School Psychology Commons^™

Metacognition As A Predictor Of Conceptual Change, Sharang Tickoo

Cognitive Science Student Scholarship

Metacognitive ability - proficiency in analyzing ones own thought processes - is related to the ability to correctly gauge one's mastery of a task (Kruger, 1999; Dunning, 2003). It may also be tied to the ability to make radical conceptual changes learning new information incongruous with prior beliefs. We hypothesize performance on an expanded version of the Cognitive Reflection Test (Frederick, 2005), a battery of questions designed to measure metacognitive ability, would be a predictor of the extent to which undergraduate college students (N=103) improved their understanding of evolution after a semester of college level biology, particularly in the Darwinian ...

Do Students Understand What Researchers Mean By Bullying?, Kristin E. Bieber

Open Access Theses and Dissertations from the College of Education and Human Sciences

The definition of bullying most often used by researchers incorporates three key elements: repetition, intent to harm, and a power imbalance (Olweus, 2010). Past studies have found that students may not understand how this definition of bullying is different from general peer aggression, and that they may report their involvement in instances of aggression that occur only once, or happen among individuals of equal power, when they are asked about their involvement in bullying (Monks & Smith, 2006).

This dissertation examined: a) grade differences in students’ abilities to accurately apply the definition of bullying when determining if a behavior is or is not bullying; (b) differences in students’ accurate identification of bullying as a result of grade, gender, and type of bullying; and (c) the relationship between students’ accurate ...

Effects On Student Achievement Of Changing Cognitive Strategies During Targeted Tier Ii Interventions, Angela M. Mellace

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine whether changing cognitive based strategies is more effective than not changing strategies when a student fails to respond to an intervention. Ninety students who performed in the bottom third on a state reading test from a rural school district in Virginia were randomly placed into three groups: 1) students who received traditional evidence-based reading interventions 2) students whose teachers were trained in Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory and whose teacher chose an intervention that she considered being the most suited to the student’s cognitive profile 3) students who were assessed using the Woodcock Johnson ...

Predicting Proficiency On The Ohio Achievement Assessments Using I-Ready Diagnostic, Terra Ann Jones

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Ohio’s schools are held accountable for ensuring that students become proficient in reading by the end of third grade. Curriculum-based measures are often utilized to help monitor student progress toward proficiency goals and pinpoint those students who are at risk for falling below state standards on standardized tests. Using data from third grade students in a rural county in southern Ohio, this research determines what score on the I-Ready Diagnostic must be obtained in order to achieve proficiency on the Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) reading component. Data were compared and a Pearson Product Moment Correlation of 0.71 was ...

The Effects Of Gender And Implicit Theories On Science Achievement And Interest In Elementary-Aged Students, Savannah Benningfield

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study set out to determine the relationship between student grade
level, implicit views of science ability, science achievement and science interest.
Differences by grade level were also explored. The study also considered the differences in male and female implicit theories of science ability, science interest, and science achievement. Participants in the current study consisted of a total of 1910 students from six elementary schools from one south-central Kentucky district that participate in Project GEMS (Gifted Education in Math and Science). Data were analyzed by means of analysis of variance and Pearson correlations. Younger students evidenced lower scores on ...

Multidimensional Perfectionism And Social Connectivity Among Youth: Findings And Implications, Alexander Nounopoulos

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Although traditional researchers exploring perfectionism frequently cast the construct in a negative light, a steady stream of recent studies have demonstrated that perfectionistic beliefs can yield both positive and negative outcomes. Despite this progression in the research, perfectionism remains an understudied phenomenon among youth, especially as it relates to the ways in which these individuals are perceived by others. The current study builds on the previous literature by exploring adolescent perfectionism across a variety of psychological and psychoeducational dimensions. Moreover, a unique addition to the literature offered by this study was the inclusion of peer-reports along with self-reported measures in ...

Gender And Grade Differences In How High School Students Experience And Perceive Cyberbullying, Jeremy D. Doucette

University of Western Ontario - Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Gender and grade differences in how high school students experience and perceive cyberbullying was examined through a survey and focus groups with youth in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Survey findings revealed that boys reported cyberbullying more often than girls on most items while girls reported experiencing cyberbullying more often than boys on most items. Grade alone did not account for significant differences, but interactions with gender were sometimes found. The focus groups revealed that most students believe that girls cyberbully more than boys, but that boys are more likely than girls to view cyberbullying as a form of joking, and to ...

