evanshen, Dr. Alissa Lange
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of three instructional approaches for teaching sequencing concepts: worksheet-based instruction, hands-on manipulative instruction, and BeeBot-integrated instruction. Sequencing is a foundational early literacy skill that supports reading comprehension, story retelling, and understanding the order of events. Although sequencing is commonly taught through traditional instructional methods, limited research has examined how kindergarten teachers perceive the use of educational robotics as a tool for literacy instruction. The study was guided by constructivist theory, sociocultural theory, and developmental systems theory. Participants included six kindergarten teachers from a public elementary school in Alabama, with each teacher serving as an individual case within the multiple-case study design. Data were collected through pre-interviews, written reflections, and post-interviews, following the implementation of three sequencing lessons representing the instructional approaches under investigation. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, beginning with within-case analysis of each teacher’s data through open coding and categorization of codes, followed by cross-case analysis to identify patterns, similarities, differences, and overarching themes across the six cases. Five major themes emerged from the analysis. First, teachers perceived hands-on and BeeBot-integrated instruction as increasing student engagement compared to worksheet-based instruction. Second, teachers reported that BeeBots promoted collaboration, communication, and problem-solving among students. Third, participants identified unique instructional benefits associated with each approach, including independent practice through worksheets, active learning through hands-on activities, and critical thinking through BeeBot-integrated instruction. Fourth, implementation was influenced by factors such as preparation time, resource availability, technology access, and teacher support. Fifth, teachers reported intentions to increase their use of interactive and technology-supported sequencing instruction in future literacy teaching. Taken together, the findings indicate that kindergarten teachers perceive sequencing instruction as a balanced integration of traditional, hands-on, and technology-supported learning experiences rather than reliance on a single instructional approach. Participants perceived BeeBot-integrated and hands-on instruction as enriching literacy learning by increasing engagement, collaboration, and higher-order thinking, while recognizing that traditional worksheet-based activities continue to serve important instructional purposes. Overall, the study suggests that educational robotics are most valuable when thoughtfully integrated into developmentally appropriate literacy instruction and supported through adequate planning, resources, and professional learning. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on educational robotics in early childhood education and offer practical implications for literacy instruction, teacher preparation, and technology integration in kindergarten classrooms.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Partin, Savannah P., "Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions of Instructional Approaches for Teaching Sequencing Concepts: Worksheet, Hands-On, and BeeBot-Integrated Lessons" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4768. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4768
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
