Educational Psychology Commons^™

The Impact Of Math Anxiety In The Primary Grades, Amanda R. Anderson-Mix

Mathematics Graduate Theses

Math anxiety is an increasingly common occurrence among individuals when working with mathematical concepts. While researching math anxiety the author came across common gender stereotypes implying: women do not perform as well as men in the field of mathematics, women experience a much higher level of math anxiety than men, and most women do not appreciate performing mathematical tasks. Although the concept of math anxiety is an interesting topic to the author, it's important to look deeper than simply the question, “What is math anxiety?” Seeing these stereotypical assumptions that women have higher math anxiety levels, it made this author …

The Effects Of Book Format On Parent-Child Interaction During Joint Book Reading, Jennifer Lynn Bowman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Technology is a part of our society and is ever changing. Therefore, it is important to examine the effects that such innovations have on parent-child interactions, especially those that have been shown to promote children's early literacy learning and future school success. This study was conducted in the context of a larger project, The Family Reading Project, which investigated parent-child engagement in joint reading activities using mobile devices. This research compared parent and child behaviors when reading traditional books versus reading e-books to determine if book format had any effect on parent-child interaction. The results of this study were that …

Mexican American Adolescents’ Gender Role Attitude Development: The Role Of Adolescents’ Gender And Nativity And Parents’ Gender Role Attitudes, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Susan M. Mchale, Katharine H. Zeiders, Adriana J. Umana-Taylor, Norma J. Perez-Brena, Lorey A. Wheeler, Sue A. Rodriguez De Jesus

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

Gender development has long term implications for education and career endeavors and family formation behaviors, but we know very little about the role of sociocultural factors in developmental and individual differences. In this study, we investigated one domain of gender development, gender role attitudes, in Mexican American adolescents (N = 246; 51% female), using four phases of longitudinal data across eight years. Data were collected when adolescents averaged 12.51 years (SD = 0.58), 14.64 years (SD = 0.59), 17.72 years (SD = 0.57), and 19.60 years of age (SD = 0.66). Mothers’ and fathers’ gender …

A Habitat For “Coco”: A Social Studies Investigation With Preschool-Aged Children, Mary Bowne, Jennifer Kampmann

School of Education, Counseling and Human Development

Every investigation begins with a “spark” or provocation; something that ignites conversation and action by the teacher and/or children. Learning takes place through the process of construction, thus answering the endless “whys” and the meaning of things, others, and life (Rinaldi, 2006), which can be accomplished through projects and investigations. As a teacher, nothing is more rewarding than seeing children’s enthusiasm for learning, specifically the zest to ask questions and take control of their own learning. When teachers create lessons that are engaging, provoke questions, research, and collaboration, the static classroom environment now transforms into a dynamic environment where action …

Mexican-Origin Parents’ Latent Occupational Profiles: Associations With Parent-Youth Relationships And Youth Aspirations, Lorey A. Wheeler, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Adriana Umana-Taylor, Jenn-Yun Tein

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

This study utilized an ecological, person-centered approach to identify subgroups of families who had similar profiles across multiple dimensions of Mexican-origin mothers’ and fathers’ occupational characteristics (i.e., self-direction, hazardous conditions, physical activity) and to relate these subgroups to families’ sociocultural characteristics and youth adjustment. The study included 160 dual-earner Mexican-origin families from the urban Southwest. Mothers’ and fathers’ objective work characteristics and families’ sociocultural characteristics were assessed when youth were in early to middle adolescence; adjustment was assessed during late adolescence and early adulthood for two offspring in each family. A latent profile analysis identified 3 profiles that evidenced distinct …

Toward An Early Start For Head Start Children : Evidence From An Academic-Enriched Literacy Initiative, Haiyan Zhang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The purpose of this study was to address the question of whether it is developmentally appropriate to expose preschool children to a comprehensive instructional program designed to facilitate the acquisition of early literacy skills. The primary means of addressing this question was to assess the development of emergent literacy skills in four-year-old children enrolled in a literacy-enriched Head Start program for a period of one year, as compared with those of four-year-old children who entered at age three and enrolled in the program for two years. Related questions of special interests are to what extent the three and four-year-old children …

