Educational Psychology Commons^™

The Coping Strategies Of Nontraditional Female Students In Southwest Michigan And Northern Indiana, Desiree Davis

Dissertations

Problem

The purpose of this research study was to examine the coping strategies of nontraditional female students in a private university in Southwest Michigan, and a public university in Northern Indiana. According to Carney-Compton & Tan (2002), nontraditional female students characterize the leading emergent set of students beginning college. This study examined the reasons why they are in college, the problems they face while there, and the coping strategies they used to make the adjustment to school life.

Method

The Coping Scale for Adults survey was used to determine what coping strategies are utilized by nontraditional female students. The factor …

Effects Of Role-Goal Methods On Student Engagement: A Case Study, Zachariah John Lillquist

Honors Program Theses

As a pre-service teacher, areas of focus that I have found to be incredibly intriguing are student motivation and student engagement. How educators motivate their students in their respective classrooms is something that has always been of interest to me. Many topics, including science – my field of teaching – are often remembered by students as the class they disliked the most or the one with the poor teacher. This could be due to a number of factors; it may be the style of teaching, the methodology of teaching, the age of the teacher, the curriculum itself, etc. The list …

Adolescents' Self-Described Transformations And Their Alignment With Transformative Learning Theory, Katie Titus Larson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological, collaborative inquiry explored the depth of two adolescent girls’ lived experiences during their high school years and the degree to which their self-described transformative incidents aligned with transformative learning theory.Traditionally this theory has been reserved for adults, yet the current paradigm may have overlooked the capabilities of modern adolescents to not only experience, but to describe and interpret transformative learning in ways both similar to and unique from adults.My two 19-year-old co-researchers and I examined four years of their self-identified transformative incidents by breaking them into components, analyzing the language within, and seeking evidence of critical self-reflection throughout; …

Neurodiversity In The Classroom: Pilot Of A Training Resource For Teachers Educating Autistic Inclusion Students In A General Education Setting, Ariel Danlys Detzer

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental differences in the United States, with estimates of prevalence as high as 1 in 68 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). Over recent decades, two trends have converged to bring autism to the fore as a challenge facing public education. First, changes in the conceptualization of autism have led to greater diagnostic capture of autistic individuals, and second, changes in special education practice regarding inclusion (emphasizing placement in Least Restrictive Environment) have increased the number of autistic students in mainstream classrooms. Meanwhile, autism research has largely been …

Experiential Journey Of Females Who Enter Or Re-Enter College Later In Life To Degree Completion, Rita Audy Johnston

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Given the scope and paucity of knowledge about the lived experiences of the female adult student entering or re-entering college later in life to degree completion, this research study identified significant themes in their lived experiences. With an appreciative eye, this study captured the female adult students’ lived experiences conveyed in a rich, inter-connected, and inspiring picture of who they are embedded into the larger context of society; such as role identity theory, social identity theory and the applicability and interpretations of these two theories on their journey to degree completion. This study also portrayed selected aspects of the feminist …

Reducing Adolescent Anger And Aggression With Biofeedback: A Mixed-Methods Multiple Case Study, Jedidiah S. Savard

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Adolescent anger, aggression, and violent outbursts are social problems significantly affecting each of us. Individual therapeutic management of pathological anger is treated in various ways depending on practitioners’ theoretical orientations and competency levels. Popular psychological individual and group therapies addressing anger and aggression in adolescents focus primarily on cognitive-behavioral techniques that manage anger’s symptoms. Evidence-based cognitive-behavioral therapies often require clients to self-identify emerging antecedents of anger without assistance; such therapies employ predetermined strategies to assist the client to emotionally de-escalate prior to an angry or aggressive episode. However, cognitive responses to an emotional upheaval stemming from an emergence of anger …

The Influence Of Rti Upon Special Education Eligibility, Kasandra Raben

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

In 2004, the federal government gave states the option of using Response to Intervention as a prerequisite to referring children for special education eligibility for learning disabilities (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). Research has generally supported this model although anecdotal evidence has suggested that the decrease in eligibility for learning disabilities is due to the reluctance of schools to refer children for learning disability eligibility because of the time required to implement the interventions prior to referral. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence that this model has had upon eligibility numbers in a large special …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy As A Treatment For Anxiety And Depression: A Review, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a modern form of cognitive behavioral therapy based on a distinct philosophy (functional contextualism) and basic science of cognition (relational frame theory). This article reviews the core features of ACT’s theoretical model of psychopathology and treatment as well as its therapeutic approach. It then provides a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating ACT for depression and anxiety disorders. Summarizing across a total of 36 RCTs, ACT appears to be more efficacious than waitlist conditions and treatment-as-usual, with largely equivalent effects relative to traditional cognitive behavioral therapy. Evidence from several trials also indicate …

The Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Matrix Mobile App: A Pilot Randomized Trial On Health Behaviors, Michael E. Levin, Benjamin G. Pierce, Benjamin Schoendorff

Psychology Faculty Publications

Mobile apps provide a promising format for delivering acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to improve diet/exercise. This pilot trial evaluated a novel ACT-based app for health behaviors based on the matrix approach. A sample of 23 community adults were randomly assigned to use the app for two weeks or to a waitlist condition. Findings indicated a high degree of satisfaction with the app and acceptable adherence. Although the intent-to-treat sample indicated few intervention effects, when focusing on program engagers only, health behaviors significantly improved in the app condition relative to waitlist. There were no differences between conditions on valued action …

Do College Students Use Online Self-Help? A Survey Of Intentions And Use Of Mental Health Resources, Michael E. Levin, Krista Stocke, Benjamin G. Pierce, Crissa Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Online self-help may help increase the reach of mental health services for college students, but little research has examined students’ actual interest/use of these resources. An online survey of 389 college students examined intentions and use of online mental health resources as compared with other support options. Findings indicated the highest intentions/use of informal supports (e.g., parents, friends) for mental health problems and lowest intentions/use for online self-help. However, a subset of students showed a preference for online self-help over other forms of support. Participants were also more likely to request online self-help resources (21%) than in-person therapy resources (9%) …

Process Evaluation Of Abc Grangegorman 2015-2017., Sarah Murphy

Programme Reports

ABC Grangegorman: Vision Against Poverty was aimed at improving outcomes for 0-6 children and their families in the Grangegorman area that are experiencing poverty. The programme was delivered by a consortium of 27 organisations from the area and led by the DIT Access and Civic Engagement Office. Consortium organisations included local schools, pre-schools, crèches, community organisations, as well as statutory agencies including HSE, Tusla and the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB). ABC Grangegorman consisted of nine programmes, which included:  Six interventions: Four Incredible Years (IY) programmes: IY Baby, IY Basic Parenting, IY Teacher Classroom Management, and …

Academic Engagement, Motivation, Self-Regulation, And Achievement Of Georgia Southern University Sophomore Students, John O. Lemay Iv

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Research has shown that engagement, motivation, self-regulation, and their individual effects on student achievement are established factors that influence college students’ success. However, what is less clear are these variables’ relationships and their collective influence on achievement. Since students face unique trials as they persist through college, consideration of these relationships and their effect on the achievement of all students is necessary. There is a widening achievement gap between sexes; females have now passed males in enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. Previous research in this area has been largely centered on undergraduate female students in their freshman year, but the …

Tier 3 Intervention: Expulsion, Natalie Hoff, Shir Palmon, Allie Heifner, Reece L. Peterson

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Conclusion

Expulsion is a disciplinary consequence that has been around for many years and serves the purpose of removing students who violate the school codes of conduct or pose an immediate threat to the school. While this strategy was created with school safety in mind, it has been found to lead to serious detrimental outcomes for students and has apparently been over used due to zero tolerance policies. Not only do schools use this strategy for behaviors for which it was not intended, it is also applied disproportionally to students based on ethnicity, gender, and disability status. To address these …

Evaluating The Attitudes Of Preservice Teachers Toward Multicultural Competence, Angela D. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in the ethnicity of the student population across the nation necessitated a change in teacher education curricula. This explanatory, sequential, mixed-method study examined how a group of preservice teachers viewed the importance of multicultural competence before and after student teaching. Specifically, an evaluation of preservice teachers’ attitudes about their own multicultural preparedness was made prior to and after being given full responsibility for an ethnically diverse classroom.

