Educational Psychology Commons^™

The Prediction And Relationship Between Age, Ethnicity, Gender, And Quality Of Life Using Self-Efficacy Scores Among Stroke Survivors, Sabrina Angela Thornton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stroke is a serious illness that requires urgent attention. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether age, ethnicity, gender, and quality of life predict self-efficacy scores in stroke survivors. The theoretical foundation of the study was the social cognitive theory of perceived self-efficacy that was developed by Bandura. There were 4 specific research questions investigated. A correlational research design was used to sample 115 stroke survivors from several Arkansas rehabilitation facilities who completed a pilot study, demographic form, QOL rating scale, and the Daily Living Self-Efficacy Scale (DLSES). Stepwise multiple regression analysis was applied to identify the independent …

Persistence Of Undergraduate Women In Stem Through Timsi, Heather L. Henderson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is a need to increase the persistence of women in science careers. This study focuses on undergraduate women majoring in or interested in science. Despite interest early on in their academic careers, women are leaving STEM at higher rates than other fields. Through the framework of the Tripartite Integration Model of Social Influence (TIMSI), this study explores psychosocial factors leading to integration in science careers. 484 undergraduate women from 9 universities in the Colorado/Wyoming Front Range and the Carolinas were recruited into this study and surveyed through 8 waves of data collection. A model building process was performed using …

The Differences Between Principal And Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities In California Schools, Michael Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effective Professional Learning Communities are one tool schools utilize to ensure that student achievement improvement is prioritized. Professional Learning Communities help educators increase their professional knowledge and minimize conflict amongst colleagues. Additionally, teachers who regularly participate in a Professional Learning Community have students who reach higher achievement benchmarks than the students of their non-participating peers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a statistically significant difference existed between principal perceptions and teacher perceptions of Professional Learning Communities as measured by the Professional Learning Communities Assessment—Revised. A sample of 49 principals and 53 teachers from 49 schools in California …

The Relationship Between Toddlers' And Their Primary Caregivers' Perspectives On Gender, Marc Strawderman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative case study was to discover the relationship between the views of gender between toddlers and their primary caregivers and between those toddlers and their teachers at an early childhood education center, or daycare center, in south-central Pennsylvania. The Child-Rearing Sex-Role Attitude Scale (CRSRAS) and Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale (SRES) assessed and evaluated how the adults perceive gender. The Sex-Role Learning Index (SERLI) had the toddlers gender-type toys. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the adults’ scores on the CRSRAS and SRES, and explanation building was used after that to link the adults’ perceptions to the toddlers’ …

Attitudinal Differences Towards Robotics Competitions Of Male And Female Students Participating In A Southeastern State Robotics Competition, Jesse Neece

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Some of the most dynamic and demanding careers are in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, when analyzing gender, there are great disparities among gender in STEM. Statistics indicate females are vastly underrepresented and males are employed double the rate of females. Leading STEM companies are creatively trying to attract future STEM laborers by means of science and engineering competitions. The purpose of this quantitative causal comparative study was to investigate if there are differences in attitudes between male and female students participating in a robotics competition. A convenience sample of public school students (N = …

Investigating Relationships Among Counselors' Gender, Race, Multicultural Competency When Counseling Sexual Minorities, Laverne Marie' Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gay and lesbian individuals are marginalized, stigmatized, and can face bias in the counseling environment. There is a gap in the literature regarding research on gender, race, and multicultural competency and negative racial attitudes towards sexual minorities. This study examined whether multicultural competency (measured by the Multicultural Counseling Knowledge and Awareness Scale) moderates any associations of gender and race with attitudes towards sexual minorities (measured by Attitudes Towards Lesbians and Gay Men Scale) to examine if the role of multicultural competency differs across groups. The sample consisted of 20 White and 14 Non-White participants who were between 30-40 years of …

Influence Of Leadership, Peer Status, And Social Goals On Overt And Relational Aggression During Early Adolescence, Casey Schick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Peer relationships are highly salient during early adolescence, especially during the first year of middle school. As a result, coolness (a facet of peer status) is prioritized and increasingly associated with aggression. Recent research indicates the relationship between peer status (coolness) and aggression is moderated by social goals (popularity, dominance, intimacy) and gender. Leadership among peers is also salient during early adolescence, although it is understudied in comparison to peer status (coolness). Leadership is worth additional investigation, as youth leaders are considered interpersonally competent and possess the social skills necessary to influence peer behavior. Research is needed to examine the …

