The purpose of the study was to (1) compare the performance on left and right hemisphere processing tasks of male and female kindergarten students from three instructional approaches, and (2) to determine the effectiveness of an educational application: the use of "hands-on" inquiry-oriented science activities designed to engage the right hemisphere in improving left and right hemisphere processing. Subjects included 79 students enrolled in intact kindergarten classes representative of three instructional approaches: (1) the Traditional-Conventional Instructional Approach, (2) the Montessori Approach, and (3) the Open Activity-Centered Instructional Approach. The students were randomly assigned for treatment to experimental and control groups. To the experimental group student teachers presented lessons developed from the Curriculum Guide accompanying Lavatelli's American Science and Engineering Program Kit. The control group participated in regular classroom lessons. The students were pretested and posttested on the same instruments. Two subtests were indicative of left brain hemisphere processing: the SRA Primary Mental Abilities Verbal Meaning subtest and the WISC-R Digit Span subtest. Two subtests were indicative of right brain hemisphere processing: the SRA Primary Mental Abilities Spatial Relations subtest and the WISC-R Block Design subtest. The following conclusions were drawn from the findings: (1) Although there was no statistically significant difference, females from all three instructional approaches scored consistently higher on left hemisphere tasks than males from those same instructional approaches. (2) Despite a lack of statistically significant differences, males from all three instructional approaches scored consistently higher on right hemisphere tasks than females from those same instructional approaches. (3) Although the only significant difference was found in the Montessori class, experimental groups from all three instructional approaches scored consistently higher on right brain hemisphere tasks than the control groups from those same instructional approaches. (4) The students in the Montessori class scored significantly higher on the right brain posttest scores than the students in either the Open Activity-Centered approach or the Traditional-Conventional approach.

The primary purpose of the study was to determine significant differences and likenesses in personality characteristics of dramatics majors. A secondary purpose was to ascertain whether personality studies of this type might be effectively used by supervisors, departmental heads, and/or instructors in guiding students interested in dramatics in their choices of majors, colleges, and ultimately careers. Eighty-seven female dramatics majors and seventy-two male dramatics majors enrolled in nine colleges and universities in Tennessee volunteered to participate by taking the Omnibus Personality Inventory, the measuring instrument used for data gathering. The one-way analysis of variance was used to ascertain any significant personality difference at the .05 level between state and denominational dramatics groups, state and other private groups, and denominational and other private groups. The following findings were ascertained: 1. State and denominational dramatics groups differed significantly at the .05 level on three of the fourteen scales— Autonomy, Religious Orientation, and Impulse Expression. The state group was significantly different on the Autonomy and Impulse-Expression scales. The denominational group was significantly different on the Religious Orientation scale. 2. State and other private dramatics groups failed to differ significantly at the .05 level on any of the fourteen scales. 3. Denominational and other private dramatics groups differed significantly at the .05 level on two scales— Religious Orientation and Masculinity-Femininity. The denominational group was significantly different on the Religlous-Orientatlon and Masculinity-Femininity scales from the other private group. 4. Although the three groups were different on five of the scales at the .05 level of significance when comparisons were made, homogeneity was reflected on the other nine scales. The state and other private dramatics groups had almost identical personality profiles. The following conclusions were made: 1. The state group was characterized as more Independent, liberal, tolerant, antl-authoritarlan, expressive, sensual, Imaginative, and sometimes impractical than the denominational group. The denominational group was characterized as more traditional and judgmental with stronger Judaic-Christian commitments than the state group. 2. Dramatics majors, preferring to be with other dramatics majors who valued autonomy and impulsiveness, might be better advised to attend state institutions of higher education. If, however, religious emphasis was a prime consideration, then dramatics majors might be better advised to attend denominational institutions of higher education. 3. Since no significance differences existed between state and other private institutions of higher education, dramatics majors with similar personality characteristics, might well be advised to attend either state or other private institutions. 4. Since the denominational dramatics group reflected greater significance on the Rellgious-Orientation and Masculinity-Femininity scales, it was characterized as more traditional and judgmental with stronger Judaic-Christian commitments and more feminine with more sociable, esthetic, sensitive, and emotional inclinations. If dramatics majors prized these personality characteristics highly, they might well be advised to attend denominational institutions of higher education. 5. Collectively, the dramatics group majors were moderately esthetic, complex, and anxious, reflecting varied interests in all the arts by appreciating poetry, paintings, dramatics, sculpture, and architecture; being tolerant of ambiguities, being appreciative of the unusual, new ideas, and uncertainties, and being nervous, worried, tense, and excitable. 6. Collectively, the dramatics group majors were reflected as highly feminine and impulsive, characterized as sociable, esthetic, sensitive, emotional, imaginative, aggressive, expressive, and sometimes impractical.