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Sexuality Education: A Case Of Primary Schools In Morogoro Region, Tanzania, Margareth Bilinga

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper is about teachers’ attitudes towards teaching sexuality education (SE) in Morogoro rural and urban districts. It is based on a study which employed mixed method design and used both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It involved a sample of 126 teachers residing from Morogoro rural and urban schools. Data were obtained through interviews and questionnaire. It was revealed that a majority of the teachers supported the teaching of SE in schools with more support of HIV and AIDS contents than pregnancy and contraceptives. There was no significant difference in terms of attitudes between teachers residing in rural and urban …

Mexican-Origin Youths’ Trajectories Of Depressive Symptoms: The Role Of Familism Values, Katharine H. Zeiders, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Adriana J. Umana-Taylor, Lorey A. Wheeler, Norma J. Perez-Brena, Sue A. Rodriguez

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

Purpose—To describe Mexican-origin youths’ trajectories of depressive symptoms from early to late adolescence and examine the role of three aspects of familism values: supportive, obligation, and referent familism. Methods—Mexican-origin adolescents (N = 492) participated in home interviews and provided self-reports of depressive symptoms and cultural values at four assessments across an 8-year span. Using a cohort sequential design and accounting for the nesting within the 246 families (2 youth per family), we examined depressive symptoms from ages 12 to 22 years and the within-person, between-sibling, and between-family effects of familism values. Results—Mexican-origin males’ depressive symptoms decreased across …

Relations Of Parenting Quality, Interparental Conflict, And Overnights With Mental Health Problems Of Children In Divorcing Families With High Legal Conflict, Irwin N. Sandler, Lorey A. Wheeler, Sanford L. Braver

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

The current study examined the associations between child mental health problems and the quality of maternal and paternal parenting, and how these associations were moderated by three contextual factors, quality of parenting by the other parent, interparental conflict, and the number of overnights parents had with the child. Data for the current study come from a sample of divorcing families who are in high legal conflict over developing or maintaining a parenting plan following divorce. Analyses revealed that the associations between child mental health problems and positive maternal and paternal parenting were moderated by the quality of parenting provided by …

Supporting Kindergarteners Coping With Chronic Traumatic Stress In The Classroom: A Handbook For Teachers, Allison Tom-Yunger

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study focuses on the effect of chronic traumatic stressors on young children and the role of kindergarten teachers in supporting them. The literature review examines the impact of chronic trauma on children, the importance of resilience and protective factors, and the challenges teachers face addressing the needs of these children. A discussion of standards within the public school system and methods to promote social-emotional learning within the standards-driven classroom is also included. The handbook gives a description of chronic traumatic stress and signs of children coping with trauma, suggestions for direct individual support of children, play and the …

Mexican-Origin Youth's Cultural Orientations And Adjustment: Changes From Early To Late Adolescence, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Adriana J. Umana-Taylor, Susan M. Mchale, Lorey A. Wheeler, Norma Perez-Brena

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

Drawing from developmental and cultural adaptation perspectives and using a longitudinal design, this study examined: (a) mean-level changes in Mexican-origin adolescents’ cultural orientations and adjustment from early to late adolescence; and (b) bidirectional associations between cultural orientations and adjustment using a cross-lag panel model. Participants included 246 Mexicanorigin, predominantly immigrant families that participated in home interviews and a series of nightly phone calls when target adolescents were 12 years and 18 years of age. Girls exhibited more pronounced declines in traditional gender role attitudes than did boys, and all youth declined in familism values, time spent with family, and involvement …

