School Psychology Commons^™

The Impact Of Service-Learning On College Students' Civic Development And Sense Of Self-Efficacy, Rachel Gershenson-Gates

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of The Voluntarily Childless: The Negative Stigma Of An Unconventional Ideal, Alyssa N. Hook

Psychology and Child Development

This study examined the potential implications of religious affiliation on perceptions of voluntarily childless couples. Undergraduate students were given a vignette about an adult couple that either had children or that was childless, and were subsequently asked to complete questionnaires that rated the couple on a variety of personality dimensions. It was predicted that individuals who identify with pronatalist religious sects have more negative perceptions of those who are childless. There was a significant contrast in the views that Christian individuals held toward couples that were voluntarily childless versus those that had two children, suggesting that this religious affiliation is …

Fostering Children’S Literacy And Language Development Through Play: A Look At The Role Of Early Childhood Educators In Preschool And Kindergarten Classrooms, Kelly D. Russell

Psychology and Child Development

No abstract provided.

Legislative Mandates Concerning Truancy Effects On Attendance Rates, Felicia Corley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The correlation between truancy and dropping out of school is high, prompting school districts and the state legislature to attempt to intervene (Sparks, 2010). The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the West Virginia Code 18-8-4 that requires mandatory legal compulsory attendance (CA2) meetings to be held at the county level when a student obtains five days of unexcused absences. In the summer of 2010, the WV state legislature changed the CA2 meeting requirements from 10 days of unexcused absences to five. Barbour County Schools began to intervene in truancy using a multidisciplinary approach in 2007. …

Attendance Rates Of Special Populations In One Rural County, Julie Bright

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this current study is to determine if a difference exists in the attendance rates for special education students and low socioeconomic status students when compared to their peers who do not have these designations. The attendance data from one rural county school district for the years of 2007-2011 were examined to determine if a difference in the attendance rates did exist. Results from this research revealed that students receiving special education services were absent significantly more than their general education peers. However, students of low socioeconomic status were not absent any more than their peers who were …

Targeted Cognitive-Based Tier Ii Interventions To Increase Student Achievement, Rachel K. Wakefield

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to examine whether targeted cognitive-based reading interventions are more effective than traditional evidence-based Tier II reading interventions. Ninety students who performed in the lowest third on a state reading test from a rural school district in Virginia were placed into three groups: 1) students who received traditional evidence-based reading interventions, 2) students whose teachers were trained in Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory and whose teacher chose an intervention that he/she thought would be most tailored to the student’s cognitive needs, 3) students who were tested using the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III) and were …

Emotional Intelligence And Team Cohesiveness, Myra M. Beam

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Emotional Intelligence is generally defined as encompassing the awareness and understanding of emotions. Emotional Intelligence also incorporates the application of this understanding to decision making, regulation, and self-management. Many theorists have shown that Emotional Intelligence has a significant positive impact on various aspects of teamwork. Today, more companies and organizations use teamwork to solve problems and complete tasks, so exploring elements that enhance teamwork would be beneficial.

This study was designed to support the notion that Emotional Intelligence is an integral part of teamwork. It was hypothesized that Emotional Intelligence has an impact on teamwork by making the team more …

Parental Involvement And Level Of Parent Satisfaction In A Summer Enrichment Program, Leslie Rae Danner

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current study was conducted to determine which variable of parental involvement was the best predictor of parental satisfaction in the 2011 Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program. Data of parental involvement and level of parent satisfaction was collected using a survey format. A prediction equation analysis using a linear regression was calculated and results indicated that parents feeling involved was a significant variable in satisfaction. An independent samples t-test determined that there was no significant difference between parents’ actual participation in services and satisfaction. A linear regression determined the levels of involvement in activities were not a predictor of satisfaction. …

Role Of West Virginia School Psychologists In A Response To Intervention Framework, Bryan Anthony Wilson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001, schools were required to prepare students using research-based teaching methods, interventions, and approaches. Response to Intervention (RTI) is an evidence-based practice that allows schools to assess student responses to interventions. RTI was implemented as a pilot program in West Virginia beginning from 2007 to 2010. Although research has been frequent on implementing RTI, little research has been conducted analyzing RTI and school psychologist involvement, particularly in West Virginia. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors serve as predictors of RTI involvement in West Virginia. The examiner used …

