published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The purpose of this study was to determine what effects, if any, the Elementary Science Study has on selected science skills of Educable Mentally Retarded students.The science skills chosen were observing, inferring, and communicating across four educational levels -- primary, intermediate, junior high, and senior high EM students -- of the Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative. This Cooperative consists of ten school corporations: Highland, Griffith, hake Ridge, Fast Gary, Hobart Township, Hobart, Ross Township, Hanover Community, Crown Points, and Tri-Creek. These corporations have joined together to provide comprehensive programming in special education.The data were collected from 307 EM students (chronological ages 6-19 years) taught by twenty-six teachers who participated in the study.Two experimental groups were used. One, labeled the Perceptual Group, consisted of nine teachers and their students using six FBS units comprised of Tangrams, Mirror Cards, Pattern Blocks, Attribute Games, Geo-Blocks, and Tracks. A second experimental group, labeled the Psychomotor Group, consisted of nine teachers and their students using six FSS units comprised of Sink or Float, Mystery Powders, Ice Cubes, Clay Boats, Primary Balancing, and Batteries and Bulbs. A third group, which served as the control, consisted of eight teachers and their students.The Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities Verbal Expression Sub-Test was modified by this researcher and used as the evaluation instrument. The science skill of communicating was determined by the regular ITPA score while the science skills of observing and inferring were determined by the modified ITPA. Eight school psychologists administered and scored the instrument.Multivariate and Univariate Analyses of Covariance were used for the statistical analyses. General and specific findings were noted for each educational level. There were statistically significant differences between the experimentals and controls in both multivariate and univariate analyses of the data. Both perceptual ESS units and psychomotor ES S units were found to improve at least one of the three science skills in some educational levels.There was an increase in the frequency of mean verbal expression scores and the frequency of mean observations made by students. There was a corresponding decrease in the mean frequency of inferences made by students from primary through senior high.In combining all educational levels (primary, intermediate, junior high, and senior high) the Experimental Group displayed a significantly higher frequency in mean verbal expression and mean observation scores. There was no significant difference between the Experimental and Control Groups in the mean frequency of inferences.In general, MM students exposed to ESS units demonstrated a higher level of verbal ability.

This report is oriented at defining characteristics of children who have problems with school-related skills and abilities (Learning Disabled, N=17) as compared with Brain Damaged children (N=17) and Normals (N=17) as measured by selected measures of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery. Also, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) were given to each subject. Subjects were matched for age, sex, and Full Scale Intelligence Quotient as measured by the WISC.It was found that Control children differed significantly on neuropsychological measures when compared to Brain Damaged children. There were no significant differences on the WISC or WRAT. The Learning Disabled children resembled the Brain Damaged children more than they resembled the Control children on several of the neuropsychological measures. No significant lateralized deficits on motor or sensory-motor tasks were found to differentiate between the HV-LP and the LV-HP groups with respect to consistent lateralized deficits on the motor, perceptualmotor, or sensory measures, although both groups were significantly poorer than Controls on some of the sensory measures, particularly perception. of numbers written on the fingertips.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Typescript. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology)) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / This study explored the phenomenological experiences of mothers of children with mental retardation in two special schools (i.e. Fulufhelo and Pfunanani). The former is in Vhembe while the later is situated in Mopani district in Limpopo province. A qualitative approach was followed and participants were selected using purposive sampling. The sample consisted of 24 members (12 for individual interviews and 12 for focus group) whose children were diagnosed with mental retardation at the time of the study. Data were collected through unstructured interviews and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The following psychological themes emerged from the study: mothers’ subjective understanding of mental retardation; mothers’ understanding of the causes of mental retardation; living with a mental retarded child; psychological reactions of mothers to a diagnosis of mental retardation and mothers’ causal explanation of mental retardation. The present study discovered that all families with mentally retarded children are directly or indirectly affected by this condition.

No description available.

Psychometric properties of two systematic observation tools, the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) and the Children's Activity Rating Scale (CARS), were examined for use with individuals with mental retardation (MR). Eleven children with MR were videotaped while participating in gym-based physical activity. Accelerometer data were collected and synchronized with the observational data. Three raters coded each videotape twice each with SOFIT and CARS. Generalizability theory analysis indicated that SOFIT had low error variance due to rater, trial, and interaction terms. This provides evidence that SORT has good reliability (��=0.98). Concurrent validity evidence for SORT indicated that SORT may not be an appropriate tool for use with individuals with MR. Validity coefficients (r) between accelerometer data and SOFIT scores ranged from -0.44 to +0.39, indicating less than 20% shared variability. G-theory analysis for CARS also indicated that CARS demonstrates sufficient reliability for use with individuals with MR (��=0.76). There was a higher level of error variance associated with rater for the CARS instrument which indicates that more training on this tool may be necessary. Validity evidence for CARS was somewhat stronger than SOFIT with correlations between accelerometer data and CARS interval scores ranging from -0.52 to +0.79 (r��=0.62). Systematic observation tools may not differentiate between the low physical activity levels of individuals with mental retardation with may have caused the low validity levels. These findings indicate that systematic observations tools provide strong reliability evidence and weak validity evidence for use with individuals with mental retardation, and should not be used for this group. / Graduation date: 2003

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1983. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-129). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

The purpose of this study was to determine if socioeconomic differences among a population of mildly mentally handicapped school children exist on the Coloured Progressive Matrices. This information was sought in order to assist school psychologists in achieving the nondiscriminatory evaluations of handicapped children required by federal law.The theoretical base upon which this study rests is Catell's concept of intelligence. It was Catell's contention that the general ability factor measured by intelligence tests actually consisted of two factors, crystallized and fluid intelligence. Crystallized ability reflects previous education and experience while fluid ability is exhibited in adaptation to new situations where crystallized skills are of no particular advantage. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for ChildrenRevised was assumed to measure crystallized ability and the Coloured Progressive Matrices was assumed to measure fluid ability. Given that the Wechsler scales are among the primary instruments used to assess children for placement into programs for the mildly mentally handicapped, it was conjectured that assignment to this group has been based on crystallized, and hence culturally biased, abilities. It was hypothesized that among an identified population of mildly mentally handicapped school children, those children from low socioeconomic backgrounds would demonstrate significantly greater fluid intelligence as measured by the Coloured Progressive Matrices than children from high socioeconomic backgrounds.There were a total of 25 subjects in the study. These students had been previously identified as mildly mentally handicapped and placed in programs for students so diagnosed. The subjects were Caucasian male and female students who ranged in age from 8 years, 0 months to 12 years, 11 months of age. Each subject was designated as belonging to either high or low socioeconomic groups depending upon the occupation of the head of the household in which they lived. The data for this study was gathered by school psychometrists during the administration of the triennial retest cycle.To determine whether differences in mean scores between socioeconomic groups were significant, statistical analysis was applied. Statistically, the hypotheses were treated as null hypotheses with the .05 level of significance necessary for rejection. The hypotheses were tested through a t-test to determine statistical significance.The low socioeconimic group obtained a mean raw score of 19.85 on the Coloured Progressive Matrices while the high socioeconomic group's mean raw score on this measure was 18.17, The difference in mean raw scores between high and low socioeconomic groups on the Coloured Progressive Matrices was not significant at the .05 level of confidence.