The Effect Of Socioeconomic Status And Gender On High School Student Perceptions About Career And Technical Education, Briael Chadwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examines the perceptions of career and technical education (CTE) among high school students based on their socioeconomic status and gender, and the interaction between the two. The study used a convenience sample of 207 students from four coastal South Carolina high schools. The data was collected using the Image of Vocational Education (IVE) survey. The data was analyzed using a two-way ANOVA. The results found that low socioeconomic status, middle socioeconomic status, high socioeconomic status all had positive perceptions of CTE; female and male had no differences in perception; and there is no interaction. The summary and …

Narrating School, Narrative Self: Identity, Agency And The Hidden Curriculum Of (Hetero)Normativity, Mikela Bjork

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation analyzes sober women’s narratives of their schooling experiences to reflect on how educators and policy makers can improve the schooling experiences for othered students.. Inspired by the self-reflective and agentic pedagogy found within the figured world of Alcoholics Anonymous, I focused on the narratives of women in Alcoholics Anonymous, ages 18-85, as they narrated their schooling stories from pre-Kindergarten up to the last grade they completed. What the data of this qualitative research project reveals is that, despite the detrimental culture of denial at home and school, the participants, through the radical act of self-reflexivity and personal narrative, …

The Effect Of Game-Based Learning On Vocabulary Acquisition For Middle School English Language Learners, Jeanette Benoit

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

English language learners (ELLs) in America face huge challenges in middle school. Although many ELLs quickly assimilate into the American culture and develop their social language rapidly, they continue to struggle academically. One reason ELLs find themselves behind their native English-speaking peers is their lack of academic vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary can be learned both implicitly with extensive reading and explicitly with direct and focused instruction. Research has shown that implicit vocabulary learning is not as effective with ELLs and the need for effective explicit learning strategies is apparent. This study revealed no statistically significant difference in academic vocabulary scores when …

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 …

Media Detectives: Bridging The Relationship Among Empathy, Laugh Tracks, And Gender In Childhood, Sruti Kanthan, James A. Graham, Lynne Azarchi

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Empathy in college-age students is decreasing at unprecedented rates. Understanding empathy in children can act as primary prevention in tackling the problem. This study considers laugh tracks’ capacity to bias reality, foster empathy, and investigate differences across time and gender in 181 fifth grade students. The results from this quasi-experimental study suggests that students’ perceptions of the relationship between empathy and canned laughter changed significantly from pretest to posttest survey questions. Statistically significant differences were present for gender, as well. Theoretical and practical implications of using laugh tracks to increase empathy in middle and late childhood are discussed.

"That's Empowering!": The Influence Of Community Activism Curriculum On Gifted Adolescents' Self-Concepts, Ashley D. Beason-Manes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The first of the following manuscripts addresses the experiences of a group of gifted middle school students as they engaged in community action projects that provided them opportunity to become activists in their school, neighborhood, and larger community. This study pays special attention to participants’ self-concepts as measured by the Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children (2012) and through participant interviews. The study finds evidence of students’ co-cognitive components of giftedness when themes of courage, sensitivity to human concerns, and sense of destiny are applied. Main themes from Harter’s scale are also applied, and participant interviews reveal evidence of academic and …

Gender-Related Attitudinal Differences Towards Science Fairs Of Students In Christian Private Schools In South Carolina, Glenda Westbury

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Science fairs afford students at all grade levels the opportunity to practice thinking as a scientist does, a valuable 21st century skill (Jacobs, 2010) and may influence students to pursue STEM-related careers. Even though science fairs have been occurring since the 1920s, literature related to science competitions, especially science fairs, is limited (Dionne et al., 2012; Terzian, 2009). The purpose of this quantitative study was to use a causal comparative research design to determine if there is a difference in overall attitudes towards science fairs, enjoyment of science fairs, and usefulness of science fairs of female and male students at …

Jack's Brain, Jill's Brain: Why Gender Differences Matter, Shauna F. King

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This workshop introduces participants to the rapidly emerging research on how the brains of females and males are developmentally, structurally and functionally different. Based on these differences, participants will learn academic approaches customized to the distinctly different learning styles of girls and boys.

