Educational Psychology Commons^™

The Impact Of Choral Participation On The Mental Health Of Adolescents, Sheila L. Ramsey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescent anxiety and depression continue to present significant challenges for schools, prompting increased interest in educational experiences that may support students’ psychological well-being. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the relationship between participation in school-based choral ensembles and the mental health of adolescents. Grounded in Social Identity Theory, the study compared depression and anxiety symptoms between choir participants and nonparticipants and examined whether the length of choir participation was associated with these outcomes. Participants included 26 students enrolled in Grades 9-12 at a public high school in Mississippi. Data were collected using the Patient Health Questionnaire …

What Makes Implicit Bias Training Effective? An Examination Of Training Program Interventions And K-12 Educator Experiences, Kyleigh K. Mcaloon

McNair Summer Research Program

Differences in disciplinary referrals based on race have led many to argue that bias may influence disciplinary decisions. Implicit bias (IB) training is designed to address such disparities by raising awareness of biases that may impact assessment of behavior and disciplinary decisions. In recent years, many have questioned the validity of IB as a construct and also the potential impact of training. Some scholars argue that these programs fail to produce meaningful behavioral change and may unintentionally reinforce or increase bias. The aim of the present study was to investigate how individuals receive and respond to such training. Sixteen K-12 …

Differentiating And Accommodating Ocd And Anxiety In Mathematical Contexts, Madeline F. Gavares

Interdivisional Studies Summer Fellows

Students in mathematics classrooms may experience emotional and cognitive challenges that affect how they engage with coursework and assessments. While math anxiety has been widely documented, less attention has been given to how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly checking behaviors, may influence students’ experiences in math settings. This study explores how students who report math anxiety and those who report OCD symptoms describe their engagement with math tasks and test-taking. Drawing on survey and interview data from students and teachers, this study examines how these experiences are articulated and perceived in academic math contexts, rather than evaluating ability or outcomes. By …

Applying The Ottawa Charter To Evaluate Health Literacy Outcomes Of The Little Aussie Bugs Course For Australian Early Childhood Educators, Amelia Ruscoe, Elizabeth J. Cook, Eleanor K. O'Brien, Leesa N. Costello, Gillian Kirk, Ros Sambell, Theresa Rayfield, Amanda Devine, Ruth M. Wallace

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Early childhood offers an important opportunity to lay the foundations for lifelong health literacy. The Little Aussie Bugs (LAB) dialogic book series and online professional development (PD) course were designed to support Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) educators to embed health literacy concepts, including hygiene, healthy eating, and oral health, into everyday learning routines. This mixed methods study evaluated the course pilot and examined its contribution through the lens of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion—a framework comprising five interrelated action areas: building healthy public policy; creating supportive environments; strengthening community action; developing personal skills; and reorienting health services. …

Da Mosang Tarsier Series: Developing Digital Bullying Prevention Materials For Filipino Parents Of Grade School Students, Rudy M. Danganan Jr., Ann Christine V. Braga, Maria Kristina S. Alfonso, Romelito Manuel D.S. Clorina, Ma. Regina Hechanova

Children and Families

Bullying remains a significant public health and educational concern worldwide and is particularly prevalent in Philippine public schools, with Grade 7 students identified as a vulnerable group. Although the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 (Republic Act No. 10627) mandates school-based policies and procedures, persistent implementation gaps underscore the need to strengthen home–school partnerships and equip parents with practical, culturally grounded response strategies. This paper describes the development of the Da Mosang Tarsier Series, a set of digital psychoeducational comic strips designed for Filipino parents of Grade 7 students. Guided by a user-centered design (UCD) framework, the project began with a Generative …

Expanding The Cognitive Attentional Standards Platform Through Artificial Influence Assessment (Aia): Rationale, Development, And Measurement Design, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping how individuals access information, make decisions, and interact with digital environments. The Cognitive Attentional Standards Platform (C.A.S.) was developed to assess attention related harms, cognitive safety, digital autonomy, and platform influence across digital systems (Clark, 2026). However, the growth of generative AI, conversational agents, and algorithmic decision support technologies has introduced new forms of influence that may not be fully captured by existing assessment domains. This paper proposes the Artificial Influence Assessment (AIA) as an expansion of the C.A.S. framework designed to measure AI mediated influence on cognition, behavior, autonomy, and information processing. Drawing on …

