Education Commons^™

Searching For The Right Way To Begin Class, John D. Lawry

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Using Supervision To Prepare Social Justice Counseling Advocates, Harriet L. Glosoff, Judith C. Durham

Department of Counseling Scholarship and Creative Works

Over the past several years, there has been an increased focus on integrating not only multiculturalism in the counseling profession, but also advocacy and social justice. Although the professional literature addresses the importance of cultural competence in supervision, there is a paucity of information about social justice advocacy in relation to the process of counseling supervision. In this article, the authors share a rationale for Integrating a social justice advocacy orientation in supervision, discuss the connection between diversity and social justice advocacy counseling competence, address challenges faced by supervisors, and suggest specific strategies for use in supervision to prepare counselors …

Educators' Attitudes Toward Outdoor Classrooms And The Cognitive Benefits In Children, Carlie Speedlin

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

A case study was organized at a K-5 elementary school in Lincoln, Nebraksa. This school is Saratoga Elementary School and is a United States Title I Distinguished School1 under No Child Left Behind. It has a population of 266 students, with 47% being minority, 1% gifted, and 28% special education (LPS School Profile Brochure). 80% of the student population is eligible for free/reduced meals, implying that it’s a school with a lower socioeconomic status. At this school a garden space was constructed and an after school garden club was implemented for this case study. The club had been running since …

Provide Visual Structure For Students With Asd, Tina Taylor

Faculty Publications

World renowned animal scientist and autism self-advocate Temple Grandin said, "People on the autism/Asperger spectrum have uneven skills. They are often good at one type of learning and bad at another. Educators need to work on building up the area of strength." She explains that three cognitive areas of strength are those who are visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, and word thinkers. Visual thinkers are more inclined to think in pictures rather than words. They may excel in graphic design, industrial design, animation, geometry, or trigonometry. Pattern thinkers have abstract visual thoughts where they can see patterns and relationships between numbers. …

Coaching Efficacy With Academic Leaders: A Phenomenological Investigation, Deanna Lee Vansickel-Peterson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this psychological phenomenological research was to understand the efficacy of life coaching from the perspective of academic leaders. To date, not one investigation or attempt has been made towards the above stated purpose. This study includes a theoretical overview and a review of the coaching literature from Socrates (469-399 BC) to current day Humanistic theory presented in part by Roger (1902-1987).

This process included data collection from five academic leaders who have been coached for at least two years. Levels of analysis of 365 statements, quote and/or comments produced finding of efficacy in life coaching with academic …

Parental Absence And Academic Achievement In Immigrant Students, Chrysalis L. Wright

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic achievement and educational expectations as a function of parental absence were examined among 268 newly immigrant elementary, middle, and high-school students from Spanish-speaking countries. Data collected as part of a longitudinal study of adaptation and achievement in newly immigrant students were analyzed. Participants had varying experiences with parental absence, in terms of length of absence, gender of absent parent, and reason for absence. Reasons for parental absence included parental divorce, parental death, and serial migration, a cause unique to immigrant children. Students who experienced parental absence reported lower educational expectations. Students who experienced the death of a parent had …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On Homework Completion And Accuracy Rates Of Students With Disabilities In An Inclusive General Education Classroom, Carol Ann Falkenberg

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of self-monitoring on the homework completion and accuracy rates of four, fourth-grade students with disabilities in an inclusive general education classroom. A multiple baseline across subjects design was utilized to examine four dependent variables: completion of spelling homework, accuracy of spelling homework, completion of math homework, accuracy of math homework. Data were collected and analyzed during baseline, three phases of intervention, and maintenance. Throughout baseline and all phases, participants followed typical classroom procedures, brought their homework to school each day and gave it to the general education teacher. During Phase I of the intervention, participants …

A Naturalistic Study Of Exercise Adherence Among A Community Based Sample At A Fitness Facility, Felicia M. Johnson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study aimed at investigating the factors predictive of exercise for short-term (i.e., at least six months) and long-term (i.e., at least one year) adherence at a fitness facility. Exercise adherence, defined through the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) as the maintenance stage of change, and frequency of participation in exercise were measured through member utilization of the fitness facility as it occurred in the participant’s natural setting without interference of the researcher. Each time a member entered the exercise facility they scanned their member card and their attendance was automatically recorded into the membership computer system. Fitness Planning & Positive Appraisal, …

Multidimensional Physical Self-Concept Of Athletes With Physical Disabilities, Deborah R. Shapiro, Jeffrey J. Martin

