Thèses sur le sujet « School psychology ; Social psychology »

“Since the 1970s, one of the hallmarks of reforms of junior high and middle schools has been the recognition of social ‘needs’ of young teens and the ways in which schools have failed to serve them” (Juvonen, p. 197, 2007). If school climate is left to fail, adolescents are at a risk for developing mental health problems, anxiety, antisocial behaviors, and depression (Shortt, Alison, & Spence, 2006). Unless discipline issues are at a minimum, instruction will be interrupted and teaching time will be lost (McIntosh, Bohanon & Goodman, 2011).

The following research questions are a few of the questions that guided this study: 1. What are the students’ perceptions of school climate at the end of the school 2014 year? 2. What are the differences in the number of Office Disciplinary Reports (ODRs) from pre-implementation of the SWPBS in 2009 to post-implementation of the SWPBS in 2014 by grade level and gender?

This study employed a causal-comparative research design utilizing ex post facto data collected from ODRs and a School Climate Survey to determine feasibility and worthiness of a School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS). The students in this study (N=487) were from a small suburban middle school located in the Northeast.

Analyses of students’ perceptions of school climate were negative in the following three dimensions: Order and Discipline=41%, Student-Interpersonal Relations=49% and Student-Teacher Relations =78%. An analysis of ANOVAs revealed significant differences between grade levels 5 to 8 (p=<.001). Findings for Office Disciplinary Reports (ODRs) at the end of a five-year implementation of a SWPBS system reported significant percent decreases ranging from 54% at pre-implementation of the SWPBS to 90% at post-implementation in grade levels 5 to 8.

Educational leaders can utilize the findings from this study to guide their instructional practice on building Student-Teacher Relations and implement the use of a School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) system, to help address the social emotional needs of students and minimize student behavioral problems to effect time spent on learning and the success of student learning in the classroom.

Given increased evidence related to the importance of fostering life satisfaction in the overall population (Diener & Diener, 1996), as well as recent suggestions regarding the importance of increasing positive academic and social outcomes for children with ADHD (DuPaul, 2007), it is important to gain a clearer understanding of how life satisfaction may be related to symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Research on the relationship between life satisfaction and symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity is currently limited to two studies (Gudjonsson et al., 2009; Ogg et al., 2014). The current study investigated the relationship between symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity and reports of global life satisfaction in 399 high school students. This study used the bifactor model to conceptualize ADHD given that this model provided the best fit when compared to other models of ADHD in the current study and given that there is substantial evidence in the current literature to support the use of this model (Martel, von Eye, & Nigg, 2010). Structural equation modeling results demonstrated that the general factor of ADHD was a significant predictor of life satisfaction when students rated ADHD symptoms, and the inattention factor of ADHD was a significant predictor of life satisfaction when teachers rated ADHD symptoms. In addition, because depressive symptoms have been associated with life satisfaction and inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, the current study examined if life satisfaction moderated or mediated the relationship between inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity and depressive symptoms. Results of the present study suggested that life satisfaction serves as a potential but weak moderator in the relationship between general ADHD and depression when symptoms of ADHD were rated by teachers. Results also demonstrated that life satisfaction mediated the relationship between general ADHD symptoms and depressive symptoms when ADHD symptoms were rated by students, and life satisfaction mediated the relationship between inattentive symptoms and depressive symptoms when ADHD symptoms were rated by teachers.

The current study contributes to existing literature on life satisfaction given that there are currently only two studies, one which was conducted with an adult population and one of which was conducted with a middle school population, specifically examining levels of life satisfaction in individuals with symptoms of ADHD. The results of this study provide additional confirmation of the negative relationship between ADHD symptoms and life satisfaction. Moreover, this study was the first to examine how life satisfaction may play a role in the relationship between symptoms of ADHD and depressive symptoms. This study supports that life satisfaction primarily plays a mediating role in the relationship between ADHD symptoms and depressive symptoms and provides support for further examination of this role in future studies.

