Emailed Prompt Package To Increase Alternative School Educators’ Use Of Behavior Specific Praise, Chelsea Johnson

Dissertations

Alternative school educators are often placed in alternative education settings with minimal training or support to manage disruptive behaviors in the classroom. To combat this, school-based consultation may be provided to assist alternative school educators with classroom management strategies. However, face-to-face consultation may be limited due to the numerous responsibilities placed on school-based consultants. Behavior specific praise (BSP) is a strategy that is recommended, but often provided at low rates. To address these barriers, previous literature has examined the use of emailed prompts to increase treatment integrity, feasibility, and acceptability of a variety of evidence-based interventions. A concurrent multiple baseline …

In My Softest & Most Liberatory Dreams: Reflections On Holding Complexity & Decentering Whiteness, Richard C. Clark

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As the world contends with a global pandemic, climate catastrophes, white supremacy, coloniality, and concurrent genocides my attention splinters. In an act of futurity, or future making, I ask myself: What is needed to move from this place toward softer, more liberatory futures? This body of work finds its answer in exploring two interrelated concepts: Decentering Whiteness and Holding Complexity. Decentering Whiteness is the process of working toward a future where all the personal, spiritual, educational, epistemological, social, structural, psychological, financial, and systemic ties to white supremacy are unraveled. Holding Complexity weaves together knowledges of care, accountability, intersectionality, and …

Elementary School Teacher’S Experiences Of Open Studio Process In Examining Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Topics, Tiffany Thompson

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This qualitative research study examined the experiences of two Black female teachers and six White female teachers who participated in five Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workshops that incorporated Open Studio Process (OSP) using Expressive Therapy Continuum (ETC). It is informed by research on defensiveness and resistance that often accompanies and presents barriers to effective DEI training.

All eight study participants were elementary school teachers, ages 22-56. Participants engaged in five workshops that used artistic mediums to explore DEI topics. Participants visually and metaphorically represented their experiences. Results were analyzed using qualitative techniques.

Findings are that OSP using ETC …

Speak My Language: Art Therapy Restorative Justice Hybrid For Disenfranchised High School Students, Catherine Day

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

This literature review examines the use of zero tolerance policies and exclusionary practices in schools throughout the United States. The adolescent population is more vulnerable now than ever, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. An increasing number of students are struggling with behavioral misconduct, mental health issues, and suspension/expulsion from school. The research contained in this review explores how zero tolerance policies have contributed to the current state of our education system, behavioral misconduct in schools, student involvement in the juvenile justice system, alternative methods of discipline such as restorative practices and therapeutic interventions like Art Therapy. The current exclusionary …

Cultural And Structural Barriers Of Utilizing Mental Health Services In A School-Based Setting For Latinx Populations, Silvia Lozano, Bridgette Guadalupe Calderon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative research study aimed to reduce mental health service disparities in Latinx communities and helps fill in the gap by addressing cultural and structural barriers to utilizing MHS in a school-based setting for Latinx youth. There is limited research regarding Latinx parents’ perspectives and the reservations they have on utilizing school-based mental health services (MHS) for their children. This study identified six important themes: cultural factors, trust and rapport, reservations, access and awareness, parental involvement and challenges, and school-based resources. Implications for school districts are that they can use these findings to increase early intervention mental behavioral health programs …

The Relationship Between Role Models, Socioeconomic Mobility Beliefs, And Academic Outcomes, Christian Koeu, Marisol Espinoza Garcia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Objective: This study aims to provide insights into the relationships between role models, socioeconomic mobility beliefs and the education outcomes of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. While previous studies highlight the positive influence of role models on academic and career aspirations, the specific relationship between role models and socioeconomic beliefs remains unexplored. Our study addresses this gap by examining whether the presence of role models relates with more optimistic socioeconomic beliefs and how these beliefs, in turn, affect academic outcomes (academic engagement, academic intentions, and grade point average [GPA]). Additionally, we investigate the influence of role model characteristics to …

California School Psychologists’ Assessment Practices With Cld Students: A Phenomenological Study, Hector Manuel Teran Jr.