Randomized Trial Of A Broad Preventive Intervention For Mexican American Adolescents, Nancy A. Gonzales, L. E. Dumka, R. E. Millsap, A. Gottschall, D. B. Mcclain, J. J. Wong, M. German, A. M. Mauricio, Lorey A. Wheeler, F. D. Carpentier, S. Y. Kim

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

Objective—This randomized trial of a family-focused preventive intervention for Mexican American (MA) adolescents evaluated intervention effects on adolescent substance use, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and school discipline and grade records in 8th grade, one year after completion of the intervention. The study also examined hypothesized mediators and moderators of intervention effects. Method—Stratified by language of program delivery (English vs. Spanish), the trial included a sample of 516 MA adolescents (50.8% female; M =12.3 years, SD=.54) and at least one caregiver that were randomized to receive a low dosage control group workshop or the 9-week group intervention that included …

Teacher Reflective Function And Its Connection To Observed Teacher-Child Interactions In Head Start Classrooms, Katharine Emerson-Hoss

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The primary purpose of this study was to identify reflective function in Head Start teachers. Reflective function (RF) is a measure of a cognitive-emotional capacity that has been measured through interviews with parents and is linked to the parent's ability to create physical and psychological safety for his/her child (Slade, 2005). This study is the first to apply this measure to teacher interviews. Secondly, this study investigated whether a teacher's RF was related to their interactions with children as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS, Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008). This qualitative multiple case study investigated archival …

Exploring Growth Trajectories Of Problem Behavior In Young Children, Bethany Lynn Mccaffrey

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Given the negative outcomes associated with problem behavior and the heightened risk for children with disabilities to display problematic behavior, the current study implemented hierarchical linear modeling to explore the growth trajectories of problem behavior in a nationally representative sample of preschool children with disabilities. Results indicated child and contextual risk factors were associated with varying levels of problem behavior at 5.5-years-old. Further, cross-level interactions between age and disability classification and age and gender were found to be significant, indicating variations in the trajectories of problem behavior from 3- to 8-years-old can partially be explained by child disability and gender.

Character Education Seeking The Best Of Both Worlds: A Study Of Cultural Identity And Leadership In Egypt., Rania M Rafik Khalil, Nevien Mattar

English Language and Literature

No abstract provided.

Bringing Together Mind And Heart In The Classroom: An Independent Study, Allison Fisch

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The purpose of this thesis is to address the brain research indicating the importance of teaching social and emotional learning and mindfulness within the classroom. Studies denote the possible emotional and social disorders that can stem from a lack of social and emotional awareness. Educators and administrators are provided with activities and techniques that can be adapted into the curriculum with ease. The· activities and techniques reinforce the child's ability to recognize their emotions and gain resilience as well as aiding in their empathy for others. Research supports the concept of mindfulness and how it can be successful in the …

Some Girls Play With Trains: Negotiating Gender In A Preschool Classroom, Laura Zellerbach

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study examines children's understanding of gender roles within a classroom of three and four-year-olds. Discussions of gender in the classroom were recorded and transcribed over a four month period. In January, children were presented with "The Boys and Girls Book, " a book that discussed gender norms in the language of "Some girls play with trains/ Some boys play with trains." Common themes emerged, including gender-typed play, hair and clothing as signifiers of gender, marketing and material goods as related to gender roles, and the use of conventional and unconventional gender stereotypes. These children's changing understandings and rationales concerning …

Work And Mexican American Parent-Adolescent Relationships: The Mediating Role Of Parent Well-Being, Lorey A. Wheeler, Kimberly A. Updegraff

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

This study of Mexican American two-parent families (N = 246) examined the role of parents’ well-being (i.e., depressive symptoms, role overload) as a potential mechanism through which parent occupational conditions (i.e., self-direction, hazardous conditions, physical activity, work pressure) are linked to parent-adolescent relationship qualities (i.e., warmth, conflict, disclosure). Depressive symptoms mediated the links between maternal and paternal work pressure and parentadolescent warmth, conflict, and disclosure. For mothers, depressive symptoms also mediated the links between self-direction and mother-adolescent warmth, conflict, and disclosure; for fathers, role overload mediated the links between work pressure and hazardous conditions with fatheradolescent warmth.

Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Carolyn Spears Daugherty

Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) and to provide an annotated bibliography of professional literature related to bullying for professional educators. The OBPP used a whole school approach and taught common vocabulary to define the word bullying. Bullying rose to front-page news in recent years and the events led to injuries, death, and even suicide. Long-term effects were severe and included self-esteem issues. The OBPP was one of the better-known programs; however, there were contradictory reports on its effectiveness. This mixed methods study gauged teacher and principal perceptions of …

Anxiety In The Math Classroom, Jean Benner

Mathematics Graduate Theses

Math anxiety is a learned response that inhibits cognitive performance in the math classroom. It is widespread among students from elementary age through college. Students suffering from math anxiety have difficulty performing calculations and maintaining a positive outlook on mathematics. Math anxiety is the result of a cycle of math avoidance that begins with negative experiences regarding mathematics. Facts pertaining to math anxiety are discussed and strategies are suggested to assist teachers in helping students to overcome math anxiety or avoid the phenomenon altogether.

Parenting Self-Efficacy And Parenting Practices Over Time In Mexican American Families, Larry E. Dumka, Nancy A. Gonzales, Lorey A. Wheeler, Roger E. Millsap

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

Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study used a longitudinal cross-lagged panel design and a structural equation modeling approach to evaluate parenting self-efficacy's reciprocal and causal associations with parents' positive control practices over time to predict adolescents' conduct problems. Data were obtained from teachers, mothers, and adolescents in 189 Mexican American families living in the southwest U.S. After accounting for contemporaneous reciprocal relationships between parenting self-efficacy (PSE) and positive control, results indicated that parenting self-efficacy predicted future positive control practices rather than the reverse. PSE also showed direct effects on decreased adolescent conduct problems. PSE functioned in an antecedent causal …

Teacher, School, And Student Characteristics, Theoretical Orientations Toward Reading, Attitudes Toward High Stakes Testing, And Reading Performance In Grades K-6, Dianne Memmer-Novak

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

High stakes testing and accountability has become a hotly debated topic among politicians and educators since the bipartisan passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002. With the goal of having all students reading at or above grade level by the end of the 2013-2014 school year Reading First was developed as part of NCLB, to provide schools and teachers with scientific research-based reading instruction.

More than districts or schools, it is the classroom teacher that bears the ultimate responsibility for increasing reading performance. Effective teachers of reading must face the demands and challenges of NCLB while …

Childhood Mental Illness: Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorder, Vicki Wolffe

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Many children are inflicted with psychosis. The following essay is an investigation of the characteristics of mental illness as it appears in youths. Studies have been conducted as to what mental illness looks like in children. Various treatment options are described. The body of this work has been compiled, predominantly, through the review of literature on the subject matter. Limited observation of a child that has been diagnosed with a severe form of psychotic illness has been noted.

Exploring Mothers’ And Fathers’ Relationships With Sons Versus Daughters: Links To Adolescent Adjustment In Mexican Immigrant Families, Kimberly A. Updegraff, Melissa Y. Delgado, Lorey A. Wheeler

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

Drawing on ecological and gender socialization perspectives, this study examined mothers’ and fathers’ relationships with young adolescents, exploring differences between mothers and fathers, for sons versus daughters, and as a function of parents’ division of paid labor. Mexican immigrant families (N = 162) participated in home interviews and seven nightly phone calls. Findings revealed that mothers reported higher levels of acceptance toward adolescents and greater knowledge of adolescents’ daily activities than did fathers, and mothers spent more time with daughters than with sons. Linkages between parent-adolescent relationship qualities and youth adjustment were moderated by adolescent gender and parents’ division …

