Educational Psychology Commons^™

Sustained Employment Of Teachers In High Poverty Schools, Karen Jean Davis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Author's abstract: The researcher's purpose of this study was to understand from the lived experiences of teachers in high poverty schools the reasons they remained in these schools. A qualitative method was used to conduct the study, which involved interviews with eight teachers (4 elementary, 2 middle and 2 high), one principal and the Superintendent who responded to open-ended interview questions. The interview questions were designed to elicit responses to the research questions and interview questions. The researcher coded transcripts from the interviews for recurring themes and patterns. Field notes from before and after each interview, as well as district …

Review Of Teaching Graphic Novels, By Katie Monnin, Susan Spangler

SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education

No abstract provided.

Sequential Art, Graphic Novels, And Comics, Brian Kelley

SANE journal: Sequential Art Narrative in Education

The first global distribution of a paper prepared for the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association,the Executive Board of the New Jersey Reading Association, and the Legislative and Professional Standards Committee of the NJRA.

What Can Be Done About School Bullying? Linking Research To Educational Practice, Susan M. Swearer Napolitano, Dorothy L. Espelage, Tracy Vaillancourt, Shelley Hymel

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

In this article, the authors review research on individual, peer, and school contributions that may be critical factors for enhancing efforts to address bullying among students. Methodological challenges are delineated,with an emphasis on how bullying is defined and assessed and the subsequent implications for bullying prevention and intervention program evaluation. The impact of school-based anti-bullying programs and the challenges currently facing educators and researchers in this area are discussed. The article concludes with a proposal for a broader, ecologically based model of school bullying based on the emerging literature.

Rural Schools, Jody Lieske, Susan M. Swearer Napolitano

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Nearly one in three public school students in the United States attends school in a rural area. A rural area is defined as an area with a population of 25,000 people or fewer. Rural America has often been portrayed as an idealized life that involves intact families, close ties with neighbors, low crime levels, and relatively stress free in comparison to the fast paced life of those who reside in urban areas. Although many benefits of rural living hold true, many factors such as poverty, mental health problems, substance abuse, and limited access to services create a more accurate picture …

Childhood Depression, Kelly Brey Love, Susan M. Swearer Napolitano

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

It has only been within the past two decades that the majority ofclinicians and researchers reached agreement that children can experience a depressive disorder. Initially, researchers believed children’s lack of psychosexual development prohibited development of depression in childhood.

There has also been disagreement regarding which symptomatology comprises childhood depression, and how it differs from depression in adults. Many clinicians and researchers shared the belief that depression in children was “masked” by other symptoms (e.g., aggression, enuresis, anxiety, among others). More recent research has identified and emphasized the similarities between depressive symptoms experienced by adults and children. Cohort data suggest that …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Cbt), Rhonda Turner, Susan M. Swearer Napolitano

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the role of cognition in the expression of emotions and behaviors. CBT assumes that maladaptive feelings and behaviors develop through cognitive processes which evolve from interactions with others and experiences in the environment. The goal of therapy is to identify the maladaptive cognitive process and to learn new ways of perceiving and thinking about events. These new ways of thinking will lead to more positive behavioral and emotional responses.

CBT has rapidly increased in popularity over the last forty years. It enjoys strong empirical support, and the body …

Safe Schools Policies: Necessary But Not Sufficient For Creating Positive School Environments For Lgbtq Students [Commentary], Susan M. Swearer Napolitano

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

In this issue of Social Policy Report, authors Russell, Kosciw, Horn, and Saewyc review the research on LGBTQ youth and illuminate a fundamental challenge facing researchers, educators, students, families, and policymakers. They write that “homophobia and LGBTQ prejudice are daily experiences” and that the challenge facing educators is to “design supportive school climates that promote the positive development of LGBTQ and all students.” There exists in this country and in many countries around the world a huge gulf between acceptance of LGBTQ individuals and creating supportive school and work environments for all individuals. The reality is that in many …

The Perceptions Of Developmental Therapists About The Influence Of Inner-City Home Environments On Service Delivery, Tywanda Jiles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act required that early intervention services for young children from birth to age 3 take place in their natural environment. However, limited research has been conducted on the impact of this requirement on the actual service providers who work within the home environments. Lewin's field theory on behavior, individual person, and the environment formed the theoretical framework for this descriptive case study, which examined the perceptions of developmental therapists on how their service is influenced by the inner-city home environment. Ten developmental therapists in a midwestern metropolitan city were interviewed about their beliefs …

