Date of Conferral

9-15-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Ionas Gulu

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study was that early elementary students in an achievement zone continued to demonstrate low mathematics achievement, despite the district-wide implementation of the concrete representational abstract (CRA) instructional strategy, designed to promote conceptual understanding through scaffolded stages at a school district in the southeastern United States. In this district, an achievement zone refers to a cluster of schools serving historically underperforming students in high-poverty communities who receive targeted academic support. Grounded in Bruner’s constructivist learning theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore kindergarten through third-grade teachers’ experiences implementing the CRA strategy in mathematics instruction within this achievement zone. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 certified kindergartens through third-grade teachers who had implemented CRA. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis process. Four themes emerged: teachers emphasized that high-fidelity CRA implementation depends on availability of time, resources, and job-embedded professional learning; appreciated CRA’s role in conceptual remediation; used multimodal engagement for building meaning; and saw system-level alignment as critical for sustaining implementation across classrooms and grade levels. Although participants valued the CRA framework, implementation varied due to training and contextual constraints. Findings may support positive social change by informing professional development for equitable mathematics instruction in high-need elementary schools as foundational mathematics understanding is needed for lasting academic success.

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