Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2025

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Ed. D.

Department

Educational Leadership, Evaluation and Organizational Development

Degree Program

Educational Leadership and Organizational Development, EDD

Committee Chair

Ingle, W. Kyle

Committee Member

Powers, Deborah

Committee Member

Stevens, Douglas

Committee Member

Munoz, Marco

Author's Keywords

Recess; play; behavior; physical; elementary; children

Abstract

The priority on core curriculum areas such as math and reading has resulted in limited physical activity and regular recess routines. With the increased time spent on core curriculum, teachers and administrators have shifted their focus towards standardized student testing achievement. This focus has resulted in limiting or doing away with unstructured recess with the hopes that students will gain more core curriculum knowledge. This dissertation will focus on educators' perceptions of elementary school student behavior with varying recess time structures. This study began by examining the history of recess while analyzing the trickled- down historical inequities elementary students experience today. The study analyzed research investigating the psychological and physical impact recess has on students. This dissertation touches on the academic impact recess has on elementary students while exploring political policies' results in transforming the elementary school day. There is a review of theoretical frameworks from scholars who have researched physical movement and its affiliation with behavior and learning. Next, you will read about an investigation utilizing a qualitative multiple case study exploring the perceptions educators have on recess and student behavior. This study examined the insight of educators through a series of interviews with the staff from two elementary schools in northern California as well as two elementary schools in Kentucky. Previous research tends to analyze singular schools or schools within a similar geographic location. This study compared the perceptions of educators who teach students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds yet come from different states with differing recess structures. The results of this study revealed notable differences in educator perceptions based on the recess structures in their respective states. Educators in schools with regular unstructured recess reported several benefits, including improved student focus, emotional regulation, and peer relationships. They observed that students returned from recess more prepared to engage in academic tasks and exhibited fewer behavioral issues in the classroom. In contrast, educators from schools with limited or no unstructured recess described challenges such as increased student restlessness, difficulty maintaining attention during lessons, and more frequent behavioral disruptions. Additionally, the study found that educators in both states recognized the value of recess but differed in their ability to advocate for it due to variations in state and district policies.

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