Teachers' Lived Experiences Supporting Students' Executive Functioning Skills: A Phenomenology, Mary Clare Fallon Beamer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of supporting students' executive functioning skills for experienced teachers at schools in Ohio. Cognitive load theory, acknowledging the relationship between executive functioning and cognition, was used to guide the study. Under this theory, human beings have a flexible yet finite ability to acquire knowledge, which is mediated through components of executive functioning, including working memory, inhibitory control, and self-regulation. Weaknesses in executive functioning may restrict cognitive load capacity through interference in the systems responsible for memory, attention, and behavior. Therefore, the following serves as the central research …

Students’ Perceived Differences, Othering, And Engagement In Online Learning Spaces: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study, Hajeen Choi, Jaesung Hur, Dan He

School of Engineering Faculty Publications

In online learning spaces, students may feel disconnected not only because of limited interaction but also when they notice differences in their backgrounds or beliefs. This survey study examined students’ perceived differences and their implicit and explicit experiences of othering based on their backgrounds and beliefs. Descriptive results showed that political orientation, culture, and socioeconomic status were common areas where students felt different, while race/ethnicity, culture, and religion stood out as stronger points of distinction. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses showed that many students described subtle forms of othering, such as discomfort and self-doubt, while others encountered more direct negative …

Beyond Shutdown: Why Punitive Policies Fail Students With Oppositional Defiant Behaviors And What Alternative Schools Should Do Instead, Mark Barrett

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Punitive shutdown policies at therapeutic alternative schools often do not reduce class avoidance among students with oppositional defiant behaviors. This synthesis examines why these policies do not work and proposes evidence-based alternatives. I draw on research in exclusionary discipline, Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, Self-Determination Theory, and function-based intervention, as well as my daily experience as a behavioral teacher. I argue that punitive approaches fail because they misunderstand what drives oppositional behavior. Deterrence assumes students avoid class to escape work and will return if the consequences are harsh enough. In reality, students with oppositional defiant disorder are mainly motivated by resisting …

It’S No Longer Greek To Me: A Gamified Parsing Study Tool, Josiah J. Lane

Senior Honors Theses

Learning Koine Greek presents significant challenges due to the language’s complex morphology, including multiple verbal forms encoding tense, aspect, mood, voice, person, and number. Traditional methods relying on rote memorization often fail to support long-term retention and rapid parsing ability. This project presents a web-based parsing study tool designed to address these challenges by integrating spaced repetition algorithms, active recall, and gamification principles. The system leverages a relational database of lexical forms and parsed words, enabling adaptive scheduling of practice items based on individual learner performance. Gamified elements, including scoring, progress tracking, and immediate feedback, sustain engagement and encourage consistent …

Demographic Factors And Approaches Used Impacting Emotional Regulation And Social Emotional Development Of Elementary Students In Ontario, Tatiana Tait

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A child’s education is crucial in their life and development given that it aids in the skill and knowledge development necessary for lifelong success. Schools play one of the biggest roles in their life, teaching them numerous academic skills, as well as many important life and social skills. Given the importance of schools, and the many schooling options available, evaluating how different types of schools contribute to a child’s social-emotional development and emotional regulation has potential applications within the educational realm in terms of curriculum and how teachers foster these skills in students. The present study sought to gather qualitative …

Integrating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Biblical Principles In Curriculum: A Phenomenology Of Christian Educators' Mental Health Instruction, Keri Mankos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological hermeneutical study was to explore the experiences of Christian K-12 educators who are in instructional roles who integrated cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques with a biblical worldview in their curriculum design and instructional practices at three Christian K-12 schools in the Eastern United States. The integration of a biblical worldview and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques was generally defined as using biblical principles to help students change their thoughts and behaviors to improve mental health. This study examined how educators incorporated biblical principles into the design and delivery of academic courses, such as mental health education and …

