Indirect bullying is a form of peer victimization that is observed as frequently occurring in both males and females yet is often overlooked by teachers. Nine bullying situation characteristics were created, which contained 3 to 4 descriptive levels. These bullying situation characteristics were then used to create unique randomly generated questionnaires consisting of 17 unique choice tasks. One hundred and ninety four teachers participated. Using latent class analysis two segments with different influences on intervention were identified. The Group 1 segment teachers (28%) were found to be less influenced by specific information regarding bullies and victims while making intervention decisions and instead assimilated more elements of a bullying situation into consideration. Furthermore, these teachers were found to be more sensitive to covert acts of indirect bullying. The Group 2 segment teachers (72%) decisions were more influenced by the vulnerability of the child who is victimized as well as to physical components of bullying situations. These findings indicate that there is a need for greater focus on the vulnerability of children who bully as well as greater emphasis on indirect bullying within bullying prevention training for teachers.

Objectives. There are three major goals to the present study: (1) to study the nature of errors in recalling sentences; (2) to investigate how specific errors in recalling sentences relate to expressive grammatical deficits and reading impairment; and (3) to make suggestions for the design of a pilot screening test that could predict processing and reading deficits. Method. Subjects were 45 children of normal intelligence, ages 8 to 13 years. The children presented with psychiatric disorders, and had been admitted to a day treatment and school program. The most prevalent diagnosis was attention deficit with hyperactivity and aggressive behaviour. A smaller proportion had adjustment and anxiety disorder. Excluded from the sample were severe cases of autism, schizophrenia and physical handicaps. Most of the children exhibited academic impairment and language deficits. Assessments. The recalling sentences, formulated sentences, sentence assembly, and sentence structure subtests of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-R) were administered, as were the reading decoding and reading comprehension subtests of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (K-TEA). To investigate relationships between errors in recalling sentences and grammatical deficits and reading impairment, the following statistical analyses were used: correlation, multiple regression, chi-square and kappa analyses. Results. In recalling sentences, errors involving content words occurred more frequently than errors involving grammatical words. Words with a large number of associatives, unfamiliar words, and less frequently occurring words were liable to omissions and substitutions. Content omissions affected mostly syntactically unsupported elements (e.g. adjuncts). Most content and grammatical omissions were words that do not assign thematic roles or have thematic roles assigned to them. Content substitutions affected mostly arguments (e.g., subjects or complements). Most of the substituted words were synonyms of the target word. Deficits in processing and timing, in particular, were identified as possible contributors to content omissions and substitutions. Grammatical errors occurred in syntactically complex sentences (mostly relative clauses) and affected functive words and expanded auxiliaries. Grammatical omissions were more often associated with processing errors, while grammatical substitutions were associated with syntactic deficits. Two types of errors were associated with reading deficits: content omissions and grammatical substitutions. They accounted for 44% of variance in reading comprehension and 31% of variance in reading decoding. Conclusion. The findings of the present study, together with an extensive literature review, indicated that sentence recall is a complex task involving both processing and verbal memory, and that it can be used to predict processing deficits and reading disability. Recommendations are made as to the type of sentences to include in a pilot screening test that could predict processing and reading deficits.

The purpose of this study was to compare the sociometric status and social behaviour of boys with different subtypes of learning disabilities in a self-contained special school in Zambia. Participants were 112 Zambian boys, who had previously been identified as having a learning disability. Sociometric status and social behaviour were determined by sociometric choice and sociometric behaviour assessments, respectively, whereas subtypes of LD and aggression and attention deficits were determined based on the scores obtained on the WRAT3 and the IOWA-CTRS, respectively. Results showed that there were no significant differences in sociometric status and social behaviour between boys with arithmetic disabilities (AD), reading disabilities (RD), and both arithmetic and reading disabilities (AD/RD). Many children with AD were actually indistinguishable from children with RD, on the basis of peer reports of social behaviour. The results also showed that children whose learning disabilities were accompanied by aggression and/or attention deficits received more negative nominations from their peers than boys without any of these problems. A number of possible explanations for the lack of AD-RD differences in sociometric status and social behaviour in this study are offered. The findings may have been attenuated because of the special school-setting in which all children displayed atypical patterns of development. It was, however, interesting to note that the behavioral correlates of sociometric status appeared to be the same in this setting as those found with normally-achieving children in Western cultures. Implications and limitations of the present study as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

