Educational Psychology Commons^™

Tiers 1 & 2 Intervention: Peer Mediation, Jenna Strawhun, Ken Parnell, Reece L. Peterson, Shir Palmon

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

The benefits of a peer mediation program can be school-wide. These programs can promote a change in attitude toward conflict, as students improve their perspective taking skills, develop leadership skills, learn to tolerate alternative points of view, and realize that they can respond in a more constructive way to frustrating circumstances. The strategies and skills learned become a process that defines values and leads to school-wide growth (Rogers, 1994). Peer mediation programs can provide a school with a positive climate. It is also an alternative to traditional disciplinary practices, but most importantly, students will learn conflict resolution and problem-solving …

Combating The Motivational Interference Potential Of Technological Distractions During Academic Tasks: The Role Of Academic Delay Of Gratification, Abraham E. Flanigan

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

The presence of technological distractions during homework and study diminishes students’ ability to self-regulate effectively, a phenomenon known as motivational interference. To date, no studies have explored the relationship between college students’ delay of gratification tendencies and motivational interference. Do students with greater delay of gratification tendencies experience less motivational interference from a potential distraction? The present study explored this question by comparing students’ academic delay of gratification tendencies with their experiences of motivational interference. Participants self-reported their delay of gratification tendencies then completed an academic task while confronted with a computer distractor. Afterward, participants self-reported their motivational interference scores. …

The Power And Type I Error Rate Of Holm's Procedure When The Assumptions Of Normality And Variance Homogeneity Are Violated, Michael J. Zweifel

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

When multiple hypothesis tests are conducted on a single data set, it is necessary to control for the inflation of the Type I error rate. This is done through the use of multiple comparison procedures. Holm’s procedure is a potentially attractive multiple comparison procedure because it makes no assumptions about the data and it is simple to implement. Holm’s procedure is conducted by adjusting the p-values obtained from a prior statistical test. As a result, the power and Type I error rate of Holm’s procedure may be tied to the assumptions of the statistical test from which the p …

Fostering Metacognition In The Middle School Classroom: An Exploration Of Teachers' Practices, Markeya S. Peteranetz

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

This thesis investigated how middle school teachers foster metacognition through instruction. Metacognition is the knowledge and awareness of one’s thinking as well as monitoring and control of thought processes. Metacognition is related to student achievement and can be increased through both implicit and explicit instruction. Explicit instruction takes place when the teacher points out, explains, or discusses the benefits of metacognition. Implicit instruction occurs when the teacher models or prompts the use of metacognition without expressly acknowledging or discussing it. This thesis used both quantitative and qualitative methods to determine the extent that metacognition is fostered in middle school classrooms …

Interactive Usage Of Demonstration Videos: An Experimental Evaluation, Ryan Anderson, Shiyuan Wang, Lisa M. Pytlikzillig, Kevin M. Lee

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Crouch et al (2004) posit that students will be more engaged by and learn more from classroom demonstrations when asked to predict the outcome of the demonstration and discuss it with peers. We tested this hypothesis in an experiment involving 116 students enrolled in an undergraduate astronomy class using an online survey and five video demonstrations. Students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, including watching a set of videos (about convection, sun spots, and buoyancy) under one of Crouch’s three modes of presentation (observe, predict, and discuss) and a control condition which involved viewing different videos (about differentiation …

Tiers 1, 2 & 3 Intervention: Reinforcement, Scott Fluke, Jenna Strawhun, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

There is overwhelming evidence that the use of reinforcement can change behavior. Reinforcement is a beneficial tool for teachers and administrators and can be used to improve both academic and behavioral performance of students. It can be readily adapted to fit individual, classroom, and school-wide behavioral goals. Key implementation considerations can maximize the effectiveness of reinforcement. Reinforcement allows schools to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to be functional members of society, and can maintain a positive school climate. It is one of the most powerful tools available, and should be one of the first strategies …

Tiers 1, 2 & 3 Intervention: Parent & Family Involvement, Jenna Strawhun, Amber Olson, Elisabeth J. Kane, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Parental involvement includes several factors related to parenting style/practices, communication, learning at home, volunteering, community collaboration, and parent decision-making using relevant data. Parental involvement has been shown to be an effective tool for increasing student engagement in the form of increased academic performance and adherence to behavior expectations. Research should extend to examining the effects of parent involvement for minority students and highlighting the specific factors that compose “parent involvement” and their influence on outcomes. Specific strategies to promote parent involvement should incorporate professional development for teachers, parent input regarding family-based needs, and multicultural considerations.