Dissertations

School psychologists are tasked with assessing students to qualify them for special education, typically using standardized tests. Standardized testing, like IQ testing, routinely used in the psycho-educational process, serves to justify prejudices, as they often mark people of color as intellectually inferior to White people. A closer look at school psychologists’ assessment practices with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students is necessary, as these students have historically been placed in special education at a higher percentage, likely due to misperceptions related to their race, ethnicity, or linguistic background. While IQ tests are regarded as tools that identify the needs of …

The Time Machine To Neverland: A Multiple-Case Study Exploration Of The Impact Of The Covid-19 Lockdown On Childhood And Development, Elyse Laakso

Child Development Theses

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown of 2020 impacted the world profoundly, both on global and individual levels. In many respects, the world returned to “normal” in the ensuing years. However, what does “normal” mean for a child whose development was interrupted by lockdown, depriving them of experiences that they would have otherwise encountered on their developmental trajectory? How might the impacts of such an interruption manifest in subsequent years? This thesis explores some such potential consequences, utilizing a multiple-case study design to explore the intersection between early childhood developmental theory and the impact of the Covid-19 …

The Age Of Adolescence: Examining The Relationship Between Body Image And Mood In Early Adolescence, Destiny R. Klanecky

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The current study sought to examine the relationship between body dissatisfaction and early adolescent mood with the intent of raising awareness and prevention, as well as intervention, when it comes to negative mental health and depressive mood in early adolescence. General self-worth acted as the outcome variable, examining body dissatisfaction, gender, and affect as potential predictor variables of lower general self-worth at the end of the school year. All measures were done through self-report questionnaires. Correlations were run to determine gender differences among the variables of interest and a hierarchical regression was done to account for change in general self-worth …

Self-Care Techniques To Decrease Special Education Teacher Burnout, Carrie Frost

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focal topic of my capstone project is special education teacher burnout and how self-care techniques can reduce the likelihood of chronic stress and burnout. The challenges of being a special education teacher include but are not limited to, various disabilities and behaviors, lack of classroom and administration support, and overall management. Research conducted by Emery and Vandenberg (2010) stated that special education teachers often experience burnout, which commonly leads to employee attrition. Burnout and the personal stress that comes with it are the biggest contributors to the shortage of qualified special educators throughout the United States. Their challenges involve …

Caught Off Guard: The Fascinating Power Of Surprise In Capturing Covert And Overt Attention, Shahd Abu-Jazar

Brescia Psychology Undergraduate Honours Theses

Attention is a critical mental process that allows individuals to focus on pertinent information and filter out distractors. This study's primary goal was to examine how surprise draws attention, which is significant as it may have an impact on memory and learning. This study examines the influence of surprise on attentional capture, both overt and covert, across different levels of outcome predictability in everyday situations using repeated measures ANOVAs. Building on the concept that unexpected events can trigger heightened alertness and memory encoding, we hypothesized that scenarios with less-known outcomes would elicit a stronger attentional response compared to known and …

Retrospective Pre-Post Evaluation Of A Healthy Relationships And Mental Health Promotion Program For 2s/Lgbtqia+ Youth, Nikita Kalwani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Research has found that 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth experience disproportionately high mental health concerns and barriers to accessing support. Protective factors such as school-based support, peer support, and mental health interventions have been found to buffer this risk. The Healthy Relationships Program (HRP) for 2S/LGBTQIA+ Youth is a positive mental health promotion program that aims to build resiliency, bolster healthy relationship skills, and promote well-being among 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes, effectiveness, and feasibility of implementing this program within Gender and Sexuality/Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in secondary schools. Data from students (N = 17) and GSA advisors who …

Fostering Friendship And Acceptance In An Inclusive Summer Day Camp, Emily Villani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Historically, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) have faced barriers to social inclusion and forming friendships - essential life factors. Research has indicated the importance of reducing social barriers to inclusion and highlights the benefits of improving social skills and fostering positive attitudes about IDDs for facilitating friendship formation and inclusion. With the goal of fostering friendships, the S³ summer camp offered 22 youth (aged 9-14) with and without IDDs accessible and inclusive STEM education and a one-week social skills training package which included disability awareness lessons. Analysis examined the effects of this training package on participants’ friendship …

The Effects Of Background Music On Productivity In Classrooms, Trinity Carter

Selected Student Publications

This paper examines how background music influences productivity in classroom settings.

thorough research has shown that music does stimulate the brain (Rickard & McFerran, 2011) but due to limitations in research, a general consensus on how it affects a person’s productivity cannot be drawn (de la Mora Velasco & Hirumi, 2020). The study attempted to address the limitations noticed across multiple studies: (1) specification of how background music is manipulated during the study (2) number of participants (3) testing only in educational settings and (4) effects of background music on conceptual learning. It was expected that background music would be …

Examining The Effects Of Differential Reinforcement And Time-Out On Unsafe Playground Behavior, Elizabeth K. Linton