Children who live in foster care are more likely than their peers in the general population to have academic delays, special education needs, and social-emotional and behavior problems. Research suggests that a plethora of educational accommodations and interventions may help address these needs; however, it is uncertain to what extent these accommodations and interventions are routinely used in school districts and how prepared schools are to deal with the needs of children in foster care. One hundred and two school districts across the country were surveyed using the School Rating Scale for Children in Foster Care to examine policies and procedures routinely used to address the needs of children in foster care. Results suggest that school districts engage in several interventions and accommodations recommended by research for topics regarding policies and procedures, social-emotional and behavioral interventions, special education, homework, and collaboration. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between districts' average policy adherence and the presence of a written policy; however, many participants were unaware of their school district's policies suggesting a need for professional development.

Evidence Based Practices (EBPs) in schools show promise in meeting the behavioral health needs of urban students, however there are multiple barriers to implementation. Providers’ attitudes towards EBPs may be one of these barriers. Through a cross sectional survey design, this dissertation answers four major research questions: 1) Is the EBPAS-50 an appropriate tool to use with school based behavioral health providers, 2) Do attitudes vary depending on level of experience (student vs. professional), 3) Do attitudes vary depending on a practitioners’ hire status (school-hired vs. non-school hired), and 4) Do EBPAS-50 scores predict implementation of EBPs? Participants were 160 school behavioral health providers who provided at least one hour per week of direct or indirect services within the Boston Public Schools. Results indicated that the factor structures for the EBPAS-50 and EBPAS- 15 did not hold with this population, however the EBPAS-15 was used for further analysis as it has been validated many times since its introduction. Using the EBPAS-15: 1) graduate students reported more positive attitudes than professionals, 2) school-hired providers reported more positive attitudes than non-school hired providers, and 3) there was no correlation between attitudes and use of EBPs. Though differences may have been statistically significant, it is questionable as to whether these differences are practically significant as the average, rounded, response from providers indicated that they agreed with EBPs to “a great extent”. This suggests need for ongoing research to identify: 1) aspects of evidence based practices that are important to school-based providers, and 2) a revised tool to measure the attitudes of school-based providers towards EBPs.

As defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2012), social-emotional learning (SEL) involves the acquisition of skills necessary to: identify and manage one’s emotions, relate to and establish relationships with others, and make positive and healthy decisions. With only 40% of kindergarten students demonstrating the social-emotional skills needed to be both academically and socially successful upon school entrance (Yates et al., 2008), explicit instruction targeting SEL is needed. As this instruction requires systems-level implementation and decision-making practices, members of these decision-making bodies can include several different school personnel, who may have varying levels of familiarity and previous use of SEL programs. Because the school principal is responsible for overseeing the implementation of school-wide programs (NYS Education Department, 2014), obtaining information regarding their familiarity and use of SEL programs, as well as their decision-making practices is needed. Consequently, the present study examined the extent to which principals participate in SEL decision-making practices; the selection procedures and decision making methods they use to select SEL programs; and their levels of familiarity, past use, and current use of CASEL approved SEL programs. The relationship between principal demographic characteristics and familiarity and use of SEL programs was also evaluated using survey methods. Analysis of descriptive statistics, frequency data, and three multiple regression analyses indicated that most NYS elementary school principals participate in SEL program decision-making. Additionally, they use a variety of methods for learning about programs and deciding upon programs. Overall, however, NYS elementary school principals have little familiarity, past use, or current use with CASEL-approved programs, suggesting a need for increased dissemination and professional development regarding these programs and resources.

