Within the field