Collegiate Competition And The Propensity For Gender Bias, Deborah H. Lester, Aberdeen Leila Borders, Terry W. Loe, Keith Tudor

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

Since the dawn of time gender has played a starring role in human behavior. The behavioral implications of an individual’s sex have permeated research findings in a wide variety of academic disciplines. This preliminary investigation will explore the concept and definition of gender, gender bias, and gender stereotype on actions and conduct. Specifically, this inquiry will determine the scope and types of gender bias/stereotypes that exist in the business world with a primary concentration on the area of professional sales. The ultimate objective is to discover the type and level of influence a person’s gender contributes to evaluation, performance and …

Examining Sources Of Gender Dif Using Cross-Classification Multilevel Irt Models, Liuhan Cai

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

A substantial amount of research has focused on the detection of differential item functioning (DIF) in the past. However, DIF detection and the estimation of DIF effect size do not explain why it occurs. Recent studies have investigated how or why DIF may occur. Improvements in DIF analysis models have made it possible to explore additional covariates as potential sources of DIF by measuring the extent to which these covariates account for variation in performance. The current study examines variability in math performance accounted for by gender, which is referred as gender DIF. This study then investigates how the presence …

The Relationship Between Religiousness And Bullying Among Parochial High School Students In The Southeast, Matthew Adam Willis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Bullying and peer abuses are persistent problems in the educational community. Many studies have been undertaken that focus on the aftermath of bullying or prevention of abuse, but few have focused on social variables and their relationship to bullying and peer abuses. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is any relationship between an individual's self-reported levels of religiousness and their perspectives on bullying. The study used a correlational design. This design analyzed students who have taken the Olweus bullying scale and a religious commitment survey. The surveys were analyzed using the Stepwise regression model. Understanding the …

Masculinities, Gendered Expression, And The Social, Emotional, And Academic Well-Being Of High School Boys, Cynthia Bazinet

Educational Studies Dissertations

There has been longstanding concern over the seemingly intractable problem of boys’ academic achievement. Despite extensive research, there is little consensus among researchers and educators regarding best practices and approaches in mitigating and remediating the problem. This mixed-methods study sought to illuminate the issue further by focusing on the meaningful lived experiences of six young men aged 18 to 24 who attended and graduated from a central Massachusetts public high school. The study asked participants to reflect through prompted writing upon the stresses and pressures as well as the factors and conditions that affected their abilities to manage their performativities …

Respiration: Breathing Between The Stacks, Jerome D. Clarke

SURGE

How rare are we, who brandish Black and Male identity, in Academia?

In the past two weeks, I have been reminded of my Black maleness in a multitude of ways. I sat alone, subordinate in number, in a dialogue about Internalized Oppression at Diaspora House. Strong women of color discuss this issue while I work to stay respectful and non-oppressive in this space. I sat alone, subordinate in number, in each of my classes, where I am often the only one of my race and class. My race-gender circumstance is a matter of fact to me. How does this Black …

An Examination Of Disproportionality In One School District Using A Response To Intervention Model, Brittney M. Bixby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disproportionality in special education has been an ongoing discussion and cause for concern at the district, state, and federal levels for the past 45 years. Due to legislative changes and a shifting attitude in public education away from a "wait to fail" service delivery model, may states now require the use of Response to Intervention (RTI), or a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) for students who do not meet grade level academic standards or behavioral expectations. This study examined the presence of disproportionality among race/ethnicity, gender, and ELL status for students who received targeted and intensive interventions across two consecutive …

Gender, Instructional Method, And Graduate Social Science Students' Motivation And Learning Strategies, Mae Lynn Spahr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the current study was to learn how gender and learning method affect motivation and learning strategies in psychology, counseling, and social work graduate students. The variables of gender, learning method, motivation, and learning strategies are used by the self-regulation model to learning and the theory of independent learning to measure a student's academic success. Increasing the knowledge of these variables will be of interest to academic institutions and to the field of educational psychology because little is known about their interaction. The study's design was factorial quasi-experimental; it used a cross sectional survey consisting of a 2 …

The Impact Of Math Anxiety In The Primary Grades, Amanda R. Anderson-Mix

Mathematics Graduate Theses

Math anxiety is an increasingly common occurrence among individuals when working with mathematical concepts. While researching math anxiety the author came across common gender stereotypes implying: women do not perform as well as men in the field of mathematics, women experience a much higher level of math anxiety than men, and most women do not appreciate performing mathematical tasks. Although the concept of math anxiety is an interesting topic to the author, it's important to look deeper than simply the question, “What is math anxiety?” Seeing these stereotypical assumptions that women have higher math anxiety levels, it made this author …

