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Increasing The Amount Of Time Ebd Identified Students Spend In The Classroom, Jennifer Gruber

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research paper focuses on educating children in their least restrictive
environment. This study was conducted in an elementary school in St. Paul where the
district is pushing towards full inclusion. The data specifically looks at two fifth grade
students, both with Emotional Behavioral Disorders. Data sources included a parent
questionnaire, pre and post student questionnaire, teacher journal and observations, an
excel spreadsheet behavior checklist, and a check-in log for the school’s behavior room.
Results showed that both students were able to increase their amount of time spent in the general education classroom setting. Data also supported that both …

The Effects Of Preschool Attendance On Kindergarten Success, Amy Jean Zwiefel

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The goal of this research was to inform and educate parents on the positive effects of preschool. This study was conducted with nine kindergarten students and their parents in a public elementary school. The data collected involved parent surveys, kindergarten checklists, kindergarten behavior logs, and meeting notes from parent conferences. The results were taken from the same nine kindergarten students whose parents returned the parental letter giving permission to be part of this study. The results showed students who had attended preschool had more positive behavior marks, mastered more skills on the kindergarten checklist, and were more socially advanced than …

An Authentic Mathematics Problem Competition And Its Effect On The Performance Of Advanced Sixth Grade Learners, Eric Bergerson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine what effect an authentic mathematics problem competition would have on student performance by advanced sixth grade learners. The study was conducted in a public elementary school, in a sixth grade math classroom with twenty five advanced math students. The data sources included a student survey, weekly competition problems, chapter tests, and field notes. The results showed a definite relationship between success in the competition and improved performance in the math class. For students who did well in the competition their chapter test scores improved during the five weeks of the competition. Also, …

High Student Achievement Through Classroom Management, Angela Lacher, Mary Zich

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The purpose of this research study was to find to what extent classroom engagement and behavior would be affected by the use of ClassDojo in a kindergarten and first grade classroom? This study was completed in a public elementary school and included 18 kindergarten and 20 first grade students. Data sources included: an observational record of students’ on and off task behavior, monitoring students’ Fix-It Plans and Office Discipline Referrals from the middle of the year to the end of the year, and ClassDojo totals for “Positive” and “Needs Work” points throughout the 6 week study. ClassDojo was presented to …

Using Digital Devices To Improve Student Collaboration, Thea Janitschke

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Closing The Gap In Fluency To Promote Comprehension, Amie Nelson

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

The intent of this research was to see what effect adding sight words and rhythm
walks to small group reading activities would have on student’s oral reading fluency in accuracy, automaticity, and prosody at a kindergarten level. My research included 26 kindergarteners, 16 girls, and 10 boys. All students were tested in oral language, reading text level, words per minute, and sight word recognition. Over a six-week period I added into my daily reading center jobs rhythm walks, sight word flash cards, large group fluency lessons, and small focus groups. I monitored students with conference slips, daily journaling, and weekly …

You’Ve Got Mail: Using Personalized Authentic Reading Experiences To Increase First Graders’ Oral Reading Fluency, Krysten E. Halek

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

Fluency is an essential component in learning to read. This research focused on exploring the impact of personalized authentic reading experiences on oral reading fluency and reading attitudes. Participants were six first-grade students enrolled in an urban public elementary school that were assessed as reading at a lower level than the majority of their classmates. Pre- and post-intervention data collection included measures of fluency (accuracy, automaticity, and prosody), comprehension, and reading attitudes. The four week intervention involved three 20-30 minute group meetings per week where students received and read personalized Pixar movie postcards. Results showed student increases in all dimensions …

Enhancing Clinical Reasoning Through Debriefing: Student’S Perceptions, Melanie Smerillo

Master of Arts/Science in Nursing Scholarly Projects

As patients become more complex the role of a nurse requires a higher level of clinical reasoning (IOM, 2010). Simulation in nursing education provides opportunities for nursing students to practice clinical reasoning skills (Jeffries, 2007). Both Kolb’s theory of “Experiential Learning” and Benner’s “Novice to Expert” support the use of simulation in nursing curricula. Kolb’s experiential learning theory is “the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience and knowledge results from the combination of grasping and transforming experience” (Kolb, 1984, p.41). As novice nurses become experts, they learn better with experiences such as complex patient care scenarios, …