<p> Connectedness and classroom management has been defined as the ability to relate to students and keep order and maintain successful relationships with individuals. This qualitative study utilized surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and observations to examine the best practices implemented by educators to develop and maintain connections with students based upon the age, gender, ethnicity, and experience of a studied educator. The research investigated how classroom management positively and/or negatively affected the educator, students, and classroom environment, with respect to connectedness, as evidenced by behaviors such as off-task, aggressive, and non-academically productive behaviors. The research also examined how a teacher&rsquo;s intonation and delivery method affected behavioral management, as measured by on-task, academically productive, and nonaggressive behaviors. The research examined what was the self-perception of participants of effectiveness in the classroom, as related to the recorded characteristics of age, gender, ethnicity, and experience level. The research focused upon 12 educators in a suburban district and observed the interactions and practices throughout an academic school year. Classroom observations were conducted and results triangulated to determine how connectedness and classroom management was achieved in the classrooms of teachers who represented various ages, genders, ethnicities, and experience levels. The findings concluded that age and experience were crucial in the development and maintenance of connectedness and classroom management. Another finding was the practice in which African American and Caucasian teachers approached connectedness and classroom management varied.</p>

<p> Relational aggression acted out through social media or cyber bullying is an ever-growing limitedly researched issue that is impacting students and parents alike. A mixed-method study was conducted using existing older and aspiring younger social workers and counselors to investigate attitudes (focus groups and text box comments) and relationships (surveys) between variables. The research questions asked how attitudes toward cyber bullying based on gender, type of social media, parent versus nonparent status, and involved parent versus not involved parent status. Hypotheses tested correlations between the same elements.</p><p> Participants were 75 existing social workers and counselors working at a Midwestern school district, and 137 aspiring social workers and counselors enrolled in a Midwestern university undergraduate social worker program and a graduate counselor program. The participant age varied&mdash;the youngest group was the undergraduate social worker students and graduate counseling students the oldest group was the existing social workers and counselors. Gender varied, but the majority of participants were female.</p><p> All participants were surveyed with an instrument designed to measure attitude that included three scenarios of relational aggression. Among those surveyed, some also participated in a video recorded focus group to measure attitude. Survey results were analyzed using <i>t</i> tests and <i> F</i> tests that found minimal significance between participant responses. Focus group results were first analyzed using axial coding for three key elements: parent involvement, relational aggression, and social media, and found that by far, the majority of responses aligned with the element, parent involvement. Next, open coding of just the parent involvement responses resulted in the following emerging themes: general parent involvement, parent monitoring, parent involvement as a resolution, parent involvement as a prevention, and parental advisement.</p><p> There was more female representation that took the survey than males. Lack of familiarity with social media websites made it difficult for honest responses and if they were used to cyber bully. Most respondents felt parent involvement is important in preventing cyber bullying despite parental status. Involved parental monitoring of their child&rsquo;s social media are aware of their online behavior. Cyber bullying is a prevalent topic that provided strong reactions from all data sets.</p>