Student Characteristics And Targeted Based Cognitive Tier Ii Interventions, Patrick M. Billups

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Tier II student characteristics and outcomes on a standardized reading assessment. Ninety students who scored in the lowest third on a Virginia standardized reading test were placed into one of three instructional groups: 1) a control group consistent with instruction from previous years, 2) a “teacher selected” treatment group in which teachers determined students’ cognitive processing deficits and administered a chosen intervention, and 3) a “tested” treatment group in which students were administered the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III) and assigned interventions based on the results ...

An Analysis Of A Suburban School District's Referral, Assessment, And Identification Processes For Gifted Evaluations, Brandie Tallman Arnold

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

A review of the literature pertaining to giftedness reveals a myriad of differing conceptualizations, as well as varied recommendations for procedures within the referral and identification processes. With such diverse frameworks for understanding components of giftedness, as well as competing views about how giftedness is most accurately identified, a universally agreed upon process for defining and identifying giftedness has yet to be achieved. The purpose of this proposed study will be to examine the referral, identification, and outcomes process of one Pennsylvania public school district’s gifted evaluation process. Specifically, this action-oriented research study sets out to determine (1) the ...

Teachers' Mental Health Literacy And Capacity Towards Student Mental Health, Tamara D. Daniszewski

University of Western Ontario - Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current youth mental health care system is ineffective at meeting the needs of Canadian youth. More than ever, teachers are placed on the frontlines of mental health care provision, including identification and intervention delivery. The present study explored teachers’ mental health literacy and capacity in the context of providing help to their students. Secondary data from a large-scale survey of teachers in one Ontario school board was analyzed to assess teachers’ current levels of knowledge, awareness and comfort levels in student mental health care. Teachers were compared based on teaching experience, school division, and school location, in terms of ...

Exploration Of Gifted Subtypes Differentiated Across Standardized Cognitive Variables, Bridgette M. Vecchio

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The field of gifted education has evolved through the 20th century, with legislative efforts by the federal government providing the framework necessary to highlight the needs of gifted learners. Gifted and talented learners are not a homogeneous group, to the contrary, they are varied and unique (Reis & Sullivan, 2010). Ideally, researchers and educators could collaborate to compile a conclusive list of characteristics of gifted learners, which could guide identification, teaching strategies, and curriculum selection for this population (Reis & Sullivan, 2010). Little is known about the cognitive profiles of gifted children. This study will review the utilization of the WISC-IV in ...

Examining Coping Strategies Of Young Girls Victimized By Relational Aggression: A Phenomenological Study, Dana Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the coping strategies developed by young girls victimized by the phenomenon of relational aggression.This study examined the experiences and coping strategies developed by kindergarten, first, and second grade girls who attend a rural Georgia primary school. The co-researchers were selected from a pool of 294 female students who were identified by teachers as having experienced relational aggression. I used semi-structured interviews with co-researchers, document analysis, and art activities to gather data. I collected, analyzed, and interpreted data conforming to Moustakas' (1994) transcendental model. Roth and Cohen's (1986) theory on ...

Examining Changes In Appropriate Social Behaviors During School Lunch Using The Lunchtime Behavior Game, Rebecca Parrish

Counseling Psychology Dissertations

While school lunch has the potential to be a time for students to develop appropriate social skills, most cafeterias are rife with disruptive and aggressive behavior. Lunch monitors struggle to effectively manage the many students eating lunch and yet few evidence–based cafeteria interventions exist. The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate the effects of a modified version of the evidence–based Good Behavior Game (GBG) on elementary students' appropriate social and disruptive behaviors in the cafeteria. Based in social learning theory and influenced by the principles of School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SW–PBS), the modified ...

Navigating Educational And Behavioral Services: What Parents Of Children With Asd Need To Know, Jennifer A. Mclaren, Eric Mitchell

Annual Green Tree Partnerships/La Salle University Autism Spectrum Disorders Conference

Navigating service systems can be difficult. Parents are often unaware of where educational services end and where behavioral health services begin. This interactive panel will aid in navigating the complex matrix of school, BHRS, STS, outpatient, and psychiatric services for school-aged children with an ASD. It will teach parents how to create a collaborative team which aids in providing consistency in all environments. Additionally, parents will gain information about effective advocacy for services in the school, home, and community. The discussion will provide an overview of considerations family need in order to identify supports and advocate for their children.

