Educational Psychology Commons^™

Growing Together: Cultivating The Social-Emotional Effects Of Art Education Through Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, Kaitlyn Lawrence

Masters Theses

In many societies, the process of art is recognized as a healing and transformative practice. In recent years, it has been emerging in tandem with social emotional practices and procedures in American education. However, it is also a fact that social emotional learning (SEL) does not account for all students due to its inability to account for the needs of all students in the classroom. SEL alone aims to teach healthy development and emotional management skills, but fails to account for students with varying experiences. While there are those who can and do integrate the skills from the Social Emotional …

How Sensory Exploration Using Expressive Arts Provides A Cohesive Experience For Children With Multiple Diagnoses, Chanelle Goguen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis looks at the potential benefits and cohesive experience of sensory exploration for children with multiple diagnoses through a trauma informed lens. The researcher was inspired by Prendiville’s (2021) idea of how interactive sensory exploration and art making can help foster and develop reciprocal communication and socio-affective relationships influenced the researcher to design a method that would be used to collect data about potential similar findings. In the method, the interaction of the sensory-specific art mediums were reflected through the expressive therapies continuum (ETC) framework. The research of this thesis acknowledges and explores how trauma and adverse childhood experiences …

College And Career Readiness Effects On Minority Male College Retention, Naquiyah Hodges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The continuously low college retention and low degree attainment of African American and Hispanic men is a generational and decades-long hindrance to the elevation of these marginalized communities in the United States and the state of Texas. In Texas, the last 3 years’ worth of data has proven college-readiness rates of African American and Hispanic college students were significantly lower by large margins than White students in English language arts, math, and both subjects by large margins. Consistent low college retention rates of minority men produce a need to conduct further research of how this phenomenon affects minority men …

The Need For Mental Health Resources In Migrant Farm Working Families, Juliana Cecilia Garcia

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of my capstone project is on providing mental health resources for migrant workers and their families. Language barriers and cultural differences are a big obstacle for these parents. Because of this, it is hard for parents to seek help. Language barriers can make communicating one’s struggles with healthcare providers difficult. These topics can be difficult for anyone to put into words, but it’s especially challenging for those who may not speak the same language as the healthcare professional. Per my experience cultural and language barriers are a big obstacle these families face. This could be because they can …

Mental Health And The Well-Being Of Adolescents, Janeice Pamuspusan

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on adolescents’ mental health and well-being. Before the age of twenty-five 70% of mental health disorders start to develop which is why it’s important to teach adolescents ways to improve their mental well-being along with the signs of mental disorders (Kutcher et al., 2008). According to the World Health Organization, many of those adolescents' mental health conditions go unrecognized or untreated. Those illnesses often go unrecognized and untreated because of the stigma that follows mental health including cultural differences. Because of those differences, many adolescents will go into adulthood still struggling with their mental well-being and …

Child Development Degree Program: Careers Spotlight & Panel Discussion, Amanda Chorak, Jenae Pratscher, Dajah Bibbs, Brittany Alsvig, Kayla Deubel, Margaret Landis, Savannah Vaughan, Abigail Gentry, Alexa Gonzalez, Kaitlyn Fish, Ashley Camden, Kathleen Hammerberg, Sarah O’Neal, Kenzy Mallard, Sutton Bate, Kara Vallarta

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Join session via Microsoft Teams.

The Child Development program within the School of Education has continued to grow and strengthen its identity over the recent years. Students currently seek diverse career paths working with children and families following completion and graduation from the B.S. Child Development program. A group of undergraduate students from the spring 2024 CDEV 490 Senior Seminar will facilitate a discussion with a panel of helping professionals connected to the Child Development degree program. The panel discussion will give spotlight to the variety of career paths the degree prepares individuals for and will include both ONU Child …

Engaging Teacher-Student Relationships With All Students, Jess Teal

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Positive teacher-student relationships are essential for a safe classroom that promotes academic achievement and social/emotional development for all children. Teachers need specific practices and resources to support them in establishing positive teacher-student relationships with all their students. All students deserve a consistent adult connection and to call school a safe place to learn and grow.