A critical component of teaching social skills to people with autism is the generalization of behavior change across a variety of untrained situations during which social skills are appropriate. The script-fading procedure is an effective technology for teaching social skills to people with autism, but few researchers have established cues in the natural environment as the discriminative stimuli for social initiations. The purpose of this study was to use a script-fading procedure to teach young children with autism to initiate to one another across various activities in the school setting, and to program for generalization across untrained stimuli in the school setting and in the untrained home setting with a sibling. The three participants, ages 7 to 10 years, demonstrated deficits in social initiations with their peers. During the baseline condition, the participants did emit initiations to one another, although this behavior was variable and did not endure over time. With the introduction of the script-fading procedure, however, social initiations increased systematically for all participants. Moreover, the data demonstrated that the effects of the script-fading procedure generalized across untrained stimuli, responses, and to an untrained setting with an untrained conversation partner. Overall, this study demonstrated the effectiveness of the script-fading procedure in teaching children with autism to initiate to their peers. This study has expanded upon previous research by demonstrating generalization from school with peers to the home setting with siblings, and by providing social validity data obtained through outside observers that support the effectiveness of the script-fading procedure in producing an important behavior change.

This study utilizes Allan Guggenbuhl's seven-step Mythodrama method of resolving conflict and bullying in a school setting which has proven successful in Europe, applies this to a school setting in the United States, and measure that application to see if this intervention for addressing conflict and bullying is successful in a setting in the United States. Pre- and post-testing was conducted and some statistically significant improvement post-intervention was found. Study results suggest this methodology would have efficacy when applied broadly in US schools.

The purpose of this project was to write a grant to fund teacher and counseling staff training in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and provide for subsequent instruction of MBIs within the school context. The host agency is the Windsor Unified School District, located in Sonoma County, California.

The goals of the program include teaching mindfulness techniques to designated school staff and students, reducing school staff stress, and increasing the social and emotional learning of students. The objectives include delivering a 12-week MBI training to at least 40% of designated school staff in the district, as well as providing an 8-week, 20-minute MBI series taught to students. Program success will be evaluated through pre- and post-testing of school staff and students with respect to their stress levels and social and emotional skills.

Studies have been conducted on the effects of teacher-student interaction and student achievement. However, there is a need to examine the teacher-student interactions concerning at-risk students specifically the foster youth. This grounded-theory study examines the teacher-student interaction and the effects of social-emotional intelligence on the foster youth through qualitative and quantitative methods using the Foster Student Interaction and Social-Emotional Intelligence survey (FSI&SEI) open-ended questions, interviews, and journals. A Southern California District educates approximately 500 foster students. This high school located in the urban district was chosen because they had the highest number of foster youth. The 15 participants who participated in the study consisted of a site administrator, a counselor, teachers, and foster parents. After collecting, the FSI&SEI seven participants agreed to be interviewed. The overall findings of this study indicate that teacher awareness of who their foster students are, struggles foster students face, and intentional conversations regarding the whole child impact the foster student’s social-emotional intelligence as well as their ability to form relationships with teachers.

This study focused on the perceptions of K-12 school counselors on learned helplessness in children and families in rural areas. There has been research on learned helplessness, children in rural areas, and studies on school counselors; however, there is a lack of research on the counselor's perceptions of learned helplessness in children and families in rural areas. Therefore, this study was different than previous studies on learned helplessness, and it fills a gap in the literature. This study used the interpretive-constructivist approach. The experiences and perceptions of participants provided answers to the central research question, by providing their subjective observations of learned helplessness in the children and families in their rural areas. Data was collected for this study through face-to-face interviews with volunteer participants privately to ensure protection and confidentiality of participants. Bracketing was used to reduce the impact of research bias in this study, along with note-taking techniques and audio tapes, transcribed by the researcher using NVIVO software. Transcripts were reviewed, patterns were identified, and themes were categorized using codes as the researcher looked for connections among the themes. Themes that emerged included parental involvement, generational cycles and patterns, grandparents raising grandkids, poverty, helping agencies, cultural and community norms and lifestyles, beliefs and value systems, and drugs and substance abuse. The theme most discussed by the eight participants was in relation to parental involvement in the child's life, both positive and negative. Parental involvement was discussed by participants 70 times during the eight hours of face-to-face interviews. According to participants of this study, both the positive and the negative involvement by the parent is the number one influence of learned helplessness in the child's life.

