Education Commons^™

The Correlation Between Quality Mentoring Relationships And African American Males' Overall Engagement And Academic Success, Cedric Gerard Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mentoring has been the saving grace for many African American males. The positive influence of a caring adult, in many cases, shifted their academic path from danger to success. Programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America have provided opportunities for students at-risk to form positive relationships along with a better outlook on life. The purpose of this correlational study is to determine if a relationship exists between quality mentoring relationships and attendance, behavior, and cumulative grade point average of African American males. The research questions guiding this correlational study are: 1) Is there a relationship between quality mentoring …

The Impact Of Physical Activity Breaks In The Classroom, Ryan Iverson

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research study was to determine the relationship between physical activity breaks and their impact on student achievement and behavior. The participants included 30, eleven and twelve-year-old students, who attended a public school in the north suburbs of MN. Students participated in 5-10-minute physical active breaks in health class during a 6-week trial period. Data was collected through the use of summative assessments, student surveys, and an observational behavior chart. The study found that implementing physical activity breaks in the classroom can have a positive impact on students’ academic achievement and behavior. The researcher recommends further …

Morning Meeting: An Examination Of Its Effect On Student Behavior And Peer Relationships, Allison Dooley

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects Morning Meeting has on student behavior and peer relationships. Data was collected on student behavior through observations in a first-grade classroom. Negative student behaviors decreased as a result of the implementation of Morning Meeting. Analysis of the data collected suggested the positive impacts Morning Meeting has on student behavior and peer relationships. Positive student behavior and peer relationships create a positive classroom community, increasing student performance. Therefore, Morning Meeting should be a consistent strategy in lower elementary classrooms.

Social Stories And Student Behavior In A Kindergarten Classroom, Amy Smith

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research was to determine the impact of a whole group social story on the practice and development of self-regulatory skills of kindergarten students. The research setting was a small, rural public school in the Midwest. The participants were 16 five and six-year old students in a general education kindergarten classroom. Qualitative and quantitative data focusing on self-regulatory behaviors was collected through observation during pre and post-intervention times. Kindergarten students participated in four weeks of a whole group social story intervention that occurred between the data collection weeks. This social story focused on positive and appropriate …

Using Role Play To Teach Social Emotional Skills In The Early Childhood Classroom, Rebecca Havens

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine if using role play in the classroom would be an effective teaching strategy to improve the social emotional skills of kindergarten students. With the focus of kindergarten shifting towards more academics, it remains important to teach social and emotional skills with an effective, efficient approach. Participants included 19 kindergarten students in a small elementary school in the Midwest. The research included using children’s literature to prompt discussions and role playing activities around social emotional skills. The role play activities included practicing what to say to a peer when a problem arises in …

Baseline Cultural Competence In Physician Assistant Students, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Paula B. Phelps, H. Cathleen Tarp

Psychology Faculty Publications

Purpose

Cultural competence is a critical component in health care services. The relationship between health disparities and prejudice and discrimination is well documented. Prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behavior are modifiable through training yet few programs have evidence-based training. No published data has reported on baseline levels of cultural competencies in medical trainees which is necessary for tailoring programs appropriate to the audience. This manuscript fills that gap by reporting on data from three cohorts of first-year Physician Assistant (PA) students (N = 216). We examined students’ baseline levels with special attention to differences in cultural competence constructs across age, …