Measuring Team Collaboration In The Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program, Marian Pyles

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The present study investigates measures of team collaboration among graduate students participating in the Marshall University Graduate College Summer Enrichment Program. The purpose of the study was to use an independent criterion, rankings by an expert panel, as a way to determine the better measure of collaboration: Thermometers or the Collaboration Survey. A Spearman’s rho correlation showed correlations between the Thermometer Team question, the Collaboration Survey, and the expert rankings, whereas a binary logistic regression showed that only the Thermometers predicted whether a team would be ranked as high or low. Results indicate that the MUGC Summer Enrichment Program should …

Parent Expectations Linked To Parent Satisfaction In A Summer Enrichment Program Evaluation, Laura E. Saltsman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine if parent expectations were a determining factor in the level of satisfaction of the parents of students who attended the Marshall University Graduate College Summer Enrichment Program of 2011. Data of parent satisfaction was collected using a revised survey based off of parent satisfaction surveys from previous years while parent expectation data was collected from applications completed by parents prior to the start of the program. Analysis using independent samples t-test determined parental expectations was not a predictor of parent satisfaction. Further exploration of the data indicated the most common expectations were …

Reasons For Non-Engagement With The Provision Of Emotional Competency Coaching: A Qualitative Study Of Irish First Year Undergraduate Students, Aiden Carthy, Celesta Mccann, Sinead Mcgilloway, Colm Mcguinness

Articles

Very little is known as to why students choose not to participate in emotional intelligence coaching programmes. This qualitative study was undertaken with a sample of Irish undergraduate students (n=20), who chose not to engage with the provision of coaching at a technical college inDublin. The reasons for non-engagement were explored by means of face-to-face interviews. The four principal reasons for non-engagement were: failing to appreciate the value of coaching; a perceived heavy academic workload; the fact that coaching was not a mandatory component of the academic curriculum; and fear that coaching may reveal weaknesses of character. Based on the …

The Influence Of Adhd And Bipolar Disorder Symptoms And Labels On Private High School Teachers’ Accommodations And Attitudes, Sara Kerney

Psychology Honors Papers

The present study examined the effects of symptoms and diagnostic labeling on teachers’ accommodations for and opinions of a student presented in a vignette containing a behavioral description of ADHD or Bipolar Disorder in an adolescent girl. Participants were 85 teachers from five New England private high schools who read a vignette and then answered subsequent questions in an online survey to measure opinions of that student and hypothetical accommodations. Additionally, questions measured participants’ familiarity with mental illness, opinions on mental illness, and beliefs in the causes of the disorders so that the relationship of these variables to accommodations and …

Bully/Victim Power Inventory: Measuring The Power Imbalance In The Bully/Victim Relationship, Marybeth Plonkey-Lehto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The empirical study of the power imbalance in the bully/victim relationship has impeded research synthesis, and the need for a quantitative measure of this key component has been well established in the literature. Lack of differentiation between victimization with and without power imbalance has been cited as a possible cause for imprecise measurement. Increased precision in bully victimization measurement is needed to accurately inform research investigating psychosocial health, treatment and positive outcomes, in addition to prevention and intervention programs. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was the initial development and validation of the Bully/Victim Power Inventory aimed at differentiating perceived …

The Effectiveness Of Peer Strategies To Counter Bullying: Undercover Anti-Bullying Teams, Felipe De Jesus Barba

Theses Digitization Project

The following project is an analysis of a section of data collected during the development of thirty-two different undercover anti-bullying teams at Edgewater College. Edgewater College is situated by the Tamaki estuary in Pakuranga, Auckland, New England. The research was based on the data collected from mainstream students, both male and female, with ages ranging from 13-18 years old. The students in this sample have an involvement in bullying that ranges from being peer bystanders, perpetrators and/or bullying targets.

The Nature Of School Bullying According To Students Reporting It Within An Undercover Anti-Bullying Team, Evelyn Mercedez-Kijandra Knox

Theses Digitization Project

This project analyzes data from 35 undercover teams implemented by a guidance counselor at Edgewater College, a high school in a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. The author explores the nature of bullying according to the students reporting it. The findings are part of a larger project designed to examine the impact and effectiveness of an anti-bullying approach called an "undercover anti-bullying team."