<p> The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the influence that a threat to university students&rsquo; academic competence had on their reported competence, self-efficacy, and the avoidance of help seeking in academics. This dissertation was conceptualized based on symbolic self-completion theory which maintains that when individuals are actively committed to pursuing certain self-definitions, they define themselves as complete (e.g., competent or possessing a desired quality) through the use of symbols of attainment. These symbols can consist of any behavior or material possession that is accepted by others as proof that the individual possesses the desired self-definition. In the present study, the desired quality is being a competent university student, and potential symbols of attainment are measures of perceived competence, self-efficacy, and the avoidance of help seeking in academics. Providing written advice to future undergraduate students was also examined as an additional symbol of attainment. A pre/posttest design was used to gather measures surrounding an academic threat to current undergraduate students (n=203). Results of this dissertation support that being an undergraduate student does represent a self-defining goal and suggest that some students are invested in establishing and maintaining competence within this desired self-definition. This dissertation found that following an academic threat the experimental group did exaggerate (i.e., increase) responses to some of the measures. In addition, both academic commitment and self-esteem were important in determining the extent to which a student engaged in the symbolic self-completion process using measures that focus on competence, self-efficacy, and the avoidance of help seeking in academics. </p>

<p> Parental Stress With Homeschooling K-6th Grade Children in a South Florida District. Jennifer A. Myers, 2015: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. ERIC Descriptors: Homeschooling, Stress, Stress Management, Coping This applied dissertation study was designed to inform and advance knowledge by using a quantitative approach to determine if perceived parental stress in homeschooling parents varies as a function of age, income, education, and ethnicity. Previous research in the field of homeschooling has primarily been qualitative in nature, thus, leaving a gap in the research. </p><p> Home schooling parents of K-6 grade children in South Florida districts were specified as the sample for the study. A perceived Stress Survey and demographic questionnaire were administered to 102 participants. Parental participants were male and female, all ethnicity, and ages 18 and older, who were homeschooling K-6th grade children in South Florida. Inferential statistics were used to draw conclusions from the sample tested. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 23.0 was used to code and tabulate scores collected from the survey and provide summarized values where applicable. Logistic regression analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate the two Research Questions and hypotheses. Analysis of the primary data indicated that age, income, level of education, ethnicity and number of children homeschooled had no significant effect on perceived stress. Implication from findings suggests that behavioral characteristics of the child may mediate the relationship between stress and parental characteristics. The study is a valuable addition to the homeschooling research community as it aligns with and extends findings from previous research. </p>

<p> While the role of computers in the 21^st century has enabled organizations to become more efficient and effective, technology has also created problems for many of its users. The research literature on the use of workplace email indicated that email is causing several problems, including an interruption of workflow/productivity, email overload, stress, and work-life imbalance. The mobile market in 2015 was exploding and showed a significant growth trend and is expected to continue. In addition, working women are an increasing population in the workforce, and even more women are working virtually. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how an overload of workplace email was perceived by virtual working women to impact their stress levels and ability to maintain a reasonable work-life balance, in order for managers to better support and manage employee workloads. The theoretical framework for this study included Gilbert&rsquo;s (2007) Behavior Engineering model (BEM) and Ashforth, Kreiner, and Fugate&rsquo;s (2000) Boundary Theory. The basic qualitative method was utilized, in addition to nonprobability and purposeful, or convenience sampling. A total of 14 participants participated in the study and met the criteria to include (a) female, (b) age 25&ndash;65, (c) remote or virtual worker, (d) full-time employee, (e) work for a U.S. based organization, and experiencing or experienced overload from email. The research design included a combination of structured and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that virtual working women&rsquo;s job performance was impacted and they experienced: (a) increased and decreased stress from workplace email; however, it was dependent upon the volume, tone and frequency of the emails (b) increased and decreased productivity from workplace email and (c) impacts on work-life balance, given the use of workplace email. Discovering virtual working women&rsquo;s self-perceptions, as it relates to workplace email, stress, and work-life balance, provided valuable insights for managers to develop strategies and performance improvement interventions for dealing with email overload. Recommendations for future research to expand the study include: (a) the &ldquo;millennial&rdquo; population or the non-telecommuter (b) a quantitative study, (c) text overload, (d) gender differences, and (e) mental and physical health effects.</p>