This dissertation argues that bullying is a fundamental response to bullies’ feelings of insecurity. Past research has found factors associated with bullying to include socioeconomic status and propensities towards violent behavior. Contextual factors posited here that produce the feelings of insecurity, which lead to bullying, include peer group dynamics, school climates, and teaching.

In relationship to peer groups, the theoretical framework of this dissertation draws primarily from the theories of Robert E. Crosnoe and Dorte M. Sondergaard. The assumption is that students are socially embedded in peer groups in which they struggle for social status (Crosnoe 2011) and in many cases experience the threat of social marginalization (Sondergaard 2012). Sondergaard, in particular, theorizes that the more insecure students feel about their social status in peer groups, the more likely they are to resort to bullying behavior.

All multivariate analyses in this dissertation are limited to white, black, and Latino boys. The resulting sample comprises N=6,491 student observations nested within 153 schools. The nested sampling structure requires multi-level modeling (MLM) for the calculation of unbiased estimates.

I find that individual-level student background characteristics are stronger predictors of bully identification than the school context, as measured by student body composition and teaching style factors. In addition, social status insecurity is a mediating factor for many of the student- and school-level predictors of bullying.

The dissertation distinguishes four types of schools, each of which is above or below average on two major dimensions. The first dimension is academic support (i.e., how caring and responsive teachers are), while the other is academic press (i.e., how strict and demanding they are).

I find that black male students are more likely to self-identify as bullies in schools that are below average on both academic support and academic press, compared to those that are above average on both. The pattern for Latino boys is different. For them, self-reported bullying is higher when the school rates high on academic support, but low on academic press.

I find no statistically significant role for teaching styles in predicting the amount of bully identification among white males.

The ability to self-regulate cognitive, emotional, and physiological activity is integral to mental and physical health. Teaching these skills in early childhood is a promising preventative health intervention. Mindfulness-based Social Emotional Learning (MBSEL) programs aim to enhance social-emotional competencies and improve academic outcomes in classroom children. Barriers to implementing MBSEL programs include the need to alter existing classroom curricula, and allocating resources towards training classroom teachers or hiring an experienced mindfulness facilitator. Inner Explorer (IE) is a MBSEL program that uses audio-guided MP3 tracks to teach mindfulness in 10-minute daily sessions, minimizing classroom interference and negating the need for a facilitator. The current study evaluated the impact of IE on self-regulation skills and academic outcomes in 2^nd-4^th grade students and teachers in two Southern California elementary schools. Eighty-four students and seven teachers were assigned to either the IE or control group. Students were measured on mindfulness, executive functioning (EF), emotion regulation, and heart rate variability (HRV) at pre- and post-intervention. Teacher-rated grades (School 1 only), days absent and tardy (School 2 only), and social-emotional learning (SEL) scores were provided at the end of trimesters 1-3 (School 1) and semesters 1-2 (School 2). Teachers were measured on mindfulness at pre- and post-intervention. Students in the IE group did not show any pre-post differences in mindfulness, executive functioning, or emotion regulation compared to the control group. Contrary to hypothesis, the IE group showed a significant reduction in HRV from pre- to post-intervention; however, HRV changes were not significant between groups. The IE and control groups did not show any significant differences in grades, SEL scores, or days absent or tardy. Neither teachers in the IE nor control group reported significant changes in mindfulness. Children with lower levels of emotion regulation and mindfulness at baseline were more likely to report “uncomfortable experiences” when practicing mindfulness. Results are discussed in the context of methodological challenges in MBSEL research and future directions are suggested. Teaching self-regulation in early childhood is a promising approach to mitigating future mental and physical health problems, however this study raises questions about the most effective format, delivery, and measurement of MBSEL curricula.