Date of Award

2023

Type

Dissertation

Major

Doctor of Education

Degree Type

f Doctor of Education In Curriculum and Leadership

Department

Teacher Education

First Advisor

Dr. Deirdre Greer, Chair

Second Advisor

Dr. Andrea Dawn Frazier

Third Advisor

Dr. Jennifer Lovelace

Abstract

Nearly 30 million people in the United States live in households with an annual income of less than @25,962 for a family of four. To the United States Census Bureau, this income threshold constitutes a family (or individuals in a family) as being in poverty. Poverty is not solely about income thresholds; rather, how much income levels impact learning, education, and teachers is a greater area of concern. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers’ perceptions of poverty impact how they instruct and support elementary students experiencing rural poverty, what differences exist in instruction and support between elementary teachers with high and low poverty awareness in a rural elementary school, and to what extent does the teachers’ perception of poverty influence instruction and support for elementary students experiencing rural poverty. This study provided a better understanding of how elementary teachers, with more than five years of experience in a rural community, perceive poverty’s impact on instruction and support for elementary students experiencing rural poverty. I conducted a qualitative generic study that seeks to understand how teachers’ perceptions of poverty impact how they instruct and support between elementary students experiencing rural poverty, the differences that exist in instruction and support between elementary teachers with high and low poverty awareness, and the extent to which teachers’ perceptions of poverty influence instruction and support for elementary students experiencing rural poverty. From six participants, I was able to conduct a Poverty Attribution Survey, six classroom observations, two non-classroom observations, and six one-on-one interviews. All participants were teachers were Caucasian females with an average age of 41who taught a core academic course(s) in grades Kindergarten through 5th grade. I began the analysis by coding and using a xi thematic map from the interviews, classroom and non-classroom observations. Thematic mapping was used to identify themes such as: 1. Teachers’ perceived family structure has a greater impact on students’ achievement for students experiencing poverty. 2. Teachers describe poverty as a “challenging situation” that students face. 3. Poverty is a difficult lifestyle to live so teachers must instruct and support with this in mind. 4. Teachers expressed how they show and their care for the students’ different manners. 5. Teachers attribute poverty’s impact on learning and support based upon their personal viewpoints, character traits, and family backgrounds.

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