Understanding The Virginia Literacy Act, Candace Bechtold, Kimberly Bridges, David Naff, Joan A. Rhodes, Valerie Robnolt, Tara Davison, Suzanne Alexandre, Michael Crusco, Karli Johansen, Amber Butler, Allison Yandle, Jennifer Askue-Collins, Jean Samuel, Sharrie Merritte, Regina Frazier

MERC Publications

This research and policy brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) offers an overview of the Virginia Literacy Act. It is structured to explore the following questions: 1) What are the recent trends in reading achievement in Virginia? 2) What are the policy implications of the VLA for Virginia school divisions? 3) What does the research say about Science of Reading (SoR)? 4) What core instructional programs are approved to meet the VLA? It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

Moving Through: Supporting Preservice Teachers’ Transition Through College To The Profession Using Homerooms, David Wolff, Mark Diacopoulos, Alexis Durman, Alexis Monks, Madison Adamson, Kim Ballew

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Preservice Teachers at Pitt State undergo a significant transition from student to professional. Faculty in the College of Education created a weekly Homeroom to support this shift, covering topics like goal setting, power dynamics, generational differences, self-care, identity charts, and time management. Preservice Teachers’ experiences will be shared.

Effects Of Screen Time On Children's Brain Development: A Scoping Review, Niloofar Jannesar, Todd E. Davenport, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

In this scoping review, the effects of screen time on cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional development in children were studied by examining peer-reviewed articles published between 2018 and 2023. A total of 17 peer-reviewed articles were used in the study. The research reported that screen media provide a learning avenue, though it could be detrimental when children spend their time watching more than appropriate screen media. Furthermore, the study indicated that excessive screen media use may harm children’s executive function, which affects academic performance and language development. Related studies have also shown a correlation between excess screen use and problems like …

Assessing Generalization Of Behavioral Interventions In Teaching Independent Play Skills To Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, David Anthony Defranco

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

A myriad of evidence-based practices has been effective in teaching independent play skills to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These interventions include video modeling, activity schedules, task correspondence training, task organization, individual work systems, and matrix training. This systematic review is aimed at examining the various behavioral interventions used to teach independent play skills to children and adolescents with ASD as the independent play literature will be evaluated to see if generalization was programmed for and assessed within the study. As one of the main dimensions of behavior analysis, generalization of skills, specifically independent play skills, is important to …

The Knowledge And Utilization Of Trauma-Informed Care By Educational And Mental Health Professionals Who Serve Children In A Texas City, Mashelle Ancell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand the knowledge and utilization of trauma-informed care by professionals serving children within schools, social service agencies, or child therapy in a middle-sized Texas city. Previous studies acknowledged the prevalence of trauma and the need for systemic trauma-informed care in communities. The theoretical framework used to guide this study was attachment theory due to the emphasis on securely attached relationships, which is consistent with trauma-informed care. Data collection methods included an online open-ended questionnaire and semistructured personal interviews. Data analysis was completed using reflexive thematic analysis to develop themes from participant …

Avoiding The Summer Slide: Tier One And Two Supports Targeting Early Readers, Sarah Harry

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

For more than 100 years, the “summer slide,” or the learning losses by students following a long summer break have been well documented. On average, a typical student loses a little more than one month’s worth of skill across each academic area (e.g., language arts and mathematics) throughout the summer months. Research has also demonstrated that the “summer slide” has a particularly harmful impact on reading achievement of students from low-socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of a tiered system of support for oral reading fluency in early elementary school aged …

Introduction To Part 2 Of The Special Issue: Helping Relevant Stakeholders Promote Behavioral Outcomes In Early Childhood, Kayla Bates-Brantley, Zachary Charles Labrot 7947921, Sarah Harry

Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education

Early childhood is often referred to as a sensitive period of development due to the critical nature of skills a young child is expected to acquire across a short period of time. It is a time when foundational social-emotional and academic skills can set the trajectory for later successful outcomes. It is also a time when the lack of critical skill development can increase a child’s risk for future mental health and other long-term negative outcomes. Therefore, it is always pressing that early childhood institutions and stakeholders are abreast of evidence-based practices that promote the healthy development of a child’s …

How Teachers Use Data: Description And Differences Across Prek Through Third Grade, Amanda Witte, Lisa Knoche, Susan Sheridan, Natalie A. Koziol

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The use of data to inform instruction has been linked to improved student outcomes, early identification of intervention needs, and teacher decision-making and efficacy. Additionally, data are used as a means of accountability within educational settings. However, little is known about data use practices among early grades teachers. The purpose of the current study is to describe the data use of PreK to third grade teachers and to investigate differences in data use and support across grade levels. Participants were 307 early childhood teachers in PreK and early elementary school. Analysis of survey data revealed, overall, most teachers across grade …

Children’S Imagining And Understanding Of Time: A Montessori Perspective

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

The scientific understanding of natural processes is underscored by ideas of relative temporality, timing, abstracted time, and inferred time. Gruber’s, Block’s, and Montemayor’s (2022 and in this issue) distinction, explication, and final synthesis between the veridical and an illusory nature of time is pertinent to philosophical and cognitive distinctions between objective and subjective time. These distinctions, when understood and applied to curriculum development, make the difference between effective and extemporaneous, off-the-cuff approaches where in the latter little thought is given to the importance of children’s understanding of time—how it develops. Verily, nervous systems exhibit intrinsic temporality. Irrevocably, time engulfs us, …