An Evaluation Of Undercover Anti-Bullying Teams: Participants' Personal Responses, Juanita Rosayln Williams

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project is to introduce and analyze the outcomes of undercover anti-bullying teams. The data to be presented in this research paper is on the use of these teams at Edgewater College, in Auckland, New Zealand, formed by Michael Williams the head guidance counselor. The data was collected ex post facto through two surveys. Each posed eight questions, stimulating participants to recall and expound on their personal experience. The surveys were completed by thirty-two undercover anti-bullying teams, during their final meetings.

Parental Satisfaction With Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program Evaluation: Completers Vs. Non-Completers, Rebecca Joan Wendell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine if completion of the Marshall University Summer Enrichment Program (MUSEP) of 2011 had an effect on parent satisfaction. Parents of the students who attended the program answered survey questions pertaining to their satisfaction with the program, services they participated in during the program and reasons why, if they failed to complete the program. The results revealed completion of the program had no effect on parental satisfaction. Further analysis of the data revealed several reasons why students did not complete the MUSEP. The two most significant reasons were prior obligations and vacations.

Teacher Support As A Moderator Of Behavioral Outcomes For Youth Exposed To Stressful Life Events, Rebekah S. Huber, Sarah K. Sifers, Daniel Houlihan, Rachel Youngblom

Psychology Department Publications

The present study examined the relationship between teacher support, life stress, and behavioral outcomes in 103 youth. Participants completed questionnaires regarding life events, social support, personality, and behavior. Moderated regression analyses were conducted using youth perceptions of teacher support and negative life events to predict externalizing and internalizing problems. Results revealed a significant interaction between teacher support and life stress, indicating teacher support successfully moderated the effect of stress on externalizing problems. Main effects for life stress were consistent with previous literature suggesting that higher amounts of stress predict greater externalizing and internalizing problems. Implications for teacher support are discussed.

Intensive Mental Health Intervention And Incidence Of Discipline, Andrea Mulcay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A new trend when dealing with behavior issues in the classroom is that of providing mental health services within the school systems. This study is researching an alternative school that offers mental health services for students that have been expelled from their home school. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if these mental health services provided within the alternative school helps reduce the amount of discipline issues in the school system. There are 77 participants, 33 receiving academic services plus intense mental health services and 44 receiving academic services plus minimal mental health services. Findings show no statistically …

Teacher Training For Lre Mainstreaming And Diverse Classrooms, Rhonda J. Callanan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Since the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, classrooms in the United States have changed over the years. These laws have added numerous responsibilities for teachers, especially the Least Restrictive Environment mandate that places more students with disabilities in the general education classrooms. A review of the literature shows that even though more skills are required to teach in more diverse classrooms, teacher training programs have not changed in response to this need. A second problem related to insufficient teacher training is the increase in students …

A Longitudinal Study Of School Connectedness And Academic Outcomes Across Sixth Grade, Kate Niehaus, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Christopher R. Rakes

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The current longitudinal study examines the extent to which school connectedness (i.e., students' perceptions of school support and the number of adults with whom they have a positive relationship) is associated with academic outcomes across sixth grade for students from high poverty neighborhoods. Data were collected from 330 sixth-grade students attending two middle schools in a large public school district. Specifically, students completed a survey to assess their perceived connection to the school environment, and academic information regarding students' grades, attendance, and discipline referrals was obtained from school records. Results fromlatent growth curve modeling showed that, on average, students' perceptions …

Changing Museum Visitors’ Conceptions Of Evolution, Amy N. Spiegel, E Margaret Evans, Brandy Frazier, Ashley Hazel, Medha Tare, Wendy Gram, Judy Diamond

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

We examined whether a single visit to an evolution exhibition contributed to conceptual change in adult (n030), youth, and child (n034) museum visitors’ reasoning about evolution. The exhibition included seven current research projects in evolutionary science, each focused on a different organism. To frame this study, we integrated a developmental model of visitors’ understanding of evolution, which incorporates visitors’ intuitive beliefs, with a model of free-choice learning that includes personal, sociocultural, and contextual variables. Using pre- and postmeasures, we assessed how visitors’ causal explanations about biological change, drawn from three reasoning patterns (evolutionary, intuitive, and creationist), were modified as a …

