Education Commons^™

Thriving With Down Syndrome: A Qualitative Multiple Case Study, Talia G. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal abnormality associated with intellectual disability (ID) and multiple medical complications. However, despite significant deficits related to the disability, there are people with DS who are thriving in our community. This dissertation examines those who thrive with DS and the individual and environmental factors that influence their thriving within two manuscripts. Manuscript One presents a synthesis of seminal and current positive psychology and disability studies literature. Review indicates that thriving with ID occurs when individuals report (a) a healthy transactional relationship between the individual and the ecological system; (b) high subjective well-being; and, (c) an …

Curiosity And Gifted Identification: A Mixed Methods Study, Cameron Hays

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to explore the link between epistemic curiosity and giftedness, in order to provide an additional potentially non-biased assessment to contribute to gifted identification "body of evidence" files for underrepresented and underserved populations. Students of color and students of lower socio-economic status are less likely to be placed into gifted and talented enrichment programs (Donovan & Cross, 2002). If a significant relationship is found between high curiosity and students who benefit from gifted education, psychometric instruments used for measuring curiosity could be invaluable in placing students in appropriate educational environments.

The study used a mixed methods design …

Adolescent Protective Factors Related To Resilience: Issues Of Academic Self-Efficacy, Parental Involvement, And Special Education Status, Bethdalie Cruz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The predictive value of three constructs was examined in this study in order to explain adolescent self-reported protective factors associated with resilience while moderating for the effects of sex and race. The three constructs included Academic Self-efficacy, Maternal Parental Involvement, and Special Education Identification Status. Participants included 54 adolescents in diverse public middle and high schools, ages 11 to 18. Twenty of these participants were identified as receiving special education services while 34 did not. Results indicated that adolescent perceptions of Academic Self-efficacy significantly predicted protective factors associated with resilience while Special Education Identification Status and Maternal Parental Involvement did …