Preparation Of Students With An Ebd For Life Post-Graduation: The School Social Worker Perspective, Stephanie A. Adix

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to collect data from the perspective of licensed school social workers regarding the preparation of students with an EBD for life post-graduation. This study conducted six interviews with licensed school social workers to learn about their perceptions of post-graduation preparation, strengths, weakness, transition planning and unmet needs. This research study, like other studies found that students with an EBD are unprepared for life post-graduation. Themes noted were the overall lack of preparation, the skill of survival skills, the lack of preparation for further education, lack of realistic goals and expectations, skills learned, lack of …

Discovering Authentic Self Through Healing Relationships: An Inquiry Of Implementing Alcoholics Anonymous Theoretical Philosophies To Parenting In Sobriety, Necol M. Arens

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This qualitative research study investigated how recovering mothers implemented Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) theoretical philosophies when parenting their children and explored how healing relationships between sober mothers and their children cultivated authenticity, promoted inner healing and improved parent-child relationships. Sober mothers were asked what twelve step concepts they utilized with their children and reflected on how their own recovery experiences helped them to discover their ‘true’ selves. I conducted eight qualitative interviews with sober mothers who attended Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA) along with Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA) and were parenting children, or had previous parenting experiences, to explore any …

Attitude Of Gratitude: Clinician Views On Fostering Gratitude In One Homecare And Hospice Agency, Amie M. Brandtjen

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The topic of this research project is the facilitation of gratitude-focused interventions into clinical treatment plans with clients facing debility or end of life. This is based on the notion that gratitude is a concept of positive psychology and is consistent with the strengths based approach of the social work profession. Gratitude focused interventions encourage the patient to focus on the positives versus negatives. Five qualitative interviews were conducted with clinical social work professionals. Grounded theory methodology and constant comparative analysis were used to analyze transcribed data. Responses to open ended questions regarding preferred therapy modality, positive and negative aspects …

Modifying Psychotherapy When Working With An Adult Diagnosed With A Co-Occurring Intellectual Disability And Mental Disorder, Jesse Virgil Buchner

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Adults diagnosed with an intellectual disability are three to four times more likely than the general population to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. There are traditionally four classifications of intellectual disability: mild, moderate, severe, and profound. Each classification has characteristics that limit the cognitive functioning and abilities of the individual affected. This qualitative research was developed to explore the question of what might constitute some emerging best practices used in modifying psychotherapy when working with adults with a diagnosed intellectual disability and mental disorder. Five current and former psychotherapists and one psychiatrist served as respondents for the project. The …

Perspectives On Living Situations For Children With Classic Autism, Meghan Constantini

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this qualitative study was to interview parents of children with severe autism and professionals work in residential settings to understand their perspectives of living situations for children with severe autism. Challenging behaviors occur with more frequency and intensity in children with severe autism. Living situations have been shown to have a negative impact on behaviors and the quality of life of a child with autism, as a typical home setting can be over stimulating and overwhelming to children with autism due to the nature of their diagnosis. (Nasir & Tahir, 2012). Findings from previous research show that …

Christian Therapists’ Perspectives On The Use Of Prayer In Therapy, Paul J. Dirkse

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Research has been demonstrating the benefits of utilizing spiritual and religious interventions to mitigate symptoms of emotional difficulties in clients that enter therapy. This study specifically aims to investigate Christian therapists’ perceptions on the use of prayer in psychotherapy. Four licensed Christian therapists were interviewed in regard to the following areas: demographics, how prayer is used in therapy, therapist’s perceptions on the use of prayer in therapy, and therapist’s perceptions on the effectiveness of prayer in mitigating symptoms of emotional difficulty. The major themes from the data demonstrate that Christian therapists approach the use of prayer in a client-focused and …

Hospice Social Workers’ Perspectives On Contributing Factors Influencing Compassion Satisfaction, Apryl C. Falk

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This paper explores hospice social workers experiences with regards to compassion satisfaction and their work. Existing research on the topic of compassion satisfaction recognizes that it could be the mitigating factor in preventing compassion fatigue, or even worse burnout among individuals with highly stressful professions. The proposed factors that help increase compassion satisfaction are utilizing self-care methods, education, training material, supervision, and organizational support (Alkema, Linton & Davies, 2008; Adams, Boscarino & Figley, 2006; Harr 2013; & Slocum et al., 2013; Conrad & Kellar-Guenther, 2006). The sample of this study, which included eight hospice social workers, participated in a thirty …

