Degree Name
M.Ed. (Master of Education)
Program
Early Childhood Education
Date of Award
12-2021
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Jane Broderick
Committee Members
Julia Atiles, Pamela Evanshen
Abstract
Early childhood environments can offer valuable opportunities for student collaboration. Social interactions allow students to practice listening to each other and learn how to work together. This study focused on the roles and perspectives of early childhood educators related to student collaboration in the classroom. Six educators from one elementary school in New Hampshire participated in two focus group discussions, the first of which included a presentation on student collaboration with first graders. Participants also completed four concept maps highlighting their perspectives about student collaboration and one written reflection comparing their perspectives before and after engaging in the focus group discussions. Participants’ awareness of strategies for student collaboration grew through these discussions among peers. Implications of the study include providing opportunities for educators to engage in discussions that examine their approaches for planning, preparing, and offering a variety of collaborative activities throughout the day.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Ballantyne, Kimberly, "Student Collaboration: Early Childhood Teachers' Roles and Perspectives" (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3999. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3999
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.