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

The purposes of this investigation were first to predict reported PA (physical activity) behavior and self-esteem using a multidimensional physical self-concept model and second to describe perceptions of multidimensional physical self-concept (e.g., strength, endurance, sport competence) among athletes with physical disabilities. Athletes (N = 36, M age = 16.11, SD age = 2.8) completed the Physical Self- Description Questionnaire. Participants reported mostly positive perceptions of self-esteem, global physical self-concept, endurance, body fat, sport competence, strength, flexibility, and physical activity (Ms ranging from 3.9 to 5.6 out of 6). Correlations indicated a number of significant relationships among self-esteem …

Assessment Of Students’ Knowledge Of Internet Risk And Internet Behaviors: Potential Threat To Bullying And Contact By Internet Predators, Stacey L. Kite, Robert K. Gable, Lawrence P. Filippelli

Cyberbullying

Given the serious issue of bullying, this study sought to assess middle and high school students' knowledge of appropriate use and their behaviors on the Internet and social networking sites, especially regarding behaviors that may lead to cyberbullying or contact with potential Internet predators.

Construct Invariance Of The Survey Of Knowledge Of Internet Risk And Internet Behavior Knowledge Scale, Robert K. Gable, Ph.D., Larry H. Ludlow, Ph.D., D. Betsy Mccoach, Ph.D., Stacey L. Kite

Cyberbullying

The wide use of the Internet has the potential for students to become victims of Internet sexual predators or other students who engage in inappropriate cyberbullying behaviors. The key for educational programming efforts targeted for students, teachers and parents is instrumentation that provides meaningful and reliable data assessing students’ knowledge of Internet risk and their actual Internet behaviors. The Survey of Knowledge of Internet Risk and Internet Behavior (SKIRIB) was developed for this type of assessment. Construct invariance of the SKIRIB Knowledge scale regarding gender and grade level is examined for N=2621 middle school and N=1594 high school students using …

Contemporary Children’S Literature Recommendations For Working With Preadolescent Children Of Divorce, P. S. Mcmillen, Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson

Library Faculty Publications

Bibliotherapy, defined most basically, is helping with books (Hynes & Hynes-Berry, 1994). Derived from the Greek words meaning book and therapy, bibliotherapy goals fall usefully into two categories. Clinical bibliotherapy, using books to facilitate specified therapeutic goals with those experiencing significant emotional or behavioral problems, involves trained health and mental health professionals such as psychologists, counselors, psychiatric nurses, or social workers. Developmental bibliotherapy, using books to address situational, transitional, and normal developmental issues, can be implemented by others, like educators or librarians, who work in helping roles. Books provide solace, reassurance, and even escape; they also provide new ideas for …

The Death Experience: Helping Parents Understand Childhood Grief, Naomi Weeks, Kimber Peart

All Current Publications

Children sometimes experience the loss of someone they love or are close to, or may be suffering from a life-threatening illness themselves. This fact sheet provides a brief insight into how to help children cope with death.

Study Smarter, Not Harder, Tara T. Lineweaver, Amanda C. Gingerich

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Provides tips for studying.

Academic Dishonesty In Online Education, Wren Allen Mills

Dissertations

This dissertation examined cheating attitudes and behaviors of undergraduates, especially those enrolled in online courses. While cheating is an established problem within the academy, it is also an issue on the job and has been in the spotlight in recent years, with ethics scandals in corporate America and plagiarism in the media. With this in mind, and the foundational philosophy of the Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education (Bureau of Education, 1928) and the American Council on Education’s (1937) Student Personnel Point of View, this study sought insight into students’ attitudes about cheating behaviors and practices of them in online courses …

Student Leader Lmx Relationships As Moderated By Constructive-Developmental Theory, Shelly Mumma

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Scholarship

This study examined how the quality of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) relationships was moderated by the Constructive-Developmental stage or Order of Consciousness of both leader and follower. Using student organization presidents and officers on a small, private, liberal arts college campus in the Midwest, the researcher used a sample of 37 students to study the impact developmental stage had on the leadership relationship. Using the Leader Member Exchange-Multi-Dimensional Measure (LMX-MDM), four dimensions of LMX were examined. The four dimensions were Affect, Contribution, Loyalty and Professional Respect. There was no significant relationship between Order of Consciousness and quality of LMX relationship. While …

Social Relationships And Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review, Timothy B. Smith, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, J. Bradley Layton

