Degree Date

12-2014

Document Type

Dissertation - Public Access

Degree Name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Academic Discipline

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

James L. Schott

Second Advisor

Carol A. Burg

Third Advisor

Dale E. Moxley

Abstract

The research about chess and education is very compelling. The usefulness of chess as an educational activity is particularly valid among children whose minds are entering the cognitive phase of abstract thinking. However, chess is useful among all age groups. Chess has been shown to improve cognitive abilities among educationally low-functioning students, and it has been shown to help students academically when traditional methods have failed to produce the desired outcome. Most people think of chess as a game, and I think the time has come for educators to think about chess in a different light. It is a game, but it is unlike any other game in existence. We can no longer afford to ignore the research touting chess as a valuable academic experience.

My research demonstrates how chess has resulted in impressive academic gains for students. This is particularly true in developing math and reading skills as well as self-esteem. This proposal addresses different ways of incorporating chess into the curriculum that could result in significant strides toward decreasing the achievement gaps existing in our schools. Research shows that the optimal time for introducing chess into the curriculum is in the second and third grades. Chess is an international learning experience for students of varying abilities and backgrounds. My policy advocacy proposal demonstrates methods of integrating chess into the curriculum with a minimum of imposition on instructional time for other subject area content and includes a pilot program to prove the concept.

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