Visual Media And Asd: Impact On Social Interactions Of Adolescents, Audra J. Hanly

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

There’s a wealth of research that provides evidence of an association between visual media and behavior problems among typically developing children. However, no research was located that examines the association between these variables in adolescents with ASDs. This current study begins to fill this gap in literature while examining possible positive effects of visual media on social behavior through the following research question: What effect does visual media have on the social interactions of adolescents with autism spectrum disorders? The design of the present study was a cross-sectional, quantitative study in which twenty participants completed an online questionnaire.

The present …

Challenges Specific To Women In Detoxification Settings: Providers’ Perspectives, Danielle S. Iano

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Within detox settings, women with substance use disorders may present with a myriad of risk factors and consequences related to their use. This research explored biopsychosocial issues specific to women using detoxification services and how medical concerns, comorbid mental health issues, trauma history, and pregnancy/children affected subsequent linkages to treatment by interviewing professionals who worked with this population within detoxification settings. Licensed professionals (n=8) were interviewed regarding their experiences with women in detox settings. The resulting data from interview transcriptions were analyzed, and themes that developed included admission contexts, vulnerability, comorbidity, barriers to treatment, and integrated care. Findings …

Practice What You Preach: Dbt Therapists’ Skill Utilization In Burnout Prevention, Kate Browning Jergensen

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between DBT practitioners’ skill use and consultation team on burnout and stress levels. The study was exploratory in nature and used a mixed methods convenience sample that surveyed DBT practitioners through an international list serve. Burnout and stress were measured along with skill use, perspectives on consultation team, and demographic information. The sample included 135 survey responses and participants varied in demographic information. Results found that there was a negative correlation between burnout and skill use and that in general practitioners use the skills on a frequent basis and find …

Bullying Prevention: How To Foster Positive Interactions Among Elementary Aged Youth, Sara E. Johnson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Bullying has been identified as one of the most widespread forms of violence encountered in U.S. schools, with 30% of children reporting being the victims of bullying sometime during their lives, and approximately 10% reporting being victimized on a regular basis. This research sought to identify common threads that seem important for individuals working with children in school settings to be aware of in order to effectively prevent and respond to bullying based on current prevention efforts and curriculum a sample of Minnesota schools are currently utilizing. A qualitative research design was used to obtain data from a sample of …

Native American Spirituality And Healing In A Euro-American World, Carol Johnson

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study focuses on Native American spirituality and healing in a Euro-American world. Six interviews were conducted, two each at three different rural tribes in northern Minnesota. The people interviewed were leaders or teachers in local tribes and also elders who are respected in the communities. Some of the common themes that emerged were (a) a change in the communities, viewed as overtaken by drugs and alcohol and feeling unsafe; (b) changes in traditional spirituality; (c) changes in language; (d) honoring true American war heroes; (e) changes in values and views of the ways of living; and (f) the prevalence …

Social Work Perspectives Of Quality In Nursing Homes Compared To Minnesota Nursing Home Report Card And Nursing Home Compare, Nicole A. Leasure

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The number of older adults requiring nursing home level of care continues to rise and is expected to continue as the baby boom generation ages. The quality of nursing home care has been a significant policy issue for several years, as poor quality of care continues to be an endemic problem in many of the U.S nursing homes. The Nursing Home Reform Act passed in 1987 was designed to set quality standards to improve nursing home care quality. In 1998 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid responded by implementing Nursing Home Compare, which is a tool to inform consumers about …

The Family’S Voice: Caregiving For An Older Adult, Deborah J. Mason

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to explore the family as a unit, in particular the effects on the multigenerational family when at least one person is giving care to an adult over the age of 65. While, most prior research focused on the caregiver, this study looked at family as a whole single unit. The respondents were asked to describe how the caregiving affected them personally as well as how it affected the family.