The Big Ideas Of Motivation Toolkit, Kevin Pugh, Cassendra Bergstrom

Toolkits

Teaching Coach Pugh has synthesized the Big Ideas of Motivation into the following infographics, along with associated references. A lot of this information can also be found in a vlog series on Dr. Pugh's youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QhP5k7eOEo&list=PLi9kxIQ_OxFzZCbDiWaYYImmi35MLZ2hu

1st Place Research Paper: "Gaps In The Academy: Evaluating Pre-Service Criminal Justice Training For Interactions With Vulnerable Populations", Rowan Eiselman

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This research investigates pre-service training for law enforcement officers (LEOs), specifically examining how current educational practices prepare them to interact with vulnerable populations, including victims, suspects, and individuals in crisis. The quality of this training is critical, as it directly shapes officer behavior, decision-making, and ethical conduct in the field (Mier, 2018). Amid heightened public scrutiny of police practices and calls for reform, the effectiveness of law enforcement education has become a central concern.

The significance of this topic is underscored by extensive research on training methodologies such as procedural justice and de-escalation, which aim to improve police-community relations and …

Being Compassionate Helps Improve College Students’ Perceived Well-Being. The Mediating Role Of Cognitive Flexibility And Perceived Anxiety, Saurabh Singh, Sarath Nonis

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Perceived well-being of college students is crucial to the success of students and institutions of higher education alike. Through this study we assert that promoting compassion among college students can improve their perceived well-being. Furthermore, the effect is mediated by cognitive flexibility and anxiety felt by students. The study has theoretical and managerial implications. The results can guide educators and university personnel to better craft curriculum and university communication.

Impulsivity In Nrcam Ko Mice Is Reduced By Nmdar Antagonist Mk-801 But Not By Ampar Antagonist Cnqx, Mona Buhusi, Catalin V. Buhusi

Psychology Faculty Publications

The neuronal cell adhesion molecule NrCAM is widely expressed in the nervous system across the lifespan and has important physiological functions in the development of neuronal circuits through axonal growth and guidance and formation and maintenance of synapses in the cortex. NrCAM gene polymorphisms are associated with vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, as well as vulnerability to substance use disorders. We investigated the effects of acute and chronic stress and the effects of systemic administration of AMPAR antagonist CNQX and NMDAR antagonist MK-801 on delay discounting in male NrCAM knockout (KO) mice and their wild-type littermate controls (WT). …

African American Adult Male Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Their Subsequent Experiences In Intimate Partner Relationships, Christian Lee Jefferson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive phenomenology study is to explore the lived experiences of African American adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse within intimate partner relationships. The problem is that it is not known how African American adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse describe their present or past intimate partner relationships experience or the impact that childhood sexual abuse has on their intimate partner relationships. Research shows how experiences of sexual abuse create difficulty in managing intimate partner relationships. Many survivors of childhood sexual abuse often had damaging effects on adults with their romantic relationships. Findings from …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Christian Women Emotional Traumatic Symptoms Post Spousal Infidelity, Tracy Y. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The discovery of spousal infidelity has been recognized in the literature as a devastating breach of marital commitment. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe women of faith’s experiences with emotional trauma after discovering spousal infidelity in the Northeastern United States. This study’s theoretical framework is guided by Schlossberg’s transition theory, which aims to answer the following research questions: How do women of faith describe emotional trauma after the discovery of infidelity? How does infidelity affect the psychological, emotional, and physical functioning of women and their social systems? How do participants describe their spiritual relationship with God after …

First-Generation Medical School Applicants: A Quantitative Study Designed To Identify Areas Of Educational Support, Bethsabe Romero, Amanda K. Burbage

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

First-generation (First Gen) students are unique medical school applicants. Due to their lived experience, they approach patient care by prioritizing trust, comfort and understanding. They have proven ability to overcome obstacles and were found to be more resilient than their continuing generation (Cont Gen) peers. Despite these notable attributes, they face unique challenges in gaining medical school acceptance. There are very few quantitative studies examining this student subpopulation, and our study identifies characteristics of first-generation medical school applicants while highlighting areas of needed support. This cross-sectional study used deidentified Application and Matriculating Student Questionnaire survey data that was obtained from …