Looked After Children (LAC) are a potentially vulnerable population who are at risk of negative outcomes such as increased rates of exclusion from school linked to challenging behaviour. Although pupil behaviour may have negative implications for teachers, the literature on staff support suggests that group problem-solving approaches may be a useful mechanism of peer support which can consequently have direct and indirect effects for the school staff and pupils, respectively. One such approach is the ‘Circle of Adults’ (CoA) (Wilson & Newton, 2006) and was the focus of evaluation in the current study. Existing literature suggests CoA can enhance teacher capacity to respond to difficult behaviour. It was hypothesised that the CoA process would have positive effects upon teacher self-efficacy and causal attributions. A mixed-method design was employed, which combined a quasi-experimental component, to quantifiably measure any changes which occurred for the school staff, with a qualitative element to determine the participants’ views regarding the process and perceived outcomes. The study compared the participants’ outcomes from the four CoA sessions (n=10) with those attending two Personal Education Plan (PEP) meetings (n=5). The findings indicate that participation in the CoA intervention has no statistically significant effect upon school staffs’ causal attributions or perceived self-efficacy. However, there is some evidence to suggest that participation in the CoA leads to statistically significant increases in the perceived success of actions. Additionally, through a series of focus groups, participants reported that they valued the structure and visual representation of the CoA. However, school staff also highlighted functional difficulties in arranging support processes for LAC young people: in ensuring that relevant staff were present at the meetings and challenges associated with supporting LAC who often experience rapidly changing circumstances.

<p> Effective teaching strategies can be defined as utilizing the higher levels of Bloom&rsquo;s taxonomy, which include understanding, application and analysis (Flynn, Mesibov, Vermette &amp; Smith, 2004). Teachers that use effective teaching strategies can significantly impact the future earnings of their students. Students that are recipients of these strategies receive a higher quality of K-12 education, which leads to a higher caliber of colleges and universities chosen. As a result of the higher education institutions attended, students become more competitive when entering an evolving workforce, earning higher salaries. This study explores the effective teaching strategy of storytelling. It identifies best practices of storytelling leaders in education. The literature reveals a link between successful storytelling practices and adult learning theory. There is also a connection between the impact of storytelling and the neuroscience of the brain. The findings are expected to help leaders in education who want to practice storytelling in their leadership practice. As a result of interviewing participants in this study, several themes were discovered that pointed out key factors in best storytelling practices. Some key findings include using stories to encourage critical thinking skills, heighten self-awareness among students, and activate brain triggers that produce an emotional connection around a subject matter. The data collected in study is believed to contribute to the effectiveness of future storytellers who wish to use storytelling as an effective teaching strategy in their leadership practice.</p>

<p> Ill-structured problem solving requires a variety of skills and strategies that K-12 students often lack due to limited exposure to these problems and a reliance on superficial problem-solving strategies (Greiff et al., 2013; Jonassen, 1997, 2000; Mayer &amp; Wittrock, 2006). This study employed a computer-based problem-solving program called Solve It!, which scaffolds students through a general problem-solving process to identify and support solutions to ill-structured physics problems. Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, this study examined the impact of the prompt response and narrative writing tasks on seventh grade students&rsquo; (N = 117) physics content knowledge and problem-solving strategy acquisition while solving ill-structured problems in Solve It!. Students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, which varied in the type of writing tasks students completed. Findings from this study revealed a significant increase in physics knowledge and problem-solving strategies across conditions. Due to the small sample size and several limitations with the study design, condition effects did not emerge. However, students in the narrative writing condition with low physics prior knowledge did benefit from the narrative writing task. Implications for this research include the use of computer-based environments to teach both content and problem-solving strategies simultaneously and the potential to use narrative writing tasks for learning.</p>