The Effects Of Different Types Of Background Music On Preschoolers’ Aggressive Classroom Behavior, Marissa Anne Arnett

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Previous research has suggested that background music influences children's classroom behaviors. However, the results of research to date are conflicting on the effects of hard rock background music on children's behavior. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the differential effects of hard rock and easy listening music on preschoolers' aggressive behaviors during center time (e.g., during free play at the water table, art, blocks, and reading centers). Four classrooms with a combined total of 74 students (31 boys and 43 girls) participated in the study. During the 55-day study, we recorded the frequency of children's aggressive …

The Impact Of The 101s: A Guide To Positive Discipline Parent Training: A Case Study Of Kindergarteners And Their Parents In Bangkok, Thailand, Piyavalee Thanasetkorn

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

To reduce using corporal punishment with children, the need to introduce alternative ways for parent practices has been requested by Thai parents. However, empirical research of parents' use of positive practices to discipline their young children has been limited in Thailand. Given the effectiveness of positive discipline as an accepted method in order to improve children's social and academic competencies in U.S., a cultural extension of positive discipline techniques to Thai culture is of interest. This study investigated the effectiveness of The 101s: A Guide to Positive Discipline training on Thai positive parenting skills to increase the quality of …

The Impact Of The 101s: A Guide To Positive Discipline Teacher Training On Teacher Interaction Practices, Teacher-Child Relationship Quality, School Adjustment, And Academic Outcomes In Kindergarten Classrooms In Bangkok, Thailand, Panadda Thanasetkorn

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

While a great body of research evidence in the United States shows the impact of positive teacher interactions on teacher-child relationship quality and beneficial school outcomes for young children, it is not clear how Thai children would respond to the kind of interactional and social-emotional practices of American teachers. In this research, teacher training through The 101s: A Guide to Positive Discipline (The 101s, Kersey, 2006) was implemented in kindergarten classrooms in Bangkok, Thailand. The purpose of the study was (a) to investigate the impact of The 101s teacher training on changes in teacher interaction practices, teacher-child relationship …

The Effectiveness Of Teacher-Child Interaction Training On Behaviorally At-Risk Preschool Children, Margaret T. Floress

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is an empirically validated treatment program shown to decrease children's disruptive behavior and increase compliance (Funderburk et al., 1998). Research conducted by Eisenstadt, Eyberg, McNeil, Newcomb, and Funderburk (1993) indicates PCIT is an effective treatment for improving child compliance and conduct problems in a clinical setting. In addition, McNeil, Eyberg, Eisenstadt, Newcomb, and Funderburk (1991) found that behavioral improvements due to PCIT also generalized to school settings. However, little research has examined the effects of implementing Teacher-Child Interaction Therapy (TCIT) directly in the classroom (McIntosh, Rizza & Bliss, 2000). This single-subject multiple-baseline study examined the effectiveness …

Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying Prevention: A Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Perceptions Of Bullying Prevention Programs, Diana Howell

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

School bullying has often been tacitly minimalized as a rite of passage—an unfortunate but common experience among children. In the past few years there has been an increasing awareness of school bullying as a catalyst of school violence. Parents, school boards, and administrators are understanding and taking more seriously the negative impact that bullying has on victimized students and are actively looking for ways to reduce incidents of such violence. This research provides a discussion of bullying behavior and an examination of teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of bullying prevention programs in their schools. If teachers do not feel that …

Reconfiguring Childhood Boys And Girls Growing Up Global, Cindi Katz

Publications and Research

Children are a spur, a commitment, a way of imaging the future—but all too often these sorts of phrases just rattle around a vacuum, their utterance the beginning and end of the commitment. We emphasize “the best interests of the child,”but this gloss provides a moral imperative to all manner of uncompleted projects and unfulfilled policies. Likewise, the use of children’s images or presence in public forums of all types gives a patina of honorableness to practices and plans that never actually make good on the promissory note of childhood. The 1992 Rio Earth Summit is a notable example. Such …