Educational Psychology Commons^™

Science In A Constructivist Classroom: Progress In A Five-Year-Old Child's Reasoning About Water Dynamics, Hyang-Lim Kwak

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study is to understand changes in a target child’s reasoning about water dynamics, specifically, draining and movement of water in tubes. The study also focuses on development and evaluation of activities and teaching strategies. The activities were conducted with all children in the preschool at a public elementary school in Iowa as part of the regular classroom constructivist program inspired by Piaget’s work. Using Piaget’s theory to provide insights into the child’s reasoning and knowledge, analysis focused on the child’s construction of regularities between his actions and reactions of water, and on the construction of relationships …

Children’S Interactions With Peers Before And After Participating In A Positive And Negative Peer Nomination Technique, Elizabeth Ann Barton

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Positive and negative peer nomination techniques are essential to the identification of children with social skills deficits. Some researchers, school administrators, teachers, and parents view the administration of peer nomination techniques as harmful to children. The present investigation examined the effects of positive and negative peer nomination techniques on children's peer interactions and on Unpopular peers; (i.e., Rejected and Neglected) interactions. Fourth graders (n = 54) completed nomination techniques, the children's Loneliness Questionnaire, and the Children's Friendship Questionnaire. The experimental group (n = 26) completed positive and negative peer nomination techniques, and the control group (n = 28) completed positive …

Code-Switching And Sentence Imitation By African-American Students, Aaron Richardson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

he purpose of the present study was to identify the accuracy of sentence imitation and code-switching by the African-American child between the ages of 6 years O months and 7 years 2 months. Despite well documented descriptions of Black English (BE) phonology (Dillard, 1972; Labov, 1972; Wolfram & Fasold, 1974), little has been published about the emerging phonology of BE speaking children. Most descriptive studies of BE have focused on the adult system.

The present study investigated the following research questions, "Will African-American children in this study, when presented with the task of imitating BE and IE sentences, code-switch each …

Implications Of Teacher In-Service Training On Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Identification, Glenn Evan Haupt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the impact of teacher in-service training on the ability of teachers to identify children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in their classrooms. The subjects were 16 teachers from two small rural midwestern schools. All but one of the teachers were females, with a range in years of teaching experience from five through 30 years.

The intent of the study was to investigate if an ADHD in-service training program would have a beneficial effect on the ability of teachers to identify students in their classrooms with behaviors characteristic of ADHD. The subjects were split into two groups, …

Zulu Mothers’/Grandmothers’ Beliefs About Their Involvement In The Education Of Their Children/Grandchildren, Boniface Bonifar Hadebe

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

There has been a marked decline in the academic achievement of Black South African students. There has also been an increasing dropout rate among these students. This tendency toward school drop-out has brought about concern among Black educators and parents. Strategies need to be devised to reverse this trend. Developing a solid homeschool partnership might prove to be a way of enhancing students' achievement. This study investigated the beliefs that Zulu parents had regarding parental involvement in the education of their children. A random sample of 59 mothers and 58 grandmothers, who resided in Stanger-Maphumulo district, in Natal Province in …

The Psychology And Measurement Of Revenge, Paul A. Cardis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A theory of revenge, which distinguishes four types, is presented and tested with the Revenge Scale among 154 college students ranging in age from 18 to 40. The results support the theory of revenge put forth in this thesis. All but one of the hypothesis were supported by the data. The Revenge Scale correlated significantly and negatively with the Psychological Profile of Forgiveness, a measure of interpersonal forgiveness. The Revenge Scale was also significantly and positively correlated with State Anger, Anger Expression, and Anger Reaction, measured by the State-Trait Anger Expression Scale. No relationship was found between the Revenge Scale …

The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity And Self-Esteem Among African-American Adolescents, Arthur Hughes Jr.

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the relationship between ethnic identity and self-esteem among African-American adolescents. There has been little or no research documenting the relationship between ethnic identity development and level of self-esteem, especially among minority adolescents; that is, researchers have failed to focus on ethnic identity and self-esteem at the level of individual change--a developmental process. Within the framework of identity theory, ethnic identification is hypothesized to be related to self-esteem.

Using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI) and the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), the correlation analysis, Fisher's Z-Transformation, and one-way ANOVAs were performed with a total subject population of 142 …

Predicting Adolescent Aids-Related Risk Behavior From Psychosocial Factors: A Path Analysis, Sharon M. Hays

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study had two purposes. The first was to develop a model for relating the unique and combined contributions of knowledge about AIDS, attitudes toward AIDS, and several psychosocial characteristics to the self-reported sexual activity of adolescents. The second purpose was to validate the proposed causal paths by studying a sample of ninth-grade adolescents and using the results of a path analysis to revise the a priori model.

