Educational Psychology Commons^™

The Influence Of The Family Context And Intervention Implementation Integrity On Child Behavior During Conjoint Behavioral Consultation, Michelle Swanger-Gagne

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

The purpose of the study was to determine the role of family context variables (i.e., parenting stress and positive parenting practices) as possible moderators and mediators of the relationship between conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) and change in child problem behavior in the home setting. Another aim of the study was to evaluate the mediator roles of two dimensions of intervention implementation integrity (i.e., adherence to interventions and full engagement in the plan implementation phase) on parenting stress and change in child problem behavior for families involved in CBC. Participants were 203 parents, 81 teachers (81 classrooms), and 203 children who …

Exploring The Complexities Of Learning Motivation In Pre-Service Teacher Education Students: A Grounded Theory Approach, Kristin K. Grosskopf

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

This qualitative, grounded-theory study investigated learning motivation differences among three achievement groupings of undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Nine students participated in in-depth interviews that explored their reasons for pursuing their degree, their learning experiences in a university setting, their perceptions about meaningful learning experiences, and the nature of factors that both enhance and challenge their learning motivation. Participant responses conveyed strategies and conditions that were coded and analyzed, and a theoretical model was developed describing causal conditions that underlie students’ motivation to learn, phenomena that arose from those …

Optimising The Use Of Note-Taking As An External Cognitive Aid For Increasing Learning, Tamas Makany, Jonathan Kemp, Itiel E. Dror

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Taking notes is of uttermost importance in academic and commercial use and success. Different techniques for note-taking utilise different cognitive processes and strategies. This experimental study examined ways to enhance cognitive performance via different note-taking techniques. By comparing performances of traditional, linear style note-taking with alternative non-linear technique, we aimed to examine the efficiency and importance of different ways of taking notes. Twenty-six volunteer adult learners from an information management course participated in this study. Cognitive performance scores from a traditional linear note-taking group were compared with another group by using a commercially available non-linear note-taking technique. Both groups were …

Test Anxiety And Other Factors As Predictors Of Outcome For An Undergraduate University's Examination Of Writing Competency, Carrie D. Smith

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Testing in American schools has increased dramatically in recent years (Cizek & Burg, 2006), increasing the need for research in test anxiety (TA). Writing apprehension, a subcategory of TA, may be of particular concern among students at all levels of education given the recent addition of writing assessments on the SAT and GRE tests.

Very few recent studies have examined demographic correlates of TA and the demographics of students in higher education have been changing for some time. These changes include an increase in all categories of nontraditional students. Nontraditional students, by definition, face a particular set of challenges in …

Supporting Induction Teachers' Development Using Performance-Based Video Evidence, Peter Rich, Richard E. West, Michael Hannafin, Arthur Recesso, Craig Shepherd

Faculty Publications

This formative research study was designed to inform the development of the Teacher Success Model (TSM), an initiative to develop a systematic, evidence-informed model for teacher assessment. While the overall initiative includes all teachers, support professionals, and evaluators, this study focused on induction teachers and their mentors/administrators. Participants were shown sample digital videos corresponding to seven pre-selected TSM attributes, and were asked to identify, annotate, and rate instances where specific attributes were evident. Overall, our findings indicated that participants could identify examples of key teaching attributes in the videos and that group reflection and discussion enabled many to refine their …

Facilitating Communication In A Developmentally Delayed Child, Ryan Finlay

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was an attempt to facilitate the communicative capabilities of a developmentally delayed child. Specifically, the target goal was to have the student mand (request) the word "juice." Aspects of four intervention techniques were implemented. The four techniques included; Easy Does it for Articulation : An Oral Motor Approach, Total Communication (TC), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and Verbal Behavior Analysis (VBA). The participant was a 7 year old developmentally delayed female student at a small school for special services in southern New Jersey. The study was conducted in five phases. Data was collected during the …

Peer Victimization, Student Engagement, And School Attendance: Structural Equation Models, Jason Benjamin Dunkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Survey data from a study of 6^th grade students in Colorado (n=860) were used to estimate structural equation models in which peer victimization types were hypothesized to have significant relationships with both student engagement and attendance. Then, student engagement and attendance variables were hypothesized to have significant effects on achievement (measured as grade point average). Student engagement was viewed as a multi-faceted construct, composed of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional aspects. Four different types of peer victimization variables (verbal, physical, exclusion, and intensity) were combined to form a latent measure for peer victimization that was expected to predict …