The study employed quantitative and qualitative measures to assess preservice teachers’ levels of multicultural competence as well as their awareness of self-perceptions of multicultural competence that contribute to attitudes toward teaching an …

The Role Of The Short-Term Mission Trip Process In The Development Of Cultural Intelligence In University Students: A Collective Case Study, Ashley Haygood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to determine how, if at all, Cultural Intelligence (CQ) develops in undergraduate students through a three-stage mission trip process for students at a large Christian university in the southeast participating in three separate short-term mission trips (Africa, Asia, and Europe). This study found that across the entire short-term mission (STM) trip process, religious faith was a consistent theme impacting CQ development. Three spring break short-term mission trip teams were used as three separate cases, from which several participants, or embedded units, provided their individual experiences within the case. Data collection methods occurred …

The Frequency Of Texting On Middle School Students' Writing Achievement, Jennifer French

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to discover the impact of texting on writing achievement for middle school students. The theory guiding this study is Vygotsky’s Social Cognitive Theory (Newman & Holzman, 2013) as it explains that learning is influenced by one’s social environment. The data that will be collected consists of the scores of the writing portion of the 2014-2015 state standardized test (ISTEP), a student survey answering questions about texting practices, and student status information on Free and Reduced Meals. The multiple regression analysis will be used to analyze this data because as inferential statistics it can …

Behavioral Impacts Of Father Absence On Middle School African American Boys, Ivy J. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Father absence is the experience of children who grow up in households without their biological father. The African American population experiences the highest level of father absence of all demographic groups in the United States. Research shows that father absence influences school behavior. There is a lack of literature evaluating the extent to which father absence affects children, particularly African American boys, at different stages of development. This quantitative study was used to evaluate how father absence affected school behavior of African American boys, ages 13-15, in the middle school setting, in Houston, TX. Guided by attachment theory, the research …

Assessing Learning Styles Of Adult Students In Online, Classroom, And Combination Learning Environments, Theresa M. Bane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an investigation of Kolb's experiential learning model and learning styles (LS) in adult students of different learning environments. Previous research utilizing Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory (LSI) produced results that were often contradictory to expectations based on Kolb's model. Many of these studies were limited in sample sizes or to particular participant education or career fields. The purpose of this study was to identify significant differences in LS of adult students of 3 different learning environments-online, classroom, and combination (blended). A convenience sample of adult learners (N = 180) from a social media site and an online university's …

Multicultural Psychosocial Education And The Malleability Of The Epistemic Essentialist Entitativity Processes, Kathryn Marie Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cognitive epistemic systems are reasoning structures that promote an individual's categorization of group members through processes known as cognitive epistemic essentialist entitativity (EEE). The propensity of these processes to become stagnant is known to lead to stereotyping and prejudiced behaviors when individuals are presented with ambiguous information about outgroup members. Educational materials about the contributions, cultural patterns, and social customs of ethnic and cultural groups can reduce stereotyping and prejudiced behaviors. However, whether being presented this material through multicultural psychosocial education in a formal setting is an effective strategy to influence the malleability of EEE processes has not been addressed …

Rural Colorado Drug Courts: A Program Evaluation Of Two Different Modalities, Arthur Kleinschmidt Kleinschmidt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Colorado Judicial Branch, 78 problem-solving courts operate in the 20 judicial districts in Colorado. The Summit County and Eagle County drug court programs are located in Colorado's Fifth Judicial District and have not been previously studied. Evaluating treatment programs for effectiveness contributes to social change because it ensures individuals in need of treatment are receiving the proper services. The Eagle County drug court program had 117 participants and the Summit County drug court program had 33 participants. The Summit County Drug Court used 2 cognitive behavioral therapies: moral reconation therapy and strategies for self-improvement and change. The …

Emotional-Social Intelligence: Development During Online And On-Campus Holistic Healthcare Programs, Bradley J. Boute

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As with traditional healthcare providers, emotional-social intelligence (ESI) plays a role in the holistic practitioner-client relationship. It is important to determine if students in holistic healthcare programs increase their ESI, and subsequently better serve their clients. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to determine if online education can develop students' ESI at levels similar to that of traditional programs. This study is based on the theory of ESI and transformative learning theory. The sample consisted of 95 students in an online program and 61 in a traditional program. Multiple linear regression, ANCOVA, and Pearson Correlation's were used to …

Violent Aggression Exposure, Psychoemotional Distress, Aggressive Behavior, And Academic Performance Among Adolescents, Joyce Renee Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sixty percent of youth indicate exposure to violence. Such exposure is a noted risk factor for youths' well-being, including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding whether exposure to violence predicts impaired academic performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test a model with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional sequelae of exposure as mediators of the relationship between exposure to violence and academic performance among adolescents who are at risk for exposure and attend inner-city high schools. Ninety-nine students, primarily female and African-American, in Grades 10 to 12 at two public schools …