See related Strategy Briefs …

The Effect Of Morphological Strategies Training For English Language Learners, Qizhen Deng, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of morphological strategies training for English language learners from an Intensive English Program with different English proficiency levels. A secondary goal was to investigate how the training influences their cognitive load during morphological analysis tasks. Findings from 22 participants revealed that morphological strategies training positively affects the morphological awareness of ELLs and reduces the cognitive load of ELLs for all types of morphological tasks regardless of their English proficiency level: sentence completion, analogy, break down words, and meaning guess.

[Note: Download button links to pdf version; PowerPoint slide version attached …

Tiers 1, 2 & 3 Intervention: Social Skills Instruction, Jenna Strawhun, Ann O'Connor, Laura Norris, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Social skills instruction has been found to have a positive impact on students. While there has been some controversy over the long term impact of social skills instruction and its generalization to other settings, it has resulted in improved behavior at school and should be a part of efforts to improve school climate and behavior at school, particularly for those students who have not learned these skills informally. Additionally specific social skills instruction can be used as an alternative disciplinary consequence for inappropriate behavior at school although there is not currently enough research studies to say this is an …

Tier 3 Intervention: Wraparound, Jenna Strawhun, Reece L. Peterson, Amber Reeble, Scott Fluke

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

According to VanDenBerg et al. (2003), the basic tenant of wraparound is simple: “If the needs of the youth and family are met, it is likely that the youth and family will have a good (or at least an improved) life” (page 4). Therefore, wraparound appears to be a promising process for coordinating and organizing the delivery of services to children and youth with serious emotional and behavioral disorders. Preliminary findings suggest mixed results for the costeffectiveness and long term effectiveness of wraparound in addressing mental health symptoms, although its widespread use and many positive evaluations albeit without consistent …

Tiers 2 & 3 Intervention: Grade Retention & Demotion: A Traditional Discipline Consequence, Natalie Hoff, Reece L. Peterson, Jenna Strawhun

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Based on the host of research regarding the use of retention and its detrimental effects, schools should look to more effective methods of improving student academic or behavioral performance. There are a variety of things that the schools can do, including summer school, peer tutoring, reading programs, and establishing individual interventions for students who need more intensive supports. The bottom line is that neither retention nor demotion are effective disciplinary policies, as neither addresses the underlying issues. There is no evidence supporting the use of retention or demotion as effective disciplinary consequences, as each has potentially strong negative impacts …

An Investigation Of The Soar Study Strategy For Learning From Multiple Online Resources, Tareq Daher

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This dissertation investigated the effects of the SOAR study strategy for learning from multiple online resources. SOAR includes the components of Selection, Organization, Association, and Regulation. In past research, the effects of SOAR training were investigated with one online resource and with students studying provided or partially provided materials following training. This dissertation examines the effects of SOAR when learning from multiple online resources and when students create their own study materials following training and thus addresses this research gap. One hundred thirty-four (134) college students were assigned randomly to the control or experimental groups. All students participated in online …

Linear And Nonlinear Modeling Of Item Position Effects, Chansuk Kang

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

Item parameter invariance is one of the properties of item response theory (IRT) that enables computerized adaptive testing (CAT) for test administration. The possible influence of item position on test performance is one of the severe threats to the property of item parameter invariance within IRT. This study examines how different representations of item position, i.e., using categorical, linear, and quadratic terms, can impact how the relationship between item position and item difficulty is expressed. An explanatory IRT model is formulated for estimating item position effects. The model is demonstrated using data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) …

Exploring The Multiple Dimensions Of Intelligence Identity In High-Achieving Students, Amy A. Holland

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the important elements reported by second-year undergraduates at Midwestern University (MU) as they renegotiated their intelligence identity of being the smart one. The five participants were members of the 2012-2013 first-year cohort of Jumpstart Business Community (JBC). Per inclusion in JBC, the students identified as high-achieving students and/or were classified as accelerated learners in high school. The reconceptualized model of multiple dimensions of identity from Abes, Jones, and McEwen (2007) informed this study in the examination of renegotiation of the intelligence identity.