Psychologism And American Instructional Technology, David Wiley, Bekir Gur

Faculty Publications

Note: This is not the final draft of the article. The centrality of psychology in the field of instructional technology has never been comprehensively questioned; most instructional technologists have assumed that (behaviorist, cognitivist, constructivist, or another) psychology is the natural foundation for education and thus for instructional technology. The driving question of this article is: What are the problems of psychologism as found in the theories and practices of instructional technology? We present a brief genealogy of American instructional technology in relation to the influence of psychology; review critical psychology and discuss some problems of psychologism focusing on positivism, metaphysics, …

Career Decision Making For Male Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Model Of Critical Factors Aiding In Transitional Efforts, Gregory B. Gray

Dissertations

This study is intended to reveal helpful information that will guide high school practitioners in serving students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) more effectively. ADHD is neurological in origin, making it invisible. This disorder makes people susceptible to distractibility, impulsivity, disorganization, frustration, anxiety, and moodiness (Janus, 1999). Fifteen percent or more of the U.S. population has ADHD. These individuals, who often are viewed by career counselors, teachers, and employers as frustrating or difficult, are uniquely vulnerable in high school and beyond. Because individuals with ADHD have invisible handicaps, their academic performance and social behaviors can be interpreted incorrectly. Thus, …

The Development And Application Of A Checklist For Evaluating E-Learning In Organizations, Anne-Marie Guidy-Oulai

Dissertations

In the last two decades, organizations have increasingly used computer-based instruction as a method to deliver training to employees and instruction to students. The e-learning market reached $50 billion in 2005 and is expected to double by 2010. A number of different evaluation models can and have been used to measure effectiveness and worth of programs. However, the literature indicates the evaluation of e-learning may need to develop new models for evaluation.

The purpose of this study is to develop a framework to enhance the process of elearning evaluation in organizations. The E-Learning Evaluation Checklist (ELEC)— which was developed and …

Implementing A Mastery Model Through Self Quizzing In An Online Learning Environment, Amy E. Scrima

Dissertations

Mastery learning has an extensive and long-standing research base as an efficacious instructional methodology. The use of mastery learning with current technological advances, however, is a new endeavor. The current study evaluated the effects of adding a mastery learning component to an introductory college course by using an online course management system to facilitate frequent, self-given, chapter review quizzes. Thirty-two first- and second-year college students of similar demographic makeup at a midsize community college were the participants for this study. An alternating treatment design was used to assign students to mastery and nonmastery conditions in two sections of an introductory …

Curriculum-Based Measures In Writing: A School-Based Evaluation Of Predictive Validity, Christina M. Terenzi

Dissertations

Recent research in the area of Curriculum-Based Measures (CBM) in writing has shown that traditionally used metrics, such as total words written and total words correct, may not be the best tools for measuring writing performance, for both secondary and elementary aged children (e.g., Gansle, Noell, VanDerHeyden, Naquin, & Slider, 2002; Tindal & Parker, 1989a; Watkinson & Lee, 1992). Evidence suggests that more advanced measures, such as production-independent measures (e.g., percentage of correct word sequences) may be stronger predictors of student skill level in the area of writing. The present study replicated portions of a recent seminal study and investigated …

A World Without Adolescents, David Moshman

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Review of 1) Robert Epstein, The case against adolescence: Rediscovering the adult in every teen (Quill Driver Books, 2007), and 2) Roger J. R. Levesque, Adolescents, media, and the law: What developmental science reveals and free speech requires (Oxford University Press, 2007).

Robert Epstein believes American teens are in chaos. They drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, abuse a variety of other drugs, have eating disorders, contract sexual diseases, and get pregnant. They carry weapons, join gangs, and commit all manner of crimes. They partake of a mindless peer culture. They are angry, violent, depressed, and suicidal. Not all of them, of …

What Is Shared? A Framework For Understanding Shared Innovation Within Communities, Richard E. West

Faculty Publications

The 21st century economy often requires the innovative production of conceptual and physical artifacts. These innovations frequently are developed collaboratively within communities of workers. Previous theories about the nature of work and learning within communities have emphasized shared meaning or shared practice, but now shared innovation is required. In this paper, I describe the development of a model for conceptualizing and studying shared innovation within communities. This model was created from merging elements of social learning and creativity/innovation theories. I explain that at an intersection of these two domains is a unique kind of social structure, called a Community of …