Integrating Design Thinking In A Stem Methods Course, Demetrice Smith-Mutegi

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Design thinking, a problem-solving approach, has been offered as a strategy to address the challenges of growing and complex teaching expectations. In this narrative, I describe an adapted model of design thinking that was implemented in a secondary STEM methods course for teacher candidates in a graduate program. A description of the key activities, including the fundamental role of empathizing, is shared. Design thinking, when implemented by teachers and teacher candidates, allows the teacher to design and improve a lesson or unit based on student feedback and engagement. This is especially important in today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, where educators …

Participatory Approaches To Understanding Collaborative, Child-Initiated Play: Children's Agency, Social Negotiation, And Identity Construction On The Playground, Angela Eckhoff

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Children's play in schools is often tightly controlled, shaped by adult beliefs and concerns about safety and appropriateness. Play in school settings can reflect expected school norms and follow rules set by adults, but free play also allows for rough, risky, mischievous, and subversive actions. This research, guided by an affordance framework, examines spontaneous, child-initiated outdoor free play to understand how children navigate and reinterpret the boundaries of play. Using critical naturalistic inquiry and participatory methods, the study data includes children's videography that captures dynamic interactions and shifts in agency among peers, go along interviews that track boundary negotiations in …

Improving Expository Reading Comprehension In College Students, Danielle M. De Lucia, George Noell

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study investigated the impact of the Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) method on reading comprehension and psychological well-being among college students, addressing a gap in research on expository reading comprehension at the post-secondary level. A total of 47 students from Introduction to Psychology courses participated in the study. Participants initially completed pre-test assessments, including a cloze test, the Wide Range Achievement Test, and scales for self-worth, depression, anxiety, and stress. Of these, 23 students underwent CSR intervention sessions, conducted over three weeks with bi-weekly 50-minute sessions using their course textbook. Post-intervention data from 44 students were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. …

Adolescent Cyberbullying And Polysubstance Use: Unpacking Sex Differences, Maggie K. Richardson, Osayande Agbonlahor, Joy L. Hart, Meman Diaby, Delvon T. Mattingly

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

The rise of social media platforms has heightened cyberbullying among adolescents, closely tied to negative mental health outcomes. Substance use, including alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco, also remains a significant concern for this population. This study examines the relationship between cyberbullying and substance use, exploring potential sex differences in these associations. We analyzed data from the 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES) (n = 6,740 students in grades 9–12). We used multinomial logistic regression models to assess the relationship between past-year cyberbullying and current patterns of substance use (exclusive, dual, and poly), adjusting for sociodemographic factors, screen time, and mental …

Teachers' Perspectives On Inclusive Education For Children With Special Needs, Abakah Francis, Ava-Gay Annakaye Morgan, Emmanuel Ogheneovo Sodje, Francis Dugbartey, Gabriel Lagbel, Okezie Chika Chibundu

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Inclusive education is widely recognized as a key approach to ensuring equitable access to quality education for children with special needs, requiring teachers to possess adequate knowledge, skills, and supportive resources. In the Nigerian context, particularly in private schools, gaps in teacher training, limited resources, and insufficient institutional support continue to hinder the effective implementation of inclusive education practices. This study investigates teachers' perspectives on inclusive education for children with special needs in Nigerian private schools. The primary purpose is to assess teachers' understanding of inclusive education, their familiarity with effective teaching strategies, and their preparedness to implement inclusive practices. …

Students' Perception Of Generative Ai-Assisted Collaborative Argumentation, Jinhee Kim, Seongryeong Yu, Rita Detrick, Liangjie Fan, Na Li