LSU Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of differential reinforcement (DRO) without extinction, and then the additive effects of time-out, on reducing unsafe playground behavior. The results of the DRO in isolation phase indicated that DRO alone was only consistently effective in reducing or eliminating unsafe behavior for one out of four participants. The other three participants moved on to the multielement comparison where the combination of DRO and time-out (DRO+TO) condition was added. The DRO+TO condition reduced and eliminated unsafe playground behavior for all participants who experienced the condition. Those participants engaged in higher levels of …

Childhood Discipline Disparities For African American And Latinx Students, Cierra Townsend

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American and Latinx students are disproportionality impacted by punitive discipline models including suspensions, detention, and expulsions. This disproportionality removes students from the education setting creating adverse social emotional, academic, and economic outcomes. Students who are suspended and expelled are more likely to have contact with the juvenile justice system and or to be pushed out of school into alternative settings. Therefore, punitive discipline leads to increased school-based pathways to the juvenile justice system (SPJJ), also known as the school the prison pipeline (STPP). Despite knowledge of these adverse outcomes, schools continue to utilize punitive discipline practices. School psychologists are …

A Phenomenological Study Of School Psychologists: The Influence Of Implicit Bias On The Disproportionate Identification Rates Of African American Students Evaluated For Emotional Disturbance, Sonya Coe-Milo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As advocates, school psychologists remain ethically responsible and uniquely positioned to identify social injustices and promote nondiscriminatory practices in prekindergarten through grade 12 public education institutions. Implicit bias and its influence on African American students is one such practice. In public education, implicit bias contributes to discipline disproportionality, differentiated teacher support, pedagogical practices, and adult perceptions and expectations of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. These factors directly correlate to the disproportionate identification rates of African American students for special education and related services. Therefore, this phenomenological qualitative study examined the personal, lived experiences and perceptions of school psychologists regarding implicit bias …

Unlocking Potential: The Transformative Power Of Trauma-Informed Schools On Students' Well-Being And Academic Success, Tiffany Carolino

University Honors Theses

Trauma-informed approaches in public schools have emerged as a promising strategy to address students' social-emotional well-being and academic success impacted by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This paper explores the necessity and effectiveness of trauma-informed practices within educational settings. Adverse childhood experiences encompass a range of traumatic events that profoundly affect children's development, behaviors, and academic performance. Despite the prevalence of ACEs, traditional disciplinary practices often fail to address the underlying issues, leading to further challenges for students. This literature review examines three trauma-informed programs: HEARTS, TIES, and STRIVE, each offering strategies to support students and educators. Results from these programs …

“Learning To Read With The Magic Seeds”: A Pilot Test Of A Parent Shared Reading Program, Mary Jean Strong

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study was a pilot study to assess the feasibility of “Learning to Read with the Magic Seeds,” a four-week shared reading program, and its effectiveness in changing parental beliefs about literacy. Two groups of parents of preschool-aged children with different demographics participated in the study. Parents completed the Parental Reading Beliefs Inventory prior to and after the four sessions. The first session included an introduction, assessments, and a conversation about literacy beliefs, practices in the home, and the importance of talk. Subsequent sessions focused on extending book talk, phonological awareness, and developing print awareness. During the session, the …

Promoting Caregiver Mental Health Literacy: A Pilot Study Of The Online Program “Mental Wellness At The Lake”, Erika Baylis

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The mental health needs of children are growing in the United States. Caregiver’s mental health knowledge and attitudes about help-seeking can impede the awareness of help-seeking behaviors. The Baylis Model is a framework for caregivers to increase their mental health knowledge. This research is a pilot study to provide elementary caregivers with mental health knowledge to increase their awareness to access treatments for their children. Participants completed a pre-test to determine mental health knowledge to begin the study. A total of 14 families completed a 10-module course (Mental Wellness At The Lake) on canvas, a web-based learning management system. Throughout …

School Psychologists Supporting Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Families Through The Evaluation Process, Jacqueline A. Oluoch

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study examined factors that predicted higher cultural skills in practicing school psychologists, and if these skills could be improved through a professional development session. Participants were school psychologists who attended a cultural skills professional development workshop during the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention 2024. A Mann-Whitney test was used to examine the change in cultural skills pre- and post-workshop. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to examine cultural skills by career stage and work settings. The results showed an overall increase in cultural skills post-workshop. Working in public schools or non-public schools was not related to higher cultural skills …

The Non-Standardization Of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder: A Call To Action, Gabriel L.S Gomez