Patterns Of User Activity In The Different Features Of The Blackboard Cms Across All Courses For An Academic Year At Brigham Young University, Michael E. Griffiths, Charles R. Graham

Faculty Publications

In the past decade, course management systems (CMS) have become an integral part of most institutions of higher education. While there has been a significant amount of research looking at CMS usage at the course level, there has been less research looking at the institution-wide CMS usage from a CMS activity database perspective. This article shares findings from a study which analyzes over 36 million student and instructor clicks within the Blackboard CMS across the entire campus of Brigham Young University (BYU) during one full academic year. This research reports overall levels of user activity across campus, patterns of user …

An Exploration Of Obesity: Childhood Onset Obesity And Adult Onset Obesity, S. Shahed Hasheminejad

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of obesity in the United States can be considered alarming, given its dramatic increase over the past twenty years. A large percentage of the obese population suffers from both medical and psychological side effects. This study focused on how non-obese and obese individuals perceive one's own body. Based on research, it was hypothesized that obese individuals are more likely than non-obese individuals to perceive one's body negatively. It was also hypothesized that obese individuals who suffer from childhood onset obesity as opposed to adult onset obesity are more likely to perceive one's body negatively. Participants were recruited from …

Teacher Personality: Does It Influence Effectiveness And Student Achievement In The Classroom?, Meghan A. Garrett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to learn more about how teacher personality affects teacher efficacy and student academic success in the elementary school setting. The researcher hypothesized that: a) students in classrooms with more extraverted teachers would have higher grades in reading and math than those students in classrooms with more introverted teachers and b) more extraverted teachers would score higher on a self-report inventory of teacher effectiveness than more introverted teachers. Participants' scores on the Extraversion Scale of Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) were correlated with composite scores of students' grades and answers on a self-evaluation of effectiveness. Pearson …

Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes Toward The Use Of Inclusive Classrooms, Lee E. Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Inclusion in today's classrooms is, on the most part, widely accepted as an appropriate placement for students with differing arrays of disabilities. Although inclusion is often mandated by law, general education teachers more often do not have the proper training or positive attitudes toward its use. This study looks for specific characteristics, traits or differences from those who have negative attitudes or positive attitudes toward inclusionary classrooms in the next generation of teachers. The main hypothesis is pre-service educators will have more positive attitudes after taking the Human Exceptionality class. Finally, implications are made regarding the kind of training general …

Differences In The Effects Of Social Stories In Children With Autism And Asperger's Syndrome, Stephanie S. Mead

Theses and Dissertations

The differences in effects of a Social Story intervention were measured between children with Autism and children with Asperger's Syndrome. Social initiation was the dependent variable that was measured during an ABA reversal research design. The overall effect of the Social Story intervention of the whole group was analyzed by a one sample t-test. A t-test of two independent samples was used to evaluate whether or not a significant difference existed between the Autism group and the Asperger's Syndrome group in all three conditions. Results indicated that there was no significant difference in social initiation for the whole group or …

The Effects Of Supplemental Educational Services On Student Achievement, Regina F. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Supplemental educational services (SES) are a core component of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) that provide free academic assistance in reading, language arts and mathematics for eligible students. Supplemental educational services include tutoring and other educational interventions that align with the state's academic content standards provided outside of the regular school day. Despite four years of supplemental services educational and millions of dollars spent, little is known about the effects of SES on student achievement. This study hypothesized that after the sixth month of SES tutoring, students in the experimental group would achieve higher scores on …

Correlations Of Preschool Attendance And Child Study Team Classifications, Joanellen P. Fenimore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore possible relationships between children attending preschool and the Child Study Team classifications. Specifically, this researcher hypothesized that children who did not attend any form of preschool before entering Kindergarten were classified at a higher rate than those children who did receive a preschool education. There were a total of 55 participants; there were 28 male and 27 female participants. Students from the psychology pool and at the Academic Success Center at Rowan University were given questionnaires about their preschool attendance, child study team involvement, and their background. Students at the Academic Success …

Medication's Effect On Classified Students' Self-Esteem And Academic Performance, Rachel S. Grizer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how medication affects self-esteem and academic performance in classified students. This study intended to focus on various disorders found in childhood to allow for an understanding of the effects of medication on self-esteem and academic performance in general. Specifically, it was hypothesized that children who receive medication for a disorder would have higher self-esteem and superior academic performance compared to children who do not receive medication. The self-concept scores from previously administered Beck Youth Inventories (BYI) and average academic grades were obtained from 50 students, 25 medicated and 25 not medicated, enrolled …