Reflective Thinking And Emotional Intelligence As Predictive Performance Factors In Problem-Based Learning Situations, Kathleen Mitchell-White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Continued improvement of the training and preparation of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents is critical to the organization's ability to protect the national security of the United States. Too little attention has been paid to the factors that improve new agent trainees' (NATs) ability to learn and succeed in their training programs. Based on the theories of reflective thinking and emotional intelligence, this nonexperimental, correlational study explored predictors of NATs' (N = 183) performance in problem-based exercises as part of the 20-week training program. Self-report instruments measured levels of critical reflection (CR), emotional intelligence (EQ), and perceived ability …

Integrating Equine-Assisted Activities And Therapy (Eaat) Into A Higher Learning Institution, Gary Mullen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Collegiate equestrian programs are costly to operate, and cost often exceeds revenue from tuition. The local problem in this project study was the need for supplemental revenue to support a cost-intensive equestrian program, without cutbacks or raising student fees. The study examined the integration of an equine-assisted activities and therapy (EAAT) program for additional income, while capitalizing on existing institutional resources at a Midwestern university in the United States. Research questions explored how to implement an EAAT program to close the budgetary gap at the project site. Systems theory formed the conceptual framework for analyzing the relationship between program characteristics …

The Parent As (Mere) Educational Trustee: Whose Education Is It, Anyway?, Jeffrey Shulman

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The purpose of this Article is two-fold. First, the Article argues that the parent’s right to educate his or her children is strictly circumscribed by the parent’s duty to ensure that children learn habits of critical reasoning and reflection. The law has long recognized that the state’s duty to educate children is superior to any parental right. Indeed, the “parentalist” position to the contrary rests on an inflation of rights that is, in fact, a radical departure from longstanding legal norms. Indeed, at common law the parent had “a sacred right” to the custody of his child, and the parent’s …

Implementation Of Response To Intervention Models And Job Satisfaction Of School Psychologists, Stephanie Lois Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has indicated that school psychologists have greater job satisfaction when they engage in more intervention and consultation activities and fewer assessment activities. The use of response to intervention (RTI) as a way to identify specific learning disabilities is a recent development in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that involves more intervention activities for school psychologists and provides earlier interventions for students. The way that RTI is implemented may affect job satisfaction of school psychologists. Grounded in the theory of work adjustment, this study used a causal comparative design to examine if there is a significant difference between …

The Influence Of Cross-Linguistic Input And L2 Proficiency On L2 Reading Comprehension Among Spanish-Speaking Adults Learning English As A Second Language, Astrid Sussette Rodríguez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Developing literacy and language proficiency in English is essential to thrive in school and in the workforce in American society. Research on cross-linguistic influences on text-level skills is scant, especially studies investigating reading comprehension among language-minority adults. The present study investigated the effects of cross-linguistic input and second language proficiency on second language reading comprehension among Spanish-speaking adults enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at a community college in New York City. The main research question was whether language-minority adults would comprehend printed text better if they read it in Spanish (L1) followed by English (L2) than …

Project Study: An Action Plan For Implementing Response To Intervention, Leah W. Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 allows schools to utilize response to intervention (RtI) as early intervention to prevent at-risk students from becoming labeled as learning disabled. Using action research methodology and school change theory, the purpose of this project study was to determine the RtI implementation needs of a rural elementary school (LE). The guiding research question was to identify the components of an RtI framework currently being utilized during the pre-referral process at LE. This study employed a qualitative method triangulation design to analyze data from key stakeholders including questionnaires; individual interviews from six reading …

Helping Adolescents Forgive: The Use Of Forgiveness Education At An Inpatient Mental Health Facility, Tiffany R. Everding

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Understanding the concept of forgiveness has demonstrated to be a complex process (Walker & Gorsuch, 2004; McCullough & vanOyen Witvliet, 2002). Enright and the Human Development Study Group (1991) developed a process model of forgiveness as a way for people to constructively deal with their anger and improve overall psychological well-being after experiencing a deep hurt. Due to the reported benefits illustrated by forgiveness intervention studies, future research is needed to examine the effectiveness of forgiveness education with adolescents in a clinical setting. The current study implemented a forgiveness education intervention with adolescents at local inpatient mental health facility examining …

Educational Applications Of Achievement Goal Theory, Michelle Hinzman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the past two decades, achievement goal theory has been found particularly useful in explaining student motivation (Kaplan & Maehr, 2007; Kaplan, Middleton, Urdan, & Midgley, 2002). The purpose of this study was to analyze differences between the achievement goals espoused by middle school and elementary teachers. A mixed-method approach was utilized that required teachers in an urban, eastern Iowa school district to complete a survey regarding their motivational beliefs. Select teachers were then identified based on survey results to be observed and interviewed in an attempt to further analyze instructional practices as they related to student motivation. Results of …