Mathematical Identities And Tracking: An Exploration Of Efficacy In Children And Women, Emma Hagan

Education | Master's Theses

This study seeks to understand the impact of elementary school mathematical identities and mathematics tracking on the identities of women and girls. “Tracking” is an institutionalized education method developed in the 1960s and 1970s in which schools sort their students into smaller class-sized groups based on their observed achievement (Domina et al., 2016). Too often, when students test onto the lower track, they are confronted with a sense of futility and a lack of self-efficacy (Domina, Hanselman, Hwang & McEachin, 2016; Houtte & Stevens, 2015). Further, in STEM disciplines, students who identify as female report lower self-efficacy rates than those …

Interventions Based On Mindfulness For Socio-Emotional Skill Building In Children On The Autism Spectrum: A Systematic Review, Nethnie Thilakna Nandadasa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Children on the autism spectrum are characterized by deficits in socioemotional skills. Previous research suggests that mindfulness is effective in improving social, emotional, and behavioural skills in a wide variety of populations. This review systematically investigated the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in improving social, emotional, and behavioural functioning in children on the autism spectrum (0-12 years of age). Furthermore, the current review discussed adaptations to traditional MBIs when implemented to children on the autism spectrum. MBIs as a potential evidence-based practice for the target population was also investigated. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria. Results indicated that MBIs led to …

Ability Tracking And Its Effects On Students, Isabel Kielmeyer

M.Ed. Literature Reviews

Ability tracking is an educational practice used throughout the world that separates students into different curriculum tracks based on their perceived academic ability. This heavily debated practice poses significant questions to its continued use due to harmful psychological and social effects on students without any guaranteed academic benefits. This paper considers the literature on all these issues and finds that ability tracking may benefit some students academically, but that this often comes at a detriment to their own and others’ psychological and social development. Further, this paper discusses strategies moving forward to ensure all students have access to a high-quality …

The Impact Of A Vocational Rehabilitation Program In Animal Production On Enabling Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder Occupationally In Amman, Faisal Ali Alzyout

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education (مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية (للبحوث في التعليم العالي

The article aimed to investigate the effect of a vocational rehabilitation program which is based on animal production on enabling persons with autism spectrum disorder occupationally in Amman. The sample consisted of (16) persons with autism spectrum disorders who attended two special education centers in Amman. They were chosen purposefully because these centers had vocational programs and adequate numbers of persons with autism spectrum disorder. The study subjects were randomly distributed into two groups: experimental and control, each of which included 8 people. The animal production training program was designed with certain skills and procedures. And a tool was developed …

Family Strengths Among Native American Families And Families Living In Poverty: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences, Natira Mullet, Emily A. Waterman, Katie Edwards, Briana Simon, Skyler Hopfauf, Ramona Herrington

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand how youth, caregivers, and community professionals perceive family strengths and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in their community. Specifically, this study was focused on the protective role of caregivers and families, positive youth development, and how Native American families and families living in poverty support adolescents’ social–emotional development and help them thrive in the face of adversity.

Background: Research documents the concerning rates and negative outcomes of ACEs. However, very little research has examined the views of families and professionals on how to prevent ACES among these populations.

Method: Participants were youth …

Shifting Educational Paradigms To Match Learners: Sustaining Cultures, Languages, And Paradigms Through Educational Sovereignty, Lona R. Running Wolf

The Montana English Journal

The U.S. system of education was developed by visionary forefathers that knew American democracy would be stable only through educated citizens. The system was developed to produce citizens that would carry on the new world's vision and values. The educational system was built within that paradigm. Simultaneously, Indigenous tribes in America were being stripped of their traditional educational systems whose purpose was also to develop productive citizens of their communities and carry on their values. Traditional educational systems among tribes developed children with positive self-identity carrying the pride of their culture, language, and paradigm. That is not the case for …

Identity, Access, And Equity: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study Of Mathematics Identity And Socialization In Pre-Service Teachers, Ashley Renaire Davis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Teaching practices in early childhood through post-secondary learning settings continue to reproduce inequities in mathematics education despite recognition of math’s utility and its necessity for competitiveness in the global economy. For reform efforts to be successful, teachers must change the way mathematics is presented in classrooms where students often experience differences in exposure to mathematics content and time spent covering particular mathematics topics. Therefore, teachers represent a critical component in the cycle of reproduction of unequal access to mathematics. This mixed-methods study examined the processes of mathematics identity formation and mathematics socialization in a diverse sample of pre-service elementary and …

