Education Commons^™

Defining The Components Of Academic Self-Efficacy In Navajo American Indian High School Students, Thomas R. Golightly

Theses and Dissertations

The academic difficulties experienced by a majority of Navajo American Indian students are well documented. Past research has focused on a variety of internal and external factors which possibly explain some of these difficulties. Low levels of academic self-efficacy (ASE) has been identified as one of the factors possibly contributing to lower than expected rates of academic achievement and low post-secondary education retention rates in this population. This investigation sought to further define the component structures of ASE using theoretical structures postulated by Bandura (1977a, 1997), namely: past success, modeling, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. Information about grade point averages …

Paraprofessionals In The Classroom: Creating A Test Bank, Linda Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this thesis was to create a valid, reliable, fair test bank for the textbook Paraprofessionals in the Classroom (Ashbaker & Morgan, 2006). This textbook was written specifically for the education of paraprofessionals. Further education beyond high school is one of the options recommended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to assist paraprofessionals in becoming highly qualified to work with children with special needs. Extensive research was conducted by the researcher on what constituted a good test bank. Excerpts were selected from seven chapters of the textbook. Questions and a rating scale for each question …

Eating Disorder Risk In Subgroups Of College Freshman Women, Karen E. Gochnour

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this study was to identify subgroups within the college population having a heightened risk for eating disorders. The information for this analysis was retrieved from an existing data set. The two variables that were compared were self selection of college major at the initial collection during freshman year. The sample size of 1,924 was used to see if subgroups of college majors had a heightened risk. Twenty groups composed of similar majors were studied. The majors of Dance, Dietetics, Physical Education, and Communications had heightened risk according to analysis percentage of each group in the clinical range …

States' School Crisis Planning Materials: An Analysis Of Cross-Cultural Considerations And Sensitivity To Student Diversity, Neil O. Annandale

Theses and Dissertations

The importance of providing appropriate crisis intervention to individuals and families from diverse backgrounds is an often overlooked aspect of service provision. In particular, school-based crisis intervention has only recently begun to address this issue. This study reviewed state mandated school crisis plans, state directives for crisis plans, and state resources to assist school districts in developing crisis plans. The content of these materials was examined to determine the extent and type of coverage given to student diversity, particularly cross cultural considerations. Materials were obtained from state department of education internet sites and from the state offices of Safe and …

Superficial Self-Harm Behavior: Helping Young Women Who Hurt Themselves, Katherine D. Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

Roughly 1 to 4% of the population engages in self-harm. Superficial self-harm is reported by more young women, than young men. Appropriate responses from family, friends, and other important individuals are a key ingredient in facilitating recovery. Non-therapists, such as family, friends, and school personnel often wish to assist young women who self-harm, but the problem is complex and they are often unsure of how to respond. Current studies primarily focus on the clinical interventions for self-harm, while very few have investigated the perspectives of the individuals who self-harm. This study investigated the perspectives of young women who self-harm in …

Educators' Perceptions Of Collaborative Planning Processes For Students With Disabilities, Nari Carter

Theses and Dissertations

When students with disabilities are included in general education classes, collaboration between special and general education teachers is necessary to ensure that the students have access to the general education curriculum and also have supports that enable them to benefit from their education. This paper reports the results of a phenomenological study that investigated the nature of a collaborative planning experience for pairs of special and general education teachers. From the teachers' descriptions of their experience, sharing common philosophies about educating students with disabilities was an important aspect of successful collaborative planning. Collaboration in this experience was voluntary and was …

Advances In Student Self-Authorship: A Program Evaluation Of The Community Standards Model, Klinton E. Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations

Universities are increasingly applying student developmental theories in a variety of contexts in order to better understand students and to accomplish institutional educational objectives. Robert Kegan's constructive-developmental theory has been utilized in the creation of the Community Standards Model, a program designed for use in university residence halls. The purpose of the Model is to promote student development from Kegan's third order of consciousness, in which student identity is based on a fusion of their peers' expectations and ideas, to the fourth order of consciousness, in which one becomes the author of his or her own values, beliefs, and ideals. …

The Use Of Viewing Time Of Non-Erotic Visual Stimuli To Differentiate Between Frequent Pornography Users And Infrequent Users, Brian James Sneed

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a measure of viewing time that uses non-erotic visual stimuli can differentiate between frequent users and infrequent users of pornography. Thirty-six male participants were classified as infrequent pornography users and 37 as frequent users. Participants completed a questionnaire and were asked to rate a variety of images, both male and female of varying ages, on their sexual attractiveness. Individuals were timed as to how long they looked at each image. The groups were then compared based upon their viewing time of several categories. No statistically significant differences were detected. The temporal …

Medical Model Influence In Counseling And Psychotherapy: Counseling Psychology Training Directors' Views, Dallas R. Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

The practice of counseling and psychotherapy is influenced by a number of ideologies, models, and paradigms. Among these, the medical model's influence is particularly salient. The ideology of the medical field pervades the theory, research, and practice of psychology and its influence deserves close examination. The few studies in this area that have been conducted are descriptive and basic in nature. The present study aimed to contribute richness and depth to conversations about medical model influence. By interviewing Counseling Psychology training directors and applying a qualitative analysis, this study provided the following themes that characterize views of the medical model's …

The Effects Of Social Skills Training To Increase Appropriate Behaviors Of Elementary Students With Disabilities In Physical Education, Rachel P. White

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a social skills training program provided by the researcher during physical education classes. Four male students ages 7 and 8 participated in the study once a week for 45 minutes.