The model validation study was conducted among 179 ninth-grade adolescents. A questionnaire involving knowledge, attitudinal, psychosocial characteristics, and self-report behavioral information was administered (spring, 1989). The instrument used combined a questionnaire developed …

An Analysis Of The Basic Assumptions About Psychology Of Teachers And School Psychologists, Timothy James Harmon

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The introduction of the Regular Education Initiative into the schools has caused a shift in roles for many school personnel. Perhaps most impacted are the regular classroom teachers who must begin to serve the needs of all children, including those traditionally served by special education. The resulting concerns these teachers voice center on psychoeducational issues such as assessment or developmentally appropriate instructional objectives. Increasingly, teachers have begun to turn toward school psychologists for support and guidance in the form of a consultative relationship. current consultation theory and research suggests that one of the ingredients of more effective consultation is the …

Exploring The Incidence And Predictability Problem Of Dyscalculia In A School-Based Urban Population In A Rural State, Andrew Robert Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Dyscalculia denotes a type of learning disability in the area of mathematics. Dyslexia denotes a type of learning disability in the area of reading. A large number of students with a learning disability only in mathematics may not be receiving the necessary special services because of a dependence on reading as the main criterion for referral for services. Rosenberger (cited in Rubin, 1990) was quoted as saying that as much as 10% of the population might have dyscalculia. Limited research exists in the area of dyscalculia in terms of causality, incidence figures, and identification procedures. In this. study dyscalculic is …

The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Self-Concept As A Learner: Does A Relationship Exist?, David B. Wood

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Before locus of control (LOC) and self-concept as a learner can be separately used in personality measurement, their construct independence must be established. Randall (1989) and Schmidt (1990) found moderate (.-49 and -.25) overlap between the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children (NSLOC) (Nowicki & Strickland, 1973) and Waetjen's (1967) Self-Concept As a Learner Scale (SCAL). Since Randall and Schmidts' data came from differently sized school districts, the exploration of district size as a variable seemed warranted.

Interest in LOC and self-concept has been studied extensively since Rotter's (1966) comprehensive review. Joe (1971) did a comprehensive review. Strickland (1972) …

A Foundation Model For The Practice Of School Psychology, George Michael Harper

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A major crisis in the profession of school psychology has emerged from the body of recent empirical studies in psychology and education. Research on school psychology assessments has suggested that little, if any, data are produced in these evaluations which is useful for the remediation of students' educational problems. Likewise, psycho- educational treatments of the behavior and learning problems of school children have empirically shown only weak, if any, efficacy. An examination of some of the fundamental philosophical, theoretical, and practical foundations of school psychology yielded reasons for the crisis in the profession. The underlying assumptions of externalism and resulting …

The Relationship Between The Constructs Of Locus Of Control And Learner Self-Concept, Noel N. Schmidt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Many researchers agree that a student's level of self-esteem is important to success and self-esteem (Chapman & Boersma, 1980). If a student's level of self-esteem can be raised, this improvement may lead to improvement in other areas such as academic achievement (Shavelson & Bolus, 1982). In addition, teaching students to attribute success to themselves should improve self-esteem (Gurney, 1987). Consequently, teaching an internal locus of control to students could be a concern for the local school district (Stipek & Weisz, 1981). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship which exists between the constructs of locus of control …

Post-Hoc Longitudinal Study Of The Stability And Validity Of Standardized Test Scores Of Handicapped Children, Randal Dennis Brown

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the delivery of special education services to handicapped children, a requirement to certify the nature and severity of each child's handicap was built into PL 94-142, The Education of All Handicapped Children Act (Reynolds, Gutkin, Elliott, & Witt, 1984). In the aftermath of that legislation has arisen a serious question as to whether or not the process of providing such services on a categorical (by nature of the handicapped) basis has led to an unanticipated social harm (stigma) of such a magnitude that the assessment process needs to be re-evaluated (Guskin, Bartel, & MacMillan, 1975). Part of the social …

The Relationship Between Verbal-Performance Iq And Locus Of Control Among Students With Either A Learning Disability Or A Behavior Disorder, Rick J. Bagnall

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Locus of control is one psychological variable which can explain differences in how students deal with difficulties and how they explain these difficulties to themselves. Studies conducted with students who have emotional and behavioral problems have described them as having an external locus of control when compared to their peers (Kauffman, 1985; Morse, Cutler, & Fink, 1964).