Getting Ready: Results Of A Randomized Trial Of A Relationship-Focused Intervention On The Parent– Infant Relationship In Rural Early Head Start, Lisa Knoche, Susan M. Sheridan, Brandy L. Clark, Carolyn P. Edwards, Christine A. Marvin, Keely D. Cline, Keely Cline, Kevin A. Kupzyk

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a relational intervention (the Getting Ready intervention) on parenting behaviors supporting the parent–infant relationship for families enrolled in Early Head Start home-based programming. Two-hundred thirty-four parents and their children participated in the randomized study, with 42% of parents reporting education of less than a high-school diploma. Brief, semistructured parent–child interaction tasks were videotaped every 4 months over a16-month intervention period. Observational codes of parent–infant relationship behaviors included quality of three parental behaviors: warmth and sensitivity, support for learning, and encouragement of autonomy; two appropriateness indicators: support for learning and …

The Effects Of Body Positioning On Compliance Among Children, Andrea Merideth Delaney

Masters Theses

Noncompliance has significant implications for children in both home and educational settings. It can thwart learning and lead to increased levels of stress for parents. This study examined the effect of body positioning on the compliance rates of three children in the clinic setting. Results found that higher rates of compliance were experienced when caregivers issued commands in either the kneeling or bending positions rather than a standing position. For two of the three participants, a kneeling position yielded higher rates of compliance. No differences were seen pre- and post-intervention in regards to parenting style using the PAQ-R. Decreases in …

Instructional Technology Usage And Implications For Student Academic Achievement And Further Success, Bradley D. Petry

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The digital divide was once a term used to indicate disparity between socio-economic classes and access to digital devices. The digital divide may now more accurately indicate differences in the types of usage between members of different socio-economic classes. Differences in usage among the middle school student population may play a role in the development of critical thinking and collaborative communication. The Maryland results of the 2010 Speak Up survey – a national student survey regarding the usage of technology - were used in comparison with student respondent school district differentiation and were also compared with student state standardized test …

Effects Of Early Intervention Services On Adaptive Functioning, Osslyn Sam

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

In 1986, Congress enacted Public Law 99-457, Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law, currently referred to as Part C, was established in response to the growing number of children born with developmental delays. Infants born prematurely, addicted to drugs, or with conditions such as Down Syndrome face challenging lives. Part C allows for eligible infants, ages birth to three years to receive free early intervention services to address their individual delays. Previous studies have shown that children who have participated in early intervention programs have benefited in various areas of their overall development. The …

An Examination Of The Comorbidity Between Externalizing Disorders And Reading Disabilities In School-Age Boys, Victoria Loughman Fortuna

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Our current education system uses a global method that does very little to address the concurrent cognitive, academic and social-emotional needs of the special education student. By using a single analysis, we fail to address specific deficits, including comorbidity of cognitive, academic, and socio-emotional deficits. Generalized assessments do little to address the source of the student’s problems. If these comorbid learning and social-emotional problems are addressed early on, this might reduce the incidence of antisocial and/or delinquent behaviors and lead to greater academic success. In an attempt to further investigate the relationships between academic, (i.e., reading) and emotional/behavioral systems, the …

Cognitive Profiles And The Impact Of Medication On Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Lucy J. Wimpenny

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed disorders in children and adolescents. Individuals with ADHD often display behavioral symptoms, including inattention and/or impulsivity, which can also lead to struggles in the school setting. Current research has suggested that deficits in processing speed and working memory are common in individuals diagnosed with ADHD and are often seen on measures of cognitive ability. Positive outcomes have been associated with the use of psychostimulant medication to treat the symptoms of ADHD, although little research has supported this form of treatment to improve cognitive functioning in individuals diagnosed with …

Relational Aggression: What Does It Look Like And How Does It Feel For Girls With Language-Based Learning Disabilities?, Christine M. Barbone

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the context and occurrence of relational aggression in adolescent girls with learning disabilities, as described by their personal experiences and observations. A discussion of psychosocial adjustment and relational aggression with respect to the unique characteristics of children with learning disabilities will be presented. This study will provide a qualitative description of the social problem solving skills of children with learning disabilities as reflected in their responses to common social scenarios.