Date of Award

Spring 3-21-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Carol Anderson-Woo

Second Advisor

Robin Pierson

Third Advisor

Lisa Simon

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify and describe the brain break strategies used by exemplary primary grade teachers to support student learning for each of the three different types of brain breaks (breathing breaks, movement breaks, and mental breaks). A further purpose of this study was to identify primary teachers’ perceptions of which brain break strategies are most effective to support student learning.

Methodology: A phenomenological research design was used for this study. A qualitative method was used to collect data which included conducting semistructured interviews and observations with participants to gain information related to identifying, describing, and learning participants perceptions related to brain breaks.

Findings: Examination of qualitative data from the primary teachers participating in this study indicated various findings related to which brain breaks are the most effective to support student learning. After analyzing the themes that were coded from the interviews and observations, there were four findings and unexpected findings that describe specific brain break strategies that primary teachers use to support students and the brain breaks that primary teachers perceive as the most effective for support student learning.

Conclusions: Based on the findings related to the study, there were five conclusions identified from the themes and key findings in the research study. The conclusions support the three different types of brain breaks (breathing breaks, movement breaks, and mental breaks) strategies that are the most effective to support student learning. The conclusions also support the need to use variety of brain breaks that support the needs of learners.

Recommendations: There were many conclusions that were drawn from the findings from this study that led to implications for action. The implications support students with academic success in the classroom. All the implications support teachers by helping them build their repertoire of resources related to brain breaks. Furthermore, these resources will help teachers support students when they recognize that students need brain breaks to support learning.

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