White Privilege And Teacher Perceptions Of Teacher-Child Relationship Quality, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Colin M. Mcginnis, Sheng-Lun Cheng, Dwayne Ray Cormier, Natalie A. Koziol

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

In this study, we investigated differences in teachers’ perceptions of the teacher-child relationship from kindergarten through second grade as a function of child race and gender from the perspective of critical race theory and the cultural synchrony hypothesis. Given the extensive evidence of White privilege and anti-Black racism in the US education system, we expected that teachers, particularly White teachers, would perceive their relationships with White children more positively than with Black children. Controlling for family SES and child gender, results supported this hypothesis. Black boys had the highest risk of being perceived by teachers as having poor relationships with …

Mindfulness Practices In A First-Grade Classroom: Impact On Student Behavior And Student And Teacher Perceptions, Lesslie Picena

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

There has been a rising interest in examining the effectiveness of implementing mindfulness practices to improve students’ behavior. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects that implementing mindfulness practices had on first-grade students’ off-task behaviors during lessons and transitions and to understand students’ and their teacher’s perceptions of the mindfulness practices that were implemented. A mindfulness intervention was implemented for three weeks. Tally sheets and journal entries were gathered to record and reflect on student behavior. Post-intervention surveys, individual student interviews, and a teacher interview were utilized to gather the participants’ perceptions. Quantitative data was analyzed using …

“Your Body Is For You”: Possibilities For Size Acceptance, Criticality, And Social-Emotional Wellness In Upper Elementary English Language Arts Education, Veronica B. Walton

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Integrated Master’s Project explores how body image literature can be used in upper elementary classrooms (grades 3 to 5) to support critical literacy and psychosocial development, and vice-versa. Using the approaches Health at Every Size® (HAES), affect theory, and critical literacy, I propose a new analytical framework for thinking about weight stigma and children’s self-image through the lens of literature. There is a growing presence of fiction and nonfiction books that address weight stigma and center children’s experiences of their bodies, and incorporating these books into literacy/English Language Arts (ELA) curricula can help educators shape their classrooms into spaces …

The Effects Of Work Plans On Independence In A Primary Montessori Classroom, Cynthia Narine

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research project aimed to examine the effects introducing picture-based work plans would have on independence in a Primary Montessori classroom. The intervention took place over seven weeks and involved a middle-class suburban classroom with 25 children ages three to six-years old. Data was collected through the use of tally sheets which recorded the number of times children asked for suggestions; tables which recorded the number of children engaged in meaningful work; an observation log for observations taken globally; and a field journal which recorded the researcher’s thoughts, questions, and other observations at the time. The data showed a …

Increasing Concentration Through Multistep Practical Life Works In A Montessori 2-6 Classroom, Gay Luise

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

"This intervention was intended to combat apathy and disengagement in a preschool Montessori classroom. Four traditional Practical Life tasks were introduced to 15 students, dusting the shelves, sweeping the floor, carpet sweeping, and mopping the floor. These tasks required many different types of movement to complete. The intention was to test Dr. Montessori’s assertions that movement is essential for early brain development. The research took place in an urban Montessori and included 15 participants. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected over a four-week period. At the end of the intervention, findings indicated that their ability to concentrate increased after …

The Effects Of Music And Movement On Learning Sight Words, Khou Moua

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This action research aimed to evaluate the effects of music and movement on learning sight words. This study occurred in a public Montessori classroom in a metropolitan area in Minnesota. There were 19 students, ages 4-6, and 10 targeted sight words. Students viewed Jan Richardson and Jack Hartmann’s Sight Word Music videos during the 6-week intervention. In each video, students were encouraged to dance, move, sing, and follow the instructions of the musician. Baseline and post-assessment data, student attitude surveys, video observations, and student activity worksheets were collected and evaluated from 10 kindergarten students. Quantitative data revealed increased student proficiency …

A Discourse Analysis Of Parents' And Teachers' Social Constructions Of School Readiness And Transition To Kindergarten For Children With Disabilities, Ronica Senores Toyota

Education (PhD) Dissertations

This study examined parents’ and teachers’ social constructions of disability, school readiness, and the transition to kindergarten process for children with disabilities who participated in a self-contained preschool special education (SPED) class, called a special day class (SDC). The 12 participants included parents of children with disabilities (i.e., three with autism and one with Down syndrome), four preschool SDC teachers, two kindergarten SDC teachers, and two general education kindergarten teachers. They were recruited from a large urban school district in Southern California. Semistructured interviews were conducted to invite participants to share their experiences working with students with disabilities and their …