Direct observations were used to collect data on the targeted social skills of sharing, taking turns, saying "Please" and "Thank you", and displaying good sportsmanship before, during and after the training. A single subject design with ABC phases was used to record student behaviors.

The results indicate that all students increased the appropriate target behaviors and reduced inappropriate behaviors …

What Are Elementary Students' Perceptions Of Their Homework? An Investigation On Student Achievement And Their Homework Completion, Charles Kenneth Morgenweck

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to determine if there was a relationship between the amount of time special education and general education elementary students spent on homework and their corresponding academic achievement. The participants of the study included 83 fifth through eighth graders from a rural elementary school. Of those 67 were general education students and 16 were special education students. A self-reported survey was provided to participating students, as well as an interview to eight randomly selected students and their parents. The results showed that there was a very slight correlation between the amount of time students …

Full-Day Kindergarten Versus Half-Day Kindergarten: Which Has More Advantages For Children With Disabilities?, Kathy V. Priest

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare academic and social skills of children with disabilities enrolled in both half-day and full-day kindergarten programs. Four boys, between the ages of 5 and 6, participated in the study. Of those, two were enrolled in a half-day program, and the other two were in a full-day program. Over a 4.5 month period, the children's academic skills were measured by the Kindergarten Readiness Test, and their behaviors were observed. A single subject research design with AB phases was used. Their scores were collected in three weeks as baseline data and their progress was …

Homework Can Be Challenging For Students With Learning Disabilities, Regis A. Vitale Sr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how homework affected students with learning disabilities and their parents. A total of 14 students with learning disabilities in a Learning Resource Center of a middle school, together with their parents, participated in the study. A survey with 15 questions was provided to participating students and parents individually. The results showed that 57% of the students had difficulty in completing their homework and 24% of students responded that homework was unimportant, because of the type, length, support and the grading system. In addition, 57% of the parents reported homework was important for …

A Study On Employment Of Vocational School Graduates With Disabilities: How Is Their Transition From School To Adulthood?, Herbert H. Stevenson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the employment and independent living status of students with learning disabilities (LD) upon graduation from a vocational school, the Institute of Technology. A telephone survey of 56 graduates was developed based on the Post High School Plans Survey (PHSPS) to investigate their employment, living, and opinion of transition services. A total of 46 graduates responded to the survey questions. The results showed that 39% of the graduates were employed in the career major they had studied at the institute, 17% employed out of their major and 22% unemployed. Fifty four percent of …

What Are Teachers' Perspectives On Their Competence In Teaching Students With Disabilities?, Tara Wessel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate special and regular education teachers' perspectives on issues such as training, experience, and education in teaching students with learning disabilities in inclusive settings. Twenty kindergarten, 1^st, and 2^nd grade teachers employed in an urban school district participated in the study. Of those, 13 are regular education teachers, and 7 are special education teachers. They responded to ten survey questions. Five teachers were randomly selected to participate in an interview in school. The results showed that special education teachers demonstrated a greater deal of competence in teaching students with disabilities …

Linkages Between Family Cohesion And Sibling Relationships In Families Raising A Child With A Disability, Mary L. Jefferson

Theses and Dissertations

Family researchers have often reported that siblings of children with disabilities have mixed outcomes, some harmful, and some beneficial, but have neglected to investigate how the sibling relationship might be correlated with other factors, such as family cohesion. Therefore, 72 mothers and fathers raising a child with a disability and a child without a disability completed the Family Cohesion subscale of Bloom's family functioning measure and the Sibling Inventory of Behavior to determine interactions between parents' perceptions of family cohesion and sibling relationships. Results indicated that mothers and fathers' perceptions of cohesion and sibling relationships were not significantly different. Mothers' …

Bibliotherapy: School Psychologists' Report Of Use And Efficacy, Marci A. Olsen

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the use of bibliotherapy by school psychologists. A survey was created and distributed to 119 registered and licensed school psychologists in Utah to obtain information on this topic. Forty-one percent returned a completed survey. Results indicated that bibliotherapy is used by 82% of the participants in the study, and 31 of 34 (91%) use bibliotherapy with children grades K-6. Topics most used with bibliotherapy included self-esteem, bullying, divorce, anxiety, and grief. Efficacy varied depending on the topic of bibliotherapy. However, school psychologists regarded bibliotherapy across all topics to be very effective to effective.

Perceptions Of Parents, Self, And God As Predictive Of Sympton Severity Among Women Beginning Inpatient Treatment For Eating Disorders, Melissa H. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The present investigation examined whether perceptions of parents, self, and God among women beginning inpatient treatment for eating disorders was predictive of symptom severity. The sample included 464 women (ages 12 to 56 years) beginning inpatient treatment for eating disorders at a private treatment facility, with the majority being Caucasian. Participants completed study measures as part of an initial battery of assessment measures, and included indices of eating disorder symptomology, parental relationships, self-esteem, and religious well-being. Multiple regression analysis showed perceptions of self and parents to be significant predictors, however perceptions of God failed to predict eating disorder symptom severity. …