In attempts to find identifying charateristics unique to behaviorally disordered students, research by Dean (1978), using emotionally handicapped children, determined that they had a significantly lower Verbal IQ mean than that obtained on the Performance IQ scale p<.01. The differences between Verbal and Performance IQs were not significant for learning disabled children.

The purpose of this study …

Teacher Beliefs And Attitudes Toward Students At Risk, Marlyce K. Holbach

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This descriptive study identified elementary, middle level, and high school teachers' beliefs and attitudes toward at risk students. The sample was drawn from three public schools that reflect the cultural and geographic diversity of school districts in a Midwestern state. All 84 regular classroom teachers from the selected schools participated in the investigation. Subjects completed a 100-question survey, developed by Phi Delta Kappa International, which assessed their beliefs and attitudes toward specific learning factors and behaviors of students, specific problems students confront outside of school, student abilities, and teaching strategies. Treatment included descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, and oneway analysis of …

The Effectiveness Of Response Interruption, Differential Reinforcement Of Other Behavior, And A Visual Cue, In The Treatment Of Self-Injurious Stereotypic Behavior, Clark Gunnell Porter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study investigated the effectiveness of a combined procedure involving response interruption and DRO in the treatment of self-injurious stereotypy. A visual cue was utilized to assist in generalization and the subject's behavior was monitored outside of the treatment setting. The subject was a ten year old mentally deficient female who engaged in a self-injurious stereotypy involving the picking of skin from her fingers and hands. An ABAC single-subject design was utilized and the subject's behavior was monitored in her classroom on mornings following treatment. The treatment procedure was unsuccessful in reducing the frequency of the behavior and no …

The Relationship Between Locus Of Control And Learner Self-Concept: A Construct Validity Study, Tracy A. Randall

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Researchers tend to agree that self-concept has an influence on the total development of the child (Briggs, 1970). Stanton (1982) suggests that educators should find ways to encourage internality in students' control orientations. Extensive research has been conducted on the constructs of locus of control and self-concept. Some research studies report interesting results concerning a dimension of self-concept--academic self-concept or self-concept as a learner--(Purkey, Raheim, & Cage, 1983; Purkey, 1970; Benner, Frey, & Gilberts, 1983).

The purpose of this study was to explore the construct independence between locus of control and learner self-concept in students at the tenth grade level. …

The Development And Evaluation Of A Model For Implementing Restitution Into The Disciplinary Procedures Of Secondary Public Schools, Garry Leroy Jensen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to develop a model for implementing restitution into the disciplinary procedures of secondary public schools. The model was designed to encourage self-discipline, improve decision-making, promote self-esteem and provide for reconciliation. The concept of restitution upon which the model was based is as follows:

If you have wronged someone, it is your responsibility to make it right with that person and to your community as a whole by positive constructive acts and it is your further responsibility to improve yourself with personal accomplishments and goals. (Challeen, 1982)

Using language of systems analysis, a flow chart …

The Sex Variable And Reactions To A Peer With An Orthopedic Disability By First- And Second Graders, Virginia Lynn Ruark

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Prior research has indicated that people react differently to a person with a physical disability than to a person without a disability, and that these different reactions vary with age and sex. While paper-and-pencil measures of reactions to persons with a disability have questionable validity, actual face-to-face interaction studies have yielded inconsistent results on measures of interaction time, eye contact, physical distance, and impression formation. Moreover, few studies have been conducted in which children were used as subjects. The purpose of the present study was to assess the behaviors of first- and second-grade children when reacting to peers of the …

A Comparison Of The Actual And Ideal Perceptions Of The School Psychologist’S Role, David Arthur Curry

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The professional role of the school psychologist has been studied for over thirty years. The school psychologist has traditionally spent the greatest percentage of professional time engaged in testing and assessment functions. Concerns have arisen as to the effectiveness of this traditional role. School psychologists, as well as other related professionals, have indicated a desire for a greater emphasis on the Consultation function within the ideal role of the school psychologist and a decrease in emphasis on the assessment functions. Difficulty in defining the role and function of the school psychologist was noted due to the inconsistent use of terminology. …

The Staffing: A Naturalistic Study Of The Educational Placement Process, Susan Laurene Law

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The intent of this study was to do a naturalistic observation of a series of staffings in order to generate a descriptive basis for theoretical notions or working hypotheses concerning the procedures, functioning and social relationships within the process. Relevant categories that emerged from the data were: labelling, test validity and reliability, laws and regulations, encouraging a decision, space, and parental participation. The study suggests that there are differences between the formally prescribed procedures and functions of a staffing and the actual behaviours of professionals and parents involved with the process. The variety of necessary coping strategies used by professionals …

Prediction Of Reading Achievement Using Conservation Performance, Jann Moser Bowlus

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the relationship between reading and Piagetian conservation ability. It was hypothesized that conservation ability would be significantly related to reading achievement and an addition of a conservation measure to a reading readiness measure would significantly improve prediction of reading achievement.