The main research question of this study was what …

Students' Perceptions Of Recess: An Examination Of Predictors Of Peer Conflict, Kadie Dooley

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

Recess plays an important role in students’ school days because it provides students opportunities to interact with their peers in unstructured settings. Some research has explored the relation between peer conflict within school contexts and how it is related to locations of positive play and the presence of adult supervisors. Further, researchers have conducted studies to examine within group differences for gender and grade, as well as between school differences. However, results have been mixed.

This dissertation examined the degree to which the following variables were related to where peer conflict occurs during recess: location of adult supervisors, location of …

Supporting Positive Parent-Toddler Relationships And Reducing Toddler Tantrums: Evaluation Of Pcat-E, Tara M. Sjuts

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

At the most fundamental level, a positive parent-child relationship is the foundation of child success. However, the toddler period may present difficulties for the parent-child relationship. As toddlers explore their autonomy, they challenge parents with noncompliance and temper tantrums, which may be difficult for the parent-child relationship. This study examined the impact of an extension of Parent-Child Attunement Therapy (Parent Child Attunement Therapy – Enhanced; PCAT-E) on parenting behaviors, toddler tantrum behaviors, and the parent-toddler relationship. This extension featured eight individual didactic and coaching sessions with parent-child dyads focused on teaching positive parenting skills, effective commands, and emotion language modeling. …

An Examination Of The Role Of Social Support, Coping Strategies, And Individual Characteristics In Students’ Adaptation To College, Arleen Bejerano

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Adaptation, or adjustment, is a psycho-social process that occurs when an individual accepts and integrates into his or her life a transition from one situation to another situation (Schlossberg, 1981). Many individuals struggle with transitions because transitions involve changes in the environment, roles, routines, and/or ways of looking at the world. The present investigation examines the transition from high school to college, and explores the interpersonal and individual ways that students manage the changes accompanying this transition. Using Transition Theory as a framework, students’ social support networks, coping strategies, self-esteem, and depression are posited to influence students’ adaptation to college …

Tiers 2 & 3 Intervention: Truancy Reduction, Ann O'Connor, Reece L. Peterson, Jenna Strawhun

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Truancy and chronic absenteeism are an increasing problem in many schools that can have a serious impact on whether a student drops out or stays in school, as well as whether or not they might later have interactions with the criminal court system. Many states have laws requiring students to attend school to a certain age and require schools to enforce these attendance laws, often with punitive consequences. There are several different strategies to increase attendance rates including mentoring programs, family or parent-based interventions, locating community resources to assist in meeting the needs of students and their families, strategies …

Tier 2 Intervention: Detention, Scott Fluke, Amber Olson, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Detention is one of the primary discipline strategies used by teachers and administrators across the country in elementary, middle, and high schools. Despite its popularity, very little research has been conducted on its effectiveness. What little research there is suggests that detention, particularly lunch detention, can be effective for some students; especially those who are not likely to repeatedly break school rules. However, detention is unlikely to be effective for students who repeatedly receive office referrals. It is recommended that before issuing a detention, teachers and administrators review records for the student in question. If the student has received …

Tier 3 Intervention: Family Group Conferencing, Ann O'Connor, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

The family group conference model is a useful tool for bringing together members of a family, a school, and a community to create a plan and offer support for students with chronic behavioral or mental health needs, as well as students who might otherwise be suspended or expelled for a variety of behavior serious incidents. It is an effective restorative practice for teaching offenders about the harm they caused (Bazemore & Umbreit, 2001). In the school setting, conferencing helps to address the power imbalances between school officials and the student and community. In the conference, everyone must listen respectfully, …

Tiers 2 & 3 Intervention: Lowering Course Grades: A Traditional Discipline Consequence, Natalie Hoff, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

The act of lowering a student’s course grade has been utilized by schools in the past; however, in the eyes of the court this is seen as unconstitutional. Students’ grades are supposed to be a reflection of academic performance and should not be raised or lowered according to non-academic misconduct. Therefore, schools must consider taking alternative action in the face of student misbehavior.