Using Math Curriculum Based Assessments To Predict Student Performance On The Pennsylvania System Of School Assessment Math Test, Joseph H. Lucas

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Today, a considerable emphasis is placed on students’ performance on state-wide achievement tests. In light of the mounting pressure for accountability for student academic achievement on state-wide tests, the use of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) methods for monitoring student progress, identifying students at risk for failing state tests, and identifying skill deficits to be addressed through interventions to increase student performance could prove beneficial. This study examined the relationship of the Measures of Academic Progress Math CBM (MAP) to performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Achievement (PSSA) with correlational analysis and the calculation of sensitivity and specificity indices and kappa ...

Predicting Students’ Confidence: How Teacher Feedback And Other Sources Influence Self-Efficacy In Mathematics Classrooms, Megan Kleine-Kracht Thomas

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

In this two-part dissertation, the sources of self-efficacy were investigated for elementary and middle school students in mathematics classrooms. In the first study, the Sources of Middle School Mathematics Scale (Usher & Pajares, 2009) was validated with a younger sample. Participants included 367 fourth- through sixth-grade students; these participants completed two surveys investigating their beliefs regarding their capabilities to perform successfully in mathematics. This study included an examination of the psychometric properties and a confirmatory factor analysis of the Sources of Middle School Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, and an investigation into the relative power of mastery experience, vicarious experience, social persuasions, and physiological state to predict self-efficacy. This scale demonstrates adequate reliability and validity to be used ...

Reducing Disruptive Behavior During Lunchtime In Urban Elementary Students: A Comparison Of Two School-Based Lunchtime Interventions, Victoria Joy Downes

Counseling Psychology Dissertations

Although there has been research on ways to reduce disruptive behavior in elementary school students during class time, a need for interventions that target disruptive behavior in elementary students during unstructured school times, such as lunch and recess, remains. In addition, there has been little research on school-based interventions that address the unique needs of students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who live in urban areas. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two cafeteria-based behavioral interventions on students' disruptive and prosocial behaviors. The study was conducted with 250 kindergarten and first grade students in ...

The Intersection Between Home And School: Developing A Scale To Measure Parental Perceptions Of Childhood School Stress, Teresa Marie Henke

Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Parents in the home and educators in the schools are key adults in the most important contexts in the daily lives of school-age children. In the demanding, achievement, and accountability oriented culture of today, it is expected that children experience normal everyday stressors as they move between these two environments. The impact of stress related to daily hassles has been reported to have both cognitive and physical effects on the present and future well-being of children. This study represented an attempt to advance the understanding of childhood stress in the intersection between school and home by investigating the perceptions ...

Gifted Hispanic Identity: Exploring Relationships Among Resilience, Goals And Academic Orientation, Matthew Forrester

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological analysis was to explore the identity development of gifted Hispanic male students in the middle school setting. The study used a survey, multiple interviews and observations, along with focus group data to acquire data in four principle areas: academic orientation, ethnic identity, resilience and goals. Results indicate the importance of resilience as an interactive element in the process of identity development, as well as the importance of ethnic identity exploration and long-term goal setting in formulating a high achieving academic orientation. Other emergent themes such as language use and discrimination are also discussed in light ...

The Relation Between High-Quality Prekindergarten Classroom Environments And Literacy Outcomes For Students Learning English As A Second Language, Allison Q. Osborn

Open Access Theses and Dissertations from the College of Education and Human Sciences

U. S. students’ early English literacy skills are critical for their later reading and subsequent school success (e.g., Badian, 2000; Collins, 2010; Molfese et al., 2001; Storch & Whitehurst, 2002). Children’s literacy skills are stronger when they attend high-quality prekindergarten classrooms, especially classrooms with strong instructional supports (Hamre & Pianta, 2005). Moreover, some research has suggested that students who enter school with the weakest skills and with higher risk of academic difficulty (including students who speak English as a second language) benefit the most from high-quality instruction and interactions in early literacy and reading (Connor, Morrison, & Petrella, 2004; Downer et al., 2007; Hamre & Pianta, 2005; Hamre et al., 2010; Morrison & Connor, 2002). This study examined (a) the relation between classroom quality and English early literacy skills of prekindergarten students; (b) how this relation differs for English- and Spanish-speaking students; and (c) the relation between classroom quality and Spanish early literacy skills for Spanish-speaking students. Participants included 225 students within nine classrooms in a Midwestern, rural town. Data collected included domain scores of classroom quality (the CLASS Pre-K; Pianta et al., 2008), measures of students’ early language and literacy skills (the PPVT-III ...