Date

10-16-2024

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Mary Strickland

Keywords

Whole Brain Teaching, brain-based learning, information processing theory

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Education

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to understand Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) through the experiences and perceptions of teachers who utilize this system in the United States. The theory guiding this study was George Miller’s information processing theory, which identified how information is attained, stored, and retrieved, a foundation of the WBT system. This study attempted to answer the central research question: What are the perceptions of classroom success for teachers who use WBT systems? This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology research focused on WBT teachers across the United States, contacted through an online platform. Data collection consisted of interviews, journal prompts, and focus groups. Holistic, selective, and detailed reading approaches were applied to all transcribed data, and then data was triangulated using conceptual analysis. The themes extracted from the data were the transformation in teaching and classroom dynamics with WBT, the influence on academics and behavior management with WBT strategies, and personal growth and professional fulfillment. The findings indicated that teachers' experience with WBT has had a significant positive transformation within their classroom, including behavior and academic growth, by enhancing connections while utilizing fun strategies. This study's significance was to add to the available literature that examined the experiences of WBT teachers.

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