This study explored mental strategies and perspectives of eight Canadian astronauts within a theoretical framework developed in the field of sport psychology. An Astronaut Interview Guide was developed and the interviews analyzed using accepted qualitative analysis procedures. Astronauts attributed their parents and/or community experiences as young people, with providing supportive yet challenging experiences, and credited that environment with their success in being selected to the astronaut program. Attitudes towards achievement revealed a variety of approaches to achieving goals which overall imply a tremendous dedication, commitment and pleasure in doing things as well as they can be done. The use of mental strategies such as imagery, planning and preparation, and self-evaluation, were described. For some astronauts the preservation of family relationships and being a good parent were revealed as important components of their lives.

This study explored the effects on self-concept of a Cross Age Learning Program (CALP) where students in grades four to six taught mathematics to students in grades one to three. All 27 participating students were judged, by their teachers, to be having difficulty in mathematics but were capable of achieving in a regular environment. These children were divided into four groups, Older Learning Partners (OLPs), Younger Learning Partners (YLPs), Older Non Learning Partners (ONLPs), and Younger Non Learning Partners (YNLPs). The OLPs and the nPs participated in learning sessions where each OLP was trained and then taught basic math to a YLP for approximately four months. The ONLPs and the YNLPs did not participate in the program. A self-concept measure, the Self Description Questionnaire-I (SDQ-I, Marsh, 1990) was administered three times to all students: before the program began, four and a half weeks into the learning sessions and then four weeks after that. The scale scores were compared for the two older groups (OLPs and ONLPs), the two younger groups (YLPs and YNLPs) and for the Learning Partners versus the Non Learning Partners (LPs and NLPs). (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary students' attitudes toward physical education and to identify the variables that contribute to the formation of those attitudes. In addition, the link between the attitudes that students hold toward physical education and their behavior in physical education class was investigated. A survey given to 150 students was used as a screening device to select thirty-six participants. Data were collected by: (a) conducting two group interviews with each of the student participants, (b) conducting stimulated recall sessions and individual interviews, (c) observing classes, (d) videotaping classes, and (e) interviewing each of the four teachers who were conducting the observed classes. The data were coded and analyzed revealing differences and similarities between students who held varying attitudes toward physical education. Aspects of cultural, societal, and school contexts were found to be the major influences of student attitudes toward physical education. The major influences within the cultural context were gender, an idolization of elite sport persons and a compartmentalization of the body and mind. Within the societal context, influential factors were family, mass media, the participants' sporting experience and skill level, peers, previous physical education experiences, and perceptions of fitness. These factors influenced the self concept and self esteem of the students. The most influential factor within the school context was the teacher. Students often expected (a) physical education to be fun, (b) physical education class to have few goals or challenges, (c) learning not to take place in physical education, and (d) physical education to be sport. Those expectations lead many students to believe that physical education was not a "real" subject. This belief, together with the influential factors within the three contexts, affected student attitude toward physical education. The findings suggested that student behavior often does indicate attitude. Students, however, could be influenced by certain situational pressures which placed them under pressure to act in a way contrary to their attitude.

This study investigates the effects of peer coaching, a peer-mediated intervention package, on the positive social behaviors of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A single-subject, ABAB design is used with 3 elementary-aged students in grades 3 and 5. Following a baseline period, peer coaching activities are introduced, which involve daily social goal setting, the coach providing feedback, and both students rating the performance of the focus student in order to earn a weekly reward. The students are supervised by an adult during a weekly meeting. A return to baseline phase follows the first peer coaching phase. The final phase of the study includes a re-introduction of the peer coaching activities. Results suggest that the peer coaching package led to improvements in positive social behaviors during recess for 2 out of 3 students. Contributions to current literature are discussed and implications for future studies are provided.