Parental Perception Of Mobile Device Usage In Children And Social Competency, Christin Topper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents in the 21st century are concerned with the ubiquity of mobile devices and their effects on the progression of social development. A review of the literature indicated that although digital interaction has become more prominent, limited empirical data existed on whether children who spend more time interacting in the digital realm would develop the necessary competency to handle social situations in real-life settings. Using social constructivist theory and the Schramm model of communication as the theoretical foundations, the present study examined the relationship between mobile device usage and the level of social competency in young children as perceived by …

Childhood Obesity Programming In Schools: A Mixed Method Program Evaluation Of The Cope Healthy Lifestyles Teen Intervention, Lindsay Viellieu

Dissertations

The current study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the COPE Healthy Lifestyles TEEN program with adolescent females within a suburban high school setting. The program assessed changes in Body Mass Index, knowledge and behaviors relating to nutrition and physical activity and self-concept. The study also focused on participants' perspectives on program components and how those components facilitate change. The results of this study indicate the program increased knowledge relating to nutrition and physical activity; behaviors relating to physical activity; and self-concept. Given the on-going nature of the childhood obesity epidemic worldwide and the relationship between mental health and …

Examining The Impact Of Web-Based Training Modules Among Special Educators And Paraprofessionals Who Support Students With Autism, May Ahn

Dissertations

Although researchers have clearly identified evidence-based ABA practices for children with autism, the research-to-practice gap in implementation continues to exist in schools. This may be due to lack of staff development and knowledge in specific instructional methods (Odom, Collet-Klingenberg, & Hatton, 2010). Moreover, the delivery of training may be a factor in staff development. For example, workshops are one of the most common ways professionals access training (Brock, Huber, Carter, Juarez, & Warren, 2014). However, workshops often have limited impact on implementation of new knowledge. Advances in technology have made online training more accessible for educators as a delivery option. …

An Exploration Of African American Parents' Level Of Trust In Special Education Meetings, Kizin Burton-Fox

Dissertations

There is a plethora of research to suggest that there are a number of benefits to parent participation in a student's education, including improved education outcomes for students (Cheung & Pomerantz, 2012). However, there has been no real consensus on whether or not African American parents demonstrate appropriate involvement in their children's education since parent participation has typically been defined according to the norms of White middle class culture (Fields-Smith, 2005). Nevertheless, African American students have been found to demonstrate some of the lowest levels of academic achievement compared to their White counterparts, even when socioeconomic factors are taken into …

Elementary School Social Workers' Perspectives On The Development Of Resilience In Early Childhood, Dan Podraza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have stressed the importance of addressing the social/emotional needs of early childhood (EC) children, including the development of resilience; however, some U.S. school personnel focus more on academics than on these needs. When young children possess these skills, they can handle social/emotional challenges later in life. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore school social workers' (SWs) perspectives about resilience in EC settings. Research questions focused on knowledge of existing programs, participants' perceptions of the successes and challenges of working with EC students, and their recommendations to improve EC students' education. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory …

Gender Differences In Discussion Strategies Of Asynchronous Online Undergraduate Psychology Major Students, Shawna Marie Burtis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous studies have focused on gender differences in communication in various learning settings and have found that men and women typically communicate in different ways; however, no studies have directly investigated undergraduate psychology major students. Based on symbolic convergence theory, a survey design was in this quantitative study to examine gender differences in online discussion strategies among undergraduate psychology student majors at online universities. Focusing on 4 asynchronous online discussion strategies, the research questions addressed gender differences in discussion strategies while controlling for students' previous experience with online learning and level of study in their current program. A convenience sample …

Factors That Influence School Counselors' Intent To Use Online Counseling, Sarah Heather Golden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owing to advancements in technology, online counseling has become a viable option for counselors to provide counseling services to diverse populations. Despite the expansion of resources, a gap in research exists pertaining to a school counselor's intention to use online counseling. Furthermore, online counseling is an underused tool owing to a variety of unknowns, attitudes, ethical and legal concerns, and lack of training associated with online counseling. The underuse of online counseling becomes problematic because youth, who may be more receptive to support via the Internet, remain underserved if school counselors are not using this tool. The purpose for this …

High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A participatory action research project involving social workers as stakeholders from high schools and the local community college in Nassau County, New York, provided the basis for an inquiry that addressed the effectiveness and implementation of clinical social work practice with Black male students transitioning to community college from high school. This study addresses how clinical social work practice may be utilized to enhance the experience of the transition process for Black male students from high school to college. Through the use of a qualitative in-depth interview process, 16 school-based social workers provided professional perspective and expertise that resulted in …