Faculty Publications

Background: The quality and quantity of individuals' social relationships has been linked not only to mental health but also to both morbidity and mortality. Objectives: This meta-analytic review was conducted to determine the extent to which social relationships influence risk for mortality, which aspects of social relationships are most highly predictive, and which factors may moderate the risk. Data Extraction: Data were extracted on several participant characteristics, including cause of mortality, initial health status, and pre-existing health conditions, as well as on study characteristics, including length of follow-up and type of assessment of social relationships. Results: Across 148 studies (308,849 …

Improving Irt Parameter Estimates With Small Sample Sizes: Evaluating The Efficacy Of A New Data Augmentation Technique, Brett P. Foley

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The 3PL model is a flexible and widely used tool in assessment. However, it suffers from limitations due to its need for large sample sizes. This study introduces and evaluates the efficacy of a new sample size augmentation technique called Duplicate, Erase, and Replace (DupER) Augmentation through a simulation study. Data are augmented using several variations of DupER Augmentation (based on different imputation methodologies, deletion rates, and duplication rates), analyzed in BILOG-MG 3, and results are compared to those obtained from analyzing the raw data. Additional manipulated variables include test length and sample size. Estimates are compared using seven different …

The Hours – A Film To Enhance Teaching Psychology, Christina J. Taylor

Psychology Faculty Publications

Hollywood films provide a rich and engaging means for teaching students about psychological topics. The Hours is an especially noteworthy film because of the wide range of psychological issues touched upon, including mental illness, gender roles, families, chronic illness, bereavement, caregiving, sexuality, and sexual orientation. Analysis of the film in this paper provides instructors of courses in psychology, social work, nursing, medicine, women's studies, and related courses, with suggestions for how this compelling film can help students develop in their understanding of human psychology. Demonstrates the pedagogical value of using the feature film to learn about psychological topics, and its …

Strategies For Using Technology When Grading Problem-Based Classes, Susan L. Murray, Ruwen Qin, Ivan G. Guardiola, Abhijit Gosavi

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

More and more work is being done today using technology. Email and digital drop boxes are useful tools for professors; however the challenge comes when one is teaching a quantitative class. The issue of using technology to manage work in a quantitative class is increasing as more engineering programs embrace distance education. In this paper we will review the advantages and disadvantages of several methods of collecting, grading, and returning homework assignments to students. The techniques considered include faxing, PDF grading using a Wacom Tablet, and various email approaches. Student survey results are also included in the paper.

Consultation In The School Psychology Literature: Has The Field Moved Beyond The Three Traditional Models?, Michelle L. Seibert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Consultation is a crucial role for school psychology practitioners. Psychologists routinely use consultation within the schools and actually wish they could spend more of their work hours on this activity. However, when authors write about consultation in the school psychology literature, they use numerous terms and phrases, which cause confusion as to what models of consultation are prominent in the field. The focus of the current study is to examine the articles that mention consultation in School Psychology Review (Digest) in order to determine whether the three traditional models (behavioral, mental health, and organizational consultation) are still prominent in consultation …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports In The Elementary School Setting, Ashely Bryce Mcginnis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) is a heavily promoted area that focuses on promoting pro-social behavior and preventing misbehavior. Many schools are moving towards SWPBS as the universal level of support for behavior. With Response to Intervention (RtI) being at the forefront of educational reform, this type of universal support is strongly recommended for academic needs, as well as behavioral needs. Data were collected from 25 schools in the West Region of Kentucky that collaborate with the Kentucky Center of Instructional Discipline (KYCID). A series of t-tests were completed in order to examine the relationship between Office Discipline Referrals (ODRs), …

Labels For Anchors: The Good, The Bad, And The Endpoints, James Lee Hellrung Ii

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study was designed to determine if any differences in internal consistency existed between different designs of scale anchors. The three different designs explored were properly designed scales, improperly designed scales, and endpoint only scales. Two-Hundred and thirty-five participants rated the frequency of which they performed various computer activities on a survey using one of the three different designs. Contrary to expectations, internal consistency did not differ across the three designs.