The purpose of this study was to recognize and validate dual exceptionalities and to give voice to an underachieving gifted adolescent with an Attention Deficit Disorder regarding what has worked and not worked for him in traditional school settings. The importance of this study resonates in the voice of a tenth grade, Caucasian male student; a student for whom learning and intellectual challenge is a driving force, but who has been unable to “achieve” in a traditional school setting. This study is vital in that twice exceptional learners are at great risk of underachieving in traditional school settings. In the context of this study, underachievement was viewed as a phenomenon (Schultz, 2002), not a label. It is a verb, not to be confused with the noun. The term should not be used to describe who someone is (underachiever), but rather what someone does (underachieves). Data gathered in this study were analyzed using a constant comparative method of data analysis, which was applied to interviews and classroom observations in an effort to identify categories and themes (Strauss & Corbin, 1994). Data collected from the student interview, classroom observations, document analysis, and adult interviews were triangulated in an effort to uncover patterns and practices that have contributed to or helped to ameliorate the phenomenon of underachievement in a gifted student identified with ADD. Results of this study indicate that schools underachieve their twice exceptional learners (Schultz, 2002) by failing to recognize the asynchronous tension with which these students live; by not creating life-giving relationships with twice exceptional learners that are based on trust and respect; by not implementing classroom practices that are predicated on constructivist learning theory; by denying them access to intellectual peers; and by failing to instill hope.

The purpose of this study, a formative program evaluation, was to provide an overview of treatment integrity rates, attitudes, and assessment methods within a specialized school for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The study utilized a partnership model whereby the evaluators worked collaboratively with primary stakeholders (school administrators) to determine areas of focus for the evaluation. The program evaluation was conducted between August 2009 and August 2010, spanning one school year. The evaluation participants were the school’s teachers. The evaluation was based on an exploratory case study design and included both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data consisted of direct observations of treatment adherence to behavior plans in classrooms, teacher knowledge of treatment content assessed in quizzes, and observations of teacher engagement with students at recess. Qualitative data consisted of teacher surveys and focus groups. The evaluation yielded an in-depth assessment of treatment integrity within the school; an intervention to define and enhance teacher engagement during recess was also developed and implemented.

The purpose of this study was to describe the attentional characteristics of Athletic Training Students (ATS) during the application of knowledge and skill in the clinical environment. This exploratory study occurred in two phases. Phase one involved administration of The Attentional and Interpersonal Style Inventory (TAIS) (Nideffer, 1976) to junior (n=51) and senior (n=38) students enrolled in eight CAAHEP accredited athletic training education programs. Factor Analysis of the 20 TAIS subscales supported a six-factor structure. A Two-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (Status in program x Gender on the six factors) indicated no significant main effect for status in program, and no significant interaction effect. Discriminant function analysis revealed the Focus factor as a significant predictor of gender group membership; however, correct classification of subjects was moderate (66.3%). Large within group variance on the six factor scores indicated TAIS sensitivity to individual differences. TAIS factor profiles were used to select three juniors with large differences between the Overloaded/anxious factor and the Problem solving factor and three seniors with a small difference between the two factors. Data for phase two were field observations, videotaped injury evaluations and stimulated recall interviews for each of the six ATS. Qualitative data were analyzed using microscopic analysis, open and axial coding, and selective coding and coding for process. Two core themes that focussed on different aspects of how students used information to solve problems emerged. Information gathering and information processing, as continua interacted to form an informed problem-solving dynamic. At the core of this dynamic is effective or open problem solving, and at the periphery is less effective or directed problem solving. Open problem solving is facilitated through the integration of knowledge and experience. The implications of this study point to the importance of increasing educational emphasis on cognitive processes used by ATS in an injury evaluation to supplement the existing emphasis on clinical outcomes.