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most diagnosed disorders in adults and children, yet there is no standardized method to assess for ADHD. The similarity of symptoms shared across other disorders (comorbidity) makes the assessment of ADHD a very delicate process. This is not aided by the fact that the assessment of ADHD is not standardized. This allows individuals able to assess for ADHD to give a test or a combination of tests that they find fitting. This in turn brings into question the quality of testing and disagreement in diagnosing across fields. Lastly, ADHD-focused measures typically …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Role In Supporting Students’ Mental Health Needs, Rachael Mcdonough

Masters Theses

Mental health issues are highly prevalent among children and adolescents and have recently increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence shows a research to practice gap in the area of mental health practices and interventions in schools. As teachers are frontline gatekeepers for identifying mental health issues in students, it is important to understand current teachers' perspectives regarding their role, knowledge, and training. Thus, the current study sought to explore teachers’ perceptions regarding their role in supporting student mental health needs and the barriers that may prevent them from doing so. In the current study, general and special …

Replication Of Construct Validity Of The Behavior Assessment System For Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scales (Basc-3 Trs) And The Adjustment Scales For Children And Adolescents (Asca), Joel Katla

Masters Theses

Behavior rating scales, such as the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scale Child form and the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA) are common tools to help school psychologists identify and assess problematic behaviors and youth psychopathology. However, the original BASC, the BASC-2, and the BASC-3 have little replication research available. The ASCA, while now having potentially outdated norms, has had replication research conducted and is considered empirically sound. Burback (2020) empirically compared the BASC-3 TRS-C with the ASCA to assess construct validity (convergent, discriminant, divergent) since there were no published studies replicating research presented in …

Student Perceptions Of Teacher Praise: Considering Diversity, Kealie S. Jenkins

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to expand the praise preference literature by considering student diversity. Specifically, students (grades 7-12) acceptability and preferences for praise and reprimand were assessed while considering the following: (a) White/ Non-White, (b) Rural/ Suburban, (c) Special Education/ General Education, and (d) Low SES/ Middle-High SES. Students’ acceptability and preferences for praise and reprimand were collected through the Adolescent Praise and Reprimand Preference Survey (APRPS). A total of 1125 students completed the APRPS. Regardless of diverse group comparisons (except Low SES and Middle/High SES) the top three preferences across (schoolwork and appropriate behavior) all groups included …

Self-Reported Multicultural Teaching Knowledge Of K-12 Teachers, Ailish Raftery

Masters Theses

Research continues to show that students who belong to racial and/or ethnic minority groups face a variety of challenges at school, such as disproportionate rates of drop out, behavioral problems, exclusionary discipline practices, absenteeism, placement in special education, and more. These challenges are thought to contribute to the academic achievement gap between White and racial/ethnic minority students throughout the American public school system. Therefore, it is important to assess the multicultural teaching competence of American teachers and investigate barriers to improving culturally responsive teaching practices. Past research has investigated teachers’ multicultural teaching competence, but fewer compared general and special education …

Further Psychometric Examination Of The Late Adolescent Social Support Inventory, Nicole Shaffer

Masters Theses

The current study set out to provide validity evidence for the Late Adolescent Social Support Inventory (LASSI), a scale designed to measure the perception of the availability of social support. Participants were recruited from undergraduate psychology courses at Eastern Illinois University. There were 69 participants who completed the LASSI, an alternative measure of social support (the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, shortened version; ISEL – 12), measures of depression, anxiety and stress (the subscales of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, short version; DASS – 21), and a measure of satisfaction with life (the Satisfaction with Life Scale; SWLS). All scales demonstrated …

Dungeons And Dragons™ (D&D) As A Brief Intervention For College Students, Alexander W. Peralta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of a table-top roleplaying game (ttrpg), specifically Dungeons and Dragons™ (D&D), on increasing feelings of social connection, decreasing perceived stress, increasing self-esteem and improving adjustment to college among first semester, first year students. participants signed up to either the D&D group or the comparison group. D&D participants (n = 18) attended five one-hour weekly D&D sessions, meanwhile the comparison group (n = 10) went through their first semester of college with no intervention, but completed the study measures at the same points in time as the D&D participants. All participants completed measures of social …

What Is It Really: The Role Of Intergroup Threat In Educational Decision-Making, Kyle A. Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perceptions of intergroup threat correlate with prejudice against Black Americans (Iyer, 2022). For example, White Americans tend to move out of communities they dominate when the population of Black Americans increases in those communities beyond a “tolerable” rate due to a perceived threat to the neighborhood's safety and resources; this phenomenon is known as White Flight (Grodzins, 1958; Zou & Cheryan, 2022). This exodus of White Americans predicts urban decay, which affects the public school systems in those areas, leading to poorer public services and higher dropout rates among those in the now racially segregated neighborhoods (Mayer & Jencks, 1989; …