Anxiety And Birth Order: Does Birth Order Play A Role In A Child's Anxiety Level?, Tarah R. Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to see if there is an interaction between anxiety levels and birth order. It was hypothesized that the first-born child would have a higher level of total anxiety than a non-first born child. It was also hypothesized that females would have an overall higher level of anxiety than males. The Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale 2^nd Edition, which was used to measure the different subtests of anxiety, tested for specific types of anxiety: total anxiety, worrying, social anxiety, physiological anxiety, and defensiveness. It was hypothesized that females would feel a higher level of …

The Prevalence Of Substance Abuse In Adolescents With A Mental Illness And The Efficacy Of On-Going Psychiatric Treatment, Kristin Short-Giles

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to research adolescents with a mental illness and their substance use. The study compared adolescents receiving ongoing psychiatric treatment to those without treatment and their current substance use. In reference to this study, ongoing psychiatric treatment included outpatient counseling and psychiatric medications. It was hypothesized that the adolescents who were receiving ongoing psychiatric treatment, whether it was out-patient counseling or psychiatric medications, were less likely to use substances compared to their peers who received zero psychiatric treatment. It was also hypothesized that the females in the study were less likely to substance use compared …

An Investigation Of Teachers' Perceptions Of School Psychologists, Noelle Bisinger

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate public school teachers' general knowledge and perceptions of school psychologists. This research examined 144 Kindergarten to 12th grade teachers' familiarity and interaction with school psychologists. Self-reported measures of school psychologists' helpfulness, performance, and general knowledge of school psychologists' duties and responsibilities were evaluated. Information pertaining to teachers' specialization, employment history, student population characteristics, and school size were also considered. It was hypothesized that years of teaching experience, teacher type (whether special or general education), and school population size would effect the ratings of school psychologists on all three subscales. A few significant …

Exploring Play Attention, Brett Hoyt

Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the Play Attention neurofeedback computer program to determine its efficacy in the classroom. A program that would increase students' ability to pay better attention in the classroom would vastly improve our entire educational system. The two areas that were used to determine the effectiveness of the program were improved task performance and the ability to follow directions the first time they are given. Daily progress reports of twenty different students were compared to each other over a six month period. There were ten students in the experimental group and ten students in the control group. There …

Childhood Temperament And Its Effects On Adjustment To College, Ashley L. Prim

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether temperaments seen in early childhood would have an effect on adjustment throughout life, especially during adjustment to college. Specifically, the researcher hypothesized that children with easy temperaments would have an easier time adjusting to college; whereas, children with slow-to-warm-up or difficult temperaments would have a more difficult time adjusting to college. A self-created survey was distributed to 30 undergraduate psychology students at Rowan University. The survey consisted of temperament and adjustment measures. Correlations were run using SPSS in order to determine the effects of temperament on adjustment to college. While the …

Determining Whether The Age Children Enter Kindergarten Affects Academic And Social Development, Adrienne Sarosky

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the age children enter kindergarten has an effect on their behavior and academic and social development. This study examined age eligible children with summer birthdays who delayed kindergarten entry by one year and age eligible children with summer birthdays who started kindergarten on-time. It was hypothesized that the older kindergarten students or age eligible children who delayed kindergarten entry would perform better academically, have better social skills, and have less problem behaviors. The Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) Rating Scale was used for this study. The SSIS assessed academic competence, social …

Using Art To Teach Problem-Solving And Other Social Skills: The Effectiveness Of The Rate Program, Jessica Anne Masino Drass

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an after-school art program for at risk adolescents. The RATE Program is designed to give at-risk students a place where they can express their emotions in a positive way. Through various art activities, such as working together to design and paint a mural for the school, the students will learn problem solving and social skills. All of the adolescents who participated in the RATE Program were students at a rural regional high school in Southern New Jersey. Five students total attended the RATE Program regularly, ranging in age from …

Motivated By Money: Students With Academic Scholarships Versus Those Without And Their Emotional Intelligence, Elizabeth Marie Elbert Giroir

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the retention rate of students who had received academic scholarships versus students who had not received academic scholarships but met the qualifications to receive the scholarships and the effects of emotional intelligence on these students. The data collection mechanisms for this study included the student information system at The University of Southern Mississippi and the EQi: Short survey administered to students during the orientation week activities at The University of Southern Mississippi prior to the beginning of the fall 2004 semester. There were 667 students who participated in the EQi: Short survey …