The sample for this study included 16 adult family members of caregivers for a person over age 65. Data was collected utilizing an online survey. …

Effective Preventative Interventions Of Substance Use, Amanda Logan

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Substance use among adolescents remains a serious problem in most rural communities in part due to the well-documented failure of most prevention programs. Despite these challenges some prevention programs have been deemed both reliable and valid. Three such programs include the:

Adolescent Transitions Program, Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14, and Guiding Good Choices. This paper provides a systemic review of these three programs and offers suggestions to community leaders for successful program implementation.

Risk And Protective Factors: Suicide In The Military, Nicole Gauer Patnode Fisher

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Suicide rates in the military are on the decline, yet on the rise in the National Guard and Reserve components. Training programs to educate and raise awareness about suicide have been implemented in all branches of the military. There is a lot of research about suicide risk and protective factors in the general population and Active Duty military population, but there is not research that identifies service members’ perceptions on what those risk and protective factors may be. Nor is there research that explores the perceptions of stigma in the military regarding suicide. Knowing how service members perceive suicide risk …

Foster Parents’ Key Barriers To Agency Training And Support Groups, Ruth Patton

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

In 2012, more than 185,000 American children lived in nonrelative foster homes. While some states do not require foster parents to receive ongoing training or agency support, these services have been shown to decrease foster parent attrition and improve the experience for both parents and children. Despite the benefits, foster parents do not regularly take advantage of agency training and support options. Previous research has revealed that common barriers to support and training group attendance are both structural (e.g., timing and inconvenience) and perceptual (e.g., relevance of training). This study showed that foster parents experience similar barriers, despite believing that …

School Choice And Self-Efficacy, Jessie Mayo Phillips

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study explores school choice policy and its relationship to student feelings of self-efficacy. Bandura’s (1999) Social Cognitive Theory is used to conceptualize the research question. School choice is the predominant model in which many families find themselves embedded as their student approaches schooling. Given this context, families/students that make a conscious choice about where to attend school tend to have positive academic outcomes. A sample of 36 students from a mid-sized, private university in St. Paul, Minnesota was surveyed about whether or not they chose their high school, how they felt about the school they attended, and then assessed …

The Role Of Resilience In Adolescents With Complex Trauma: A Look At Therapists’ Perspectives, Abby O. Schwebke

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this research study was to look at what resilience factors therapists view to be important in their work with adolescents who have experienced complex trauma. This study used a qualitative research design, in the form of semi-structured interviews to collect data. The main findings of this study showed that 100% of the participants perceive healthy attachments to be a leading resilience factor in complex trauma. Additionally, according to the participants in this study, unhealthy coping skills (promiscuity, chemical use, self-harm and dissociation) were discussed as survival techniques. Finally, the use of resilience in therapy was addressed with …

Bridging The Silos: The Effects Of Including Social Workers In Integrated Healthcare Teams In The Treatment Of Chronic Pain, Anne C. Spiro

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

An exploratory study of how the inclusion of social workers on integrated treatment teams affects the satisfaction of chronic pain patients. This study utilizes a mixed methods approach: interviews with social workers currently working in integrated healthcare teams as well as anonymous survey data collected from people who identified as having experienced chronic pain in order to provide as much initial data as possible. A content analysis reveals qualitative themes including patient advocacy, the power of integrated healthcare, and the importance of the mind/body connection in integrated healthcare. Qualitative and quantitative both find evidence of a lack of social worker …

Clinical Social Workers’ Competency In Practice With Same-Sex Couples, Emily Smuder

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study was conducted to seek out Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers and their competency in working with couples of the same-sex. With in the last year the State of Minnesota passed law, providing the freedom for all to marry, which prompted the idea for this research. The study asked what LICSW’s overall competency is with working with couples, and whether years in practice, types of training, whether training has been received in this area affects competency. The research further looked at whether those who had and had not received training and whether their years in practice affects their thoughts …

Lgbt Community Members Experiences Of Support During Family Formation And Parenting, Serena A. Vruno

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

This study explores how members of the LGBT community experience support systemically during family formation and parenting. Six Caucasian women, who identified as lesbians, were interviewed in relation to their perceptions of support during family formation and parenting. The researcher asked 12 semi-structured questions to capture the level of support LGBT members receive by family, friends, general public and professionals (i.e., social workers). The majority of the respondents felt supported systemically in part because of the intentional environment they chose to live in and the family of choice chosen as a support system. Although the participants felt supported by the …