STEMPS Faculty Publications

The rapid scaling of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology presents opportunities for personalised learning experiences and facilitates collaborative learning, including collaborative argumentation (CA). However, empirical research examining students' perceptions of GenAI-assisted CA within classroom contexts remains limited. This study explored university students' experiences with GenAI-assisted CA through in-depth interviews with 36 students following a CA activity using a ChatGPT4-embedded argumentation platform developed by the research team. Findings indicate that students viewed GenAI as serving multiple roles, including tool, facilitator, teaching assistant and machine buddy. Students perceived that GenAI-assisted CA could empower task performance and create a collaborative learning environment. Meanwhile, …

Assessing The Impact Of Substituting Interaction Types: An Empirical Study Of The Interaction Equivalency Theory, Scott Hauert, Tian Luo, Cherng-Jyh Yen

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Studies on learner–learner and learner–instructor interaction provide insight into the preferences and perceived effects of interaction types. However, evidence of the impact on measured performance resulting from substituting learner–content interaction for learner–learner interaction is sparse. Using an experimental design, this study examined the impact of substituting interaction types on perception of workload, perception of learning, and measured performance in an online, asynchronous, undergraduate-level setting of formal distance education. The results of this study showed (a) learner–learner interactions were perceived to be significantly more work than learner–content interactions, (b) learner–content interactions were perceived to be significantly more helpful in learning the …

Storytelling And Equity: A Program Evaluation That Promotes And Supports Narrative-Based Learning And Open Dialogue Practices At Higher Ed Institutions, Regis A. Peeples

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

On college campuses worldwide, storytelling functions as a primary method for transmitting and affirming knowledge. It serves to validate lived experiences, acts as a relational teaching tool, and supports theoretical inquiry. Given that teaching is inherently political, storytelling can also perpetuate hate, oppression, and other social harms within academic environments. Even when educators use storytelling constructively, limited training exists on the full range of its impacts on students, particularly in terms of what may be described as “dangerous” storytelling. Dangerous storytelling refers to narratives, intentional or authentic, that reinforce or cultivate phobias about physical appearance (e.g., race, culture, nationality), propagate …

Associations Between Traumatic Life Events And Substance Use Among Black Men Who Are Incarcerated, Jasmine K. Jester, Brittany Miller-Roenigk, Paris B. Wheeler, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

The current study examined associations between traumatic life events, current and lifetime importance of mental health and substance use treatment, and crack cocaine use among 201 Black men who were incarcerated and nearing community reentry. Results indicated age, sexual trauma and lifetime importance of drug treatment were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of crack cocaine use. Substance abuse treatment in correctional settings should consider culturally tailored assessment and treatment for history of unaddressed sexual trauma among Black men who are incarcerated and use crack cocaine.

Brief Report: Naloxone Decline Among African American Kentuckians, Rayven Peterson, Mona Goggins, Destin L. Mizelle, Brittany Miller-Roenigk, Candice Hargons, Danelle Stevens-Watkins

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Opioid-involved overdose fatalities among African Americans continue to rise. The current study examines African Americans who reported use of opioids in the past 6 months and declined overdose education and free naloxone.   Method: Eligible participants included African American Kentuckians who used opioids in the past 6 months and consented to a larger study examining their opioid use. This paper qualitatively explored their reasons for declining overdose education and naloxone using an adjusted and inductive application of structural tabular thematic analysis.   Results: Out of 588 participants, 70 (12%) declined naloxone: the most cited reason for declining naloxone was already possessing …

Professional Standards For School-Based Behavior Analysts (2nd Edition), Selena J. Layden, Emily Muise, Karen L. Berlin, Samantha Gregory, Daniel Irwin, Kaylan Long, Daria K. Lorio-Barsten, Jennifer L. O’Berry, Hannah Riddle

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Public educational settings are unique and complex environments that require specific knowledge and skills for the professionals that work in these environments. School-based behavior analysts can be a great asset to public schools. However, these professionals must be able to firmly understand and perform the responsibilities of a behavior analyst in collaboration with educators and service providers in a public school setting. The presence of behavior analysts in public schools is still relatively new, when compared with other specialized services. Therefore, behavior analysts, teachers, administrators, and others should focus on collaboration to promote the success for all stakeholders with an …