Diagnostic Decision-Making: How Much Do Behavior Rating Scales Influence School Psychologists?, Lesley Ann Higgins

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Behavior rating scales are commonly used as part of the evaluation process throughout the field of psychology. Behavior rating scales help assess social, emotional, and/or behavioral problems in children, adolescents, and teens. Behavior rating scales indicate the severity of problem behaviors compared to a normative sample. Four scenarios were developed that varied scores on a behavior rating scale and the amount of other information that supported a specific diagnosis. A rating of the likelihood of a diagnosis was requested to see how much influence behavior rating scale scores have on diagnostic decision-making. Each of the four scenarios was sent to …

The Effect Of An Overall Rating Item On Halo Error In Performance Evaluations, S. Elizabeth Hogue

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study focuses on how the presence or absence of an overall rating item on a performance evaluation form affects levels of halo error and satisfaction with the form. Participants included undergraduate college students who were randomly assigned to groups receiving a form with or without an overall rating item at the beginning of the form. A satisfaction item was included on both forms. The analyses included a z-test for correlations from independent samples to determine the difference between the two evaluation forms and a t-test to determine the difference between the satisfaction scores of the two forms. The analyses …

Population Cross-Validity Estimation And Adjustment For Direct Range Restriction: A Monte Carlo Investigation Of Procedural Sequences To Achieve Optimal Cross-Validity, David Matthew Goins

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study employs Monte Carlo analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of various statistical procedures for determining specific values of interest within a population of 1,000,000 cases. Specifically, the proper procedures for addressing the opposing effects of direct range restriction and validity overestimation were assessed through a comparison of multiple correlation coefficients derived using various sequences of procedures in randomly drawn samples. A comparison of the average bias associated with these methods indicated that correction for range restriction prior to the application of a validity overestimation adjustment formula yielded the best estimate of population parameters over a number of conditions. …

A Situational Assessment Of Student Leadership: An Evaluation Of Alternate Forms Reliability And Convergent Validity, Patricia Slack

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Situational Assessment of Leadership: Student Assessment (SALSA©) was developed in the spring of 2009 to be used as a measure of student leadership. Study 1 assessed alternate forms reliability of the SALSA using scores from 178 students. The overall scores on SALSA Form A and SALSA Form B showed a significant correlation (rAB = .906, p < .01). Dimension scores on the two forms ranged from rAB = .475 to rAB = .804. Study 2 evaluated the convergent validity between the SALSA and the Western Kentucky University Center for Leadership Excellence assessment center. SALSA scores as well as assessment scores from 53 students were analyzed. The overall scores on the SALSA and CLE assessment center had a significant yet moderate correlation (r = .513). Dimension correlations were significant but low, ranging from r = .310 to r = .392. The strong correlations in Study 1 indicate the two forms of the SALSA may be used as alternate measures such as in a pre and post-test of leadership. The convergent validities in Study 2 demonstrate that both the SALSA and assessment center may be used to assess leadership. However, the low convergent validities across dimensions indicate overall scores likely should be used rather than dimension scores.

An Evaluation Of The Convergent Validity Of Multi-Source Feedback With Situational Assessment Of Leadership - Student Assessment (Salsa©), Heather Stroupe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study assessed the convergent validity of the Situational Assessment of Leadership – Student Assessment (SALSA©), a situational judgment test (SJT), with multi-source ratings. The SALSA© was administered to ROTC cadets via Blackboard; multi-source ratings, which paralleled the leadership dimensions of the SALSA©, were administered via paper. Each cadet completed the SALSA© and was rated by 10 peers, his/herself, and at least one cadre (superior). SALSA© scores were not correlated with any of the corresponding dimensions on multi-source ratings, with one exception. Cadre ratings of Consideration/Team Skills were positively correlated with SALSA© scores on the same dimension. This finding …

Stress Levels And Development: A Phenomenology Of Autistic Children And Their Parents, Tiffany R. Wiggs

Senior Honors Theses

Being a parent means taking on both the joys and struggles that come with it. When a parent discovers that his or her child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the level of stress changes. It could be helpful to discover the severity of change that the stresses involved in parenting a child with ASD brings to the parent/child relationship and what effect this has on a child’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual development. To attempt to answer these questions, six parents were interviewed. Findings suggested that structure in daily living improves the quality of the child/parent relationship …

The Construction Of An Elementary Music Curriculum Utilizing Backward Design And Bloom’S Taxonomy, Jessica P. Warner

Senior Honors Theses

Based on the philosophy that the development of curriculum should provide a framework for the assessment of student learning, backward design was utilized to develop a curriculum review for an elementary music program. This design worked directly with three levels of Bloom’s taxonomy (knowledge, application, and synthesis) in order to demonstrate the level of learning for three grades in a small, private mid-Atlantic elementary school. Fifteen students were assessed using the rubrics both before and after curriculum implementation, and analyses were conducted to determine what changes resulted from the focused, short-term curriculum. A plan of improvement was then developed for …