No description available.

No description available.

Since World War II there has been a "revolutionary" increase in nonparental preschool-age child care. However, the effects of nonparental preschool care remains illusive. In an effort to address some of the limitations of previous research, seven different types of preschool-age care were statistically analyzed. Survey research and available data were gathered on 456 students in a large mid-south metropolitan area. Academic performance was measured by intelligence test scores and report card spelling grades from the sample children's third grade permanent record file. School behavior was measured by the child's conduct score over several years. Fourteen background conditions served as controls.

This research study was designed to evaluate whether or not Gestalt therapy approaches could be used effectively when intervening with aggressive acts in a day care setting. Five focus children were observed at timed intervals as to whether or not they were aggressive, how the caretaker intervened, and how the children responded to the caretaker intervention. After a baseline of aggressive acts was established, caretakers were trained to use Gestalt therapy intervention methods. Comparisons were made to establish whether there were fewer aggressive acts after Gestalt therapy intervention methods were used and if the children responded more positively to these intervention methods. This study suggests that Gestalt therapy intervention methods could be used in a day care setting to effectively deal with children's aggression. / Master of Science

Perceptions of the experience of flow, a concept introduced by Csikszentmihalyi (1975), was examined among child care employees. Teachers (N=192) of 4-year-old children ranked their perceived skills, perceived challenges, happiness, and relaxation on ten activities that typically occur during a day at a child care center. Discrepancy scores were computed by subtracting the challenge rating from the skill rating for each activity, while flow scores were computed as the absolute value of the discrepancy scores. Happiness and relaxation scores were summed to compute a sense of well-being score for each activity. Paired t-tests indicated that respondents, as a group, perceived their skills as exceeding the challenges on all ten of the activities (p<.0001). A series of 2-way ANOVAS with four levels of child development education and three levels of experience revealed that education was significantly related to an increase in (a) perceived skills and perceived challenges with teaching activities F(3,185)=3.38, p<.05 and F(3,185)=3.09, p<.05, (b) perceived challenges in relationship activities F(3,188)=2.80, p<.05, and (c) perceived skills on routine activities F(3,187)=3. 11, p<.05. Years of work experience with children was significantly related to a positive sense of well-being during teaching activities F(2,185)=6.52, p<.05. Paired t-tests indicated that (a) perceived challenges in teaching activities were significantly greater than for relationship activities (p<.05) and routine activities (p<.001); (b) challenges in relationship activities were significantly higher than for routine activities (p<.0001); (c) perceived skills in relationship activities were significantly greater than for routine activities (p<.001); and (d). discrepancy scores between skills and challenges in the relationship and teaching activities were significantly less (higher flow) than for routine activities. Kendall's Tau coefficients showed that perceived skills and sense of well-being for each activity correlated with job satisfaction (p<.01). Kendall's Tau coefficients between perceived skills and sense of well-being were moderate to moderately low (p<.001). One-way ANOVAS found subjects who rated their challenges higher than skills on relationships had a lower sense of well-being than subjects who rated their skills and challenges as equal or their skills greater than the challenges (p<.05). Multiple regression showed sense of well-being as the best predictor of job satisfaction (r²=.25). The best predictor of well-being was skills in relationships (r²=. 13). / M.S.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Exploratory case studies investigated the day care benefit from the multiple perspectives of the person with dementia, caregiver, and day care worker. The routines, daily processes, and factors promoting benefit were reported. The day care client was also queried to explore their ability to contribute useful information about their care environment. The adult day care is primarily a social occasion for its clients, who enjoy the benefits of companionship and interaction. Day cares were differentiated by the environmental features: worker:client ratio, size, suitability of the site for intended purpose, quality of client-worker relationships, and quality of the activities offered. The quality of each of these features is an important component in the day care environment. All components at their highest quality are not necessary for the environment to be beneficial. The most important factors contributing to day care quality were workers who (1) communicated safety to the client through a relaxed, uncritical environment, and (2) facilitated client stimulation through activity and personal interaction, satisfying the clients’ basic needs to be safe and occupied. This evaluation was comprised of: two sets of case studies. Each evaluation was concurrently conducted and consistently designed. Participant observation and survey were the primary methods of data collection. Informed consent was sought from day care clients with dementia, family caregivers, and day care workers.

published_or_final_version / Applied Statistics / Master / Master of Social Sciences