Date of Award

9-2013

Document type

dissertation

Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Degree Program

Education (also CAGS)

First Advisor

J. Kevin Nugent

Second Advisor

Jennifer T. Randall

Third Advisor

Matthew C. Davidson

Subject Categories

Curriculum and Instruction | Education

Abstract

Although a limited body of research has supported the positive impact of the Tools of the Mind curriculum on the development of self-regulation, research supporting a direct relationship between Tools and academic achievement is extremely limited. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Tools of the Mind curriculum implementation in improving math and reading scores in Kindergarten by comparing scores obtained before and after Tools. This study also seeks to investigate the effects of SES on student achievement. Finally, this study seeks to identify contributions and challenges perceived by teachers during implementation. Participants included 93 students in the before Tools condition and 97 students after Tools. Students who had Tools scored statistically significantly lower on reading scores than students who did not have Tools. While students also scored lower on math after Tools, this difference was not significant. Differences were found in student scores based on SES. Qualitative results are base interviews of six Kindergarten teachers, and revealed teachers' experiences with implementation. The findings of this study are intended to increase the understanding of the effectiveness of Tools and its implementation.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/2wyc-1g11

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