Relationship Between Community Violence Exposure, Gender, And Social Information Processing, Yvonne Twana Bell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violent behaviors among adolescents serve as a disruption to many aspects of society. If these behaviors remain uncorrected, there is increased potential for serious self-harm, harm to others, incarceration, and escalation of violence into homicide or suicide. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between youth exposure to community violence and adolescents' social information processing underlying aggressive responses, as well as the potential role of gender in moderating this relationship. A sample of 160 male and female 18-year-olds from the Midwestern United States completed an online survey, which included the Things I Have Seen and Heard (TISH) …

The Relationship Of Spiritual Intelligence To Achievement Of Secondary Students, Merial Smartt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this non-experimental, correlational quantitative research study was to examine the relationship between student achievement and spiritual intelligence while controlling for age and gender in two public and two private schools in a southeastern city. The variable of interest and criterion variable of achievement was measured by the American College Test (ACT). The variable of spiritual intelligence was measured using a 24 question self-report assessment entitled The Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24) by D. King (2008). The SISRI-24 included four subscales, critical existential thinking (CET), personal meaning production (PMP), transcendental awareness (TA), and conscious state expansion (CSE) that …

The Impact And Effectiveness Of Student-Centered Classroom Structure, Amie P. Westberg

Mathematics Graduate Theses

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of student-centered learning as an alternative classroom structure. It is important that we continually reflect on our teaching methods and explore alternatives that can help give our students the best chance to succeed. While the literature is mixed with regard to which classroom style is best, there are many sources showing the benefits of student-centered instruction over a strictly teacher- centered classroom. Sources also showed that teachers do not need to choose exclusively one style of teaching, and that a blended classroom using a variety of teaching styles can be …

Deconstructing Maths Anxiety: Helping Students To Develop A Positive Attitude Towards Learning Maths, Sarah Buckley

Student learning processes

Higher maths ability is often believed to go hand-in-hand with greater levels of general intelligence. At the same time, many students have a negative attitude towards maths. Maths anxiety is defined in the research literature as feelings of concern, tension or nervousness that are experienced in combination with maths. In 2005, researchers in the United States estimated that approximately 20 per cent of the US population were highly maths anxious. Given the cultural similarities between the US and Australia, we can assume that the percentage would be comparable here. Research in education, cognitive psychology and neuroscience shows that anxiety can …

The Effects Of Single-Gender Classes On Students' Physical Fitness Test Performances And Attitudes, Zachary Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this pretest-posttest control group study was to test the Social Cognitive Theory by comparing the effects of class type, coeducational or single-gender, on physical fitness test performance and attitudes, controlling for previous fitness levels, among sixth-grade male and female physical education students at a Northwest Georgia Middle School. A total of 277 students participated in the newly state-mandated FitnessGram physical fitness test as part of their regular physical education class. The groups then participated in standard physical education lessons for four weeks. Then, in each of the two sixth-grade physical education periods, students were divided among the …

An Examination Of Demographic Variables And Their Relationships With Perceived Stress Among Caregivers Beginning A Parent Training Program, Amy Heath Patenaude

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how levels of stress among caregivers beginning a behavioral parent training program are related to caregiver and child variables. Research questions were answered using archival data collected from 474 caregivers who participated in HOT DOCS, a behavioral parent training program, between January 2009 through July 2010. The three objectives of the study were to (a) examine caregivers' perceived stress in relation to caregiver demographic variables (i.e., gender, marital status, level of education); (b) examine caregivers' perceived stress in relation to child demographic variables (i.e., levels of externalizing and internalizing behavior and …

The Impact Of Single-Sex Education On The Performance Of First And Second Grade Public School Students, Katherine Bradley

Georgia Educational Researcher

In this article, I present the findings of a single-sex public education experiment adapted from a dissertation study. The rationale for conducting this research focuses on the renewed and unprecedented interest in single-sex public education as a strategy for increasing student performance. According to various educational theorists and researchers, single-sex education is an effective instructional strategy for improving student performance. However, little is known about the impact of single-sex public education. This quantitative ex post facto research analyzes the impact of single-sex education on academic achievement, discipline referral and attendance for public school first and second grade students. The findings …