The Relationship Between Aggression And Measures Of Neuroticism And Agreeableness In College Students, Ashley Alexandra Buol

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Past studies on aggression have typically focused on physical aggression (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). Recently, however, researchers have started to look at a subtle form of aggression known as relational aggression (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). There have also been few studies that have focused on perceptions of aggression, as well as the personality traits that may be associated with these perceptions. Thus, the current study was designed to explore the relationship between personality characteristics, specifically agreeableness and neuroticism, and perceptions of aggression. The relationship between the levels of aggression and perceptions of aggression was also examined. Four questionnaires were utilized …

The Role Of Stereotype Threat In The Underrepresentation Of Minority Students In Gifted Education, M. Erin Potter

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Stereotype threat is a social psychological phenomenon that has been demonstrated to negatively affect performance of individuals who are members of non-Asian ethnic minority groups in terms of academic achievement. Although these effects have been documented in adults, very few studies have examined stereotype threat in K-12 students. Further, it is not clear whether stereotype threat could negatively impact students' performance on standardized tests, such as those used for screening for gifted programs. The purpose of this study was to examine whether stereotype threat could be reduced in a sample of Caucasian and African-American middle-school students who were taking a …

A Student's Guide To Strengthening An Online Learning Community, Richard E. West

Faculty Publications

Students usually have plenty of experience with online social technologies, but they lack understanding about how to use these tools and methods for course learning. This article is designed to help college students who are anxious about participating in an online learning community or do not know how to build one effectively. With ideas derived from research and practice, this guide has been written to inform online students about learning communities, the benefits they offer, and how students can assist in building a successful online community.

Reliability Of Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers' Coding Of Teaching Videos Using Studiocode Analysis Software, Keven Prusak, Brigham Dye, Charles R. Graham, Susan Graser

Faculty Publications

This study examines the coding reliability and accuracy of pre-service teachers in a teaching methods class using digital video (DV)-based teaching episodes and Studiocode analysis software. Student self-analysis of DV footage may offer a high tech solution to common shortfalls of traditional systematic observation and reflection practices by increasing the amount, timeliness, and accuracy of performance feedback. What is yet to be determined is whether students can reliably and accurately analyze such footage. Using Studiocode software, student analyses were compared to those of experts to determine coding reliability and content accuracy. The results of this study indicate that with less …

Using Asynchronous Video To Achieve Instructor Immediacy And Closeness In Online Classes: Experiences From Three Cases, Michael Griffiths, Charles R. Graham

Faculty Publications

This research sought to understand the experiences of students and instructors with asynchronous video (video-mail) using webcams in three online sections of teacher education classes at Brigham Young University. We examined the experiences of students through scores and comments posted in student ratings surveys, and the experiences of instructors through personal reports. These experiences were evaluated in terms of the observed existence of instructor immediacy and of closeness. Immediacy is defined in this study as the verbal and non-verbal signals normally achieved in face-to-face communications between instructor and students that can help establish a close and trusting relationship whereby students …

Addressing And Improving Technology Integration Skills For Preservice Teachers Using The Teacher Work Sample, Charles R. Graham, Tonya Tripp, Nancy Wentworth

Faculty Publications

This study explores the efforts at Brigham Young University to improve preservice candidates’ technology integration using the Teacher Work Sample (TWS) as an assessment tool. Baseline data that was analyzed from 95 TWSs indicated that students were predominantly using technology for productivity and information presentation purposes even though they had been taught to use technology for active student learning. Researchers discovered that decisions made about technology integration were heavily influenced by field instructors and TWS rubrics. An intervention plan was developed to train field instructors and 99 TWSs were analyzed the following year. The TWSs showed noticeable improvements including increases …

Resisting Technological Gravity: Using Guiding Principles For Instructional Design, Jason K. Mcdonald

Faculty Publications

Instructional designers face tremendous pressure to abandon the essential characteristics of educational approaches, and settle instead for routine practices that do not preserve the level of quality those approaches originally expressed. Because this pressure can be strong enough to affect designers almost as gravity affects objects in the physical world, the metaphor of technological gravity has been proposed to describe why designers choose one type of practice over another. In this essay, I discuss how designers can develop guiding principles to help them resist technological gravity. I describe three types of principles, in the areas of what instruction is, …