Forty first and second grade children from a northeast Iowa, middle class, urban school district were involved in this study. They were administered conservation tasks from the Concept Assessment Kit-Conservation during the fall of 1977. In the spring of 1978 Ginn reading mastery scores were obtained and Clymer-Barrett reading readiness test scores were gathered from the school …

The Effect Of A Preoperational Puppet Show On Anxiety Levels Of Hospitalized Children, Joyce Lee Bernard

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated effects of a preoperative puppet show on anxiety levels of hospitalized children as measured by the Palmar Sweat Index (PSI). Subjects were 28 children, ages 2-7 years inclusive, allocated randomly to treatment and nontreatment groups. Treatment consisted of a puppet show designed to familiarize patients with hospital routines and with procedures of their operations. Two PSI measures were collected for each subject, and average difference scores of individuals among all measures were compared. Analyses of variance were used to test mean differences with data categorized by treatment, by sex, and by interaction of sex and treatment. There …

The Precision Of Teacher Judgments In The Identification Of Gifted Children, Ann Louise Neumann

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine some of the factors leading to the variability of teacher judgments in the identification of intellectually gifted elementary school children.

Subjects: The study was conducted with 14 female teachers having a total of 317 students in their classes. The schools were located in a small urban center in an agricultural region of northeastern Iowa.

Procedure: Teachers were asked to rate the children in their classes as to whether they should be classified as intellectually gifted. The research criterion used was a percentile score of 98 or higher on the Comprehensive Test of …

The Benziger Early Learning Assessment Test: A Study Of Predictive Validity, Marian Carol Sensor

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the predictive power of a new screening test for pre-school and kindergarten youngsters, the Benziger Early Learning Assessment (BELA). It was hypothesized that the total score attained on the BELA would significantly correlate with selected measures of first grade achievement.

Seventy-five white, middle-class students who had been involved in the norming population for the BELA were utilized in the study. The students had been administered the BELA during the spring of their kindergarten year. In January of their first grade year the final sample (N = 58) was administered the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and Ginn …

Long-Term Effects Of Home-Based Preschool Enrichment, Mark Vincent Cunningham

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was designed to measure the effect of the Home Start Project upon school achievement as measured by the third grade scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. The non-randomized posttest-only control group design was utilized in this research project. Subject selection consisted of those forty-four subjects for whom prior comparisons had been drawn concerning Horne Start subjects. However, it was possible to locate only 31 Home Start subjects (22 black and 9 white) and 31 of their older and Non-Home Start siblings (22 black and 9 white). The ITBS September scores of Home Start children were compared …

The Effects Of Teacher Reinforcement On Student Attitudes And Achievement, Ray Douglas Mccollum

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the effects of teacher reinforcement on both reading achievement and students' attitudes toward school. It was hypothesized that students of high reinforcing teachers would achieve greater reading gains and would exhibit more positive attitudes toward school than students of lower reinforcing teachers.

Eight classrooms of second and third-grade students (N=139) and their teachers from a rural school district were involved in this study. The students were administered the reading section of the Metropolitan Achievement Test and the "Describe Your School" questionnaire during the fall of 1975. subsequent to this pre-assessment, the eight teachers were observed by independent …

A Comparison Of Unisensory Versus Multisensory Presentation And The Effectiveness Of Audition In The Initial Learning Stage, Jane Doornwaard Den Herder

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of audition, in unisensory presentation and in bisensory or multisensory presentations, in the initial learning stage (short term memory). The study developed as a result of experience the investigator had with multimodal presentations of material. Upon viewing the rapid gains through that approach, questions were raised with regard to the validity of the position a unisensory auditory approach has always held for speech pathologists. The review of the literature confirmed the presence of theoretical conflicts with regard to man's processing and the superiority of modes for learning. Some of …

The Role Of The School Psychologist As Perceived By Elementary Principals And By School Psychologists, Joan Holliday Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem that was considered in the study was whether the role of the school psychologist was perceived differently by elementary principals and school psychologists.

A questionnaire was developed which had two slightly differing forms, one for principals and one for psychologists. The items on the questionnaire sought to assess the opinions of both groups concerning: who is and who should be responsible for selected tasks, the effectiveness of psychological services and several aspects of authority. The questionnaires were sent to a randomly selected group of elementary principals (200) and all of the school psychologists in Iowa (170). Useable returns …