Date of Conferral

6-23-2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Maryanne Longo

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study was that urban kindergarten to third grade students demonstrated decreased levels of number sense mastery on state-mandated assessments as they matriculated across grade levels. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore school-based educators’ perceptions on what they believe are the reasons urban students demonstrated decreased levels of number sense mastery, and to identify what improvements are needed to support teachers in determining students’ zone of proximal development (ZPD) while scaffolding students towards number sense mastery. The conceptual framework comprised Bruner’s theory of instruction and Vygotsky’s ZPD. A purposeful sample of six kindergarten to third grade teachers, one instructional coach, and one administrator from an urban, Title I school participated in semistructured interviews. Through thematic analysis, including open and a priori coding, four themes emerged that reflected the participants' own accounts of their difficulties, their evaluations of the support they actually received, and their direct suggestions for future enhancements: explanations for decreased mastery, effective support systems, ineffective instructional supports, and improvements needed to enhance current support systems. These findings may contribute to positive social change as participants shared what was needed to improve the quality of mathematics instruction and how they could better support the students they serve. In turn, more students in this urban, Title I setting may master number sense to meet grade-level standards. This mastery may increase students’ comprehension and understanding of mathematics and increase students’ abilities to continue successfully in school and be well prepared to master the new mathematics standards each school year.

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