Lowering course grades is a traditional disciplinary consequence which lacks logic and which may violate the law. It is without evidence regarding effectiveness in changing student behavior. No endorsement of its use should be implied in …

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 …

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 …

Eyes Never Lie: Eye-Tracking Technology Reveals How Students Study Displays, Linlin Luo, Markeya S. Peteranetz, Abraham E. Flanigan, Amanda L. Witte, Kenneth A. Kiewra

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

This study investigated the achievement benefits of studying different forms of verbal displays and explored how students study these displays using eye-tracking technology. Sixty-eight college students were assigned randomly to one of four display groups: text, outline, simple matrix, and signaled matrix. One at a time, students wearing an eye-tracking apparatus studied their one-page display on a computer screen for 15 minutes in preparation for achievement tests that followed. Achievement results indicated that studying text displays produced lower achievement than studying any of the other displays. Unlike past studies, however, no advantage was found for matrix study over outline study …

Tiers 2 & 3 Intervention: Corporal Punishment, A Traditional Discipline Consequence, Reece L. Peterson, Ann O'Connor

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Corporal punishment is a controversial form of discipline that can evoke strong emotions from parents and the general public based on ethical and moral issues. In states that allow corporal punishment, it is important to make sure policies and procedures are in place to administer corporal punishment in order to let parents know what to expect with this form of discipline and to maintain legality of the procedures. Corporal punishment does in fact offer an alternative to exclusionary disciplinary consequences. As a result, schools where it is employed might have lower numbers of suspensions compared to schools where it …

Tier 3 Intervention: Discipline Recovery, Reece L. Peterson, Ann O'Connor, Jenna Strawhun

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Clearly, further research on discipline recovery and education programs for students that have been expelled is warranted. Several states and programs appear to be making strides in providing students opportunities to accumulate credits and/or prepare for the workforce while expelled from public school, and clearly this is better than no such programs. However, there is little formal evidence to support or guide specific implementation or programming details for these types programs.

Children’S Attitudes Towards Peers With Disabilities: Associations With Personal And Parental Factors, Soo-Young Hong, Kyong-Ah Kwon, Hyun-Joo Jeon

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

The purpose of this study was to investigate the following: (i) associations among children’s prior contact with people with disabilities and the three dimensions of children’s attitudes towards people with disabilities: children’s understanding of and their feelings about people with disabilities and their behavioral intentions to make inclusion decisions; (ii) the relation between children’s behavioral intentions to make inclusion decisions and the demands of activity contexts and the types of disabilities; and (iii) the association between parents’ attitudes and children’s attitudes. Participants included 94 typically developing four- and five-year-old preschoolers. Children’s understanding of disabilities and their prior contact with people …

Teacher Support Mediates Concurrent And Longitudinal Associations Between Temperament And Mild Depressive Symptoms In Sixth Grade, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Patrick Pössel, Stephanie Winkeljohn Black, Kate Niehaus

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The combination of changes occurring at the transition to middle school may be a catalyst for the onset of depressive symptoms, yet teacher support at this transition is protective. Research points to certain temperamental traits as risk factors for developing depressive symptoms. This study examines student reports of teacher support and teacher reports of student–teacher relationship (STR) quality as mediators of associations between child temperament (i.e. negative emotionality at age 4½ : and emotional reactivity in elementary grades) and depressive symptoms in sixth grade. Results indicate (a) negative emotionality predicted emotional reactivity and depressive symptoms; (b) emotional reactivity predicted depressive …

Tiers 2 & 3 Intervention: Behavior Contracting, Jenna Strahun, Ann O'Connor, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

The research on behavior contracts suggests that the procedure is a positively oriented intervention for students with problematic and disruptive behaviors. Behavior contracts are also a tool in which students can generate input in deciding their own goals and rewards for academic and behavioral performance. In addition, behavior contracts are often a smaller element of a larger intervention package that is used to gain compliance and reward the student for adhering to and participating in the intervention. Although much of the research on behavior contracts is outdated and uses small participant sample sizes, behavior contracts may serve to increase …

The Influence Of Incomer Status: The Role Of Rural Background, Knowledge Of Mental Health Services, Stigma, And Cultural Beliefs On Help-Seeking Attitudes, Sarah E. Herzberg

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

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of incomer status, rural background, knowledge and familiarity with mental health services, rural cultural beliefs about mental health and perceived stigma on help-seeking attitudes in a rural Southwest Iowa area. Participants were 106 rural residents over the age of 18 recruited from a rural health clinic. A multiple regression analysis was performed resulting in rural cultural beliefs about mental health being the only statistically significant predictor of help-seeking in the model. Individuals who indicated identifying with rural cultural beliefs were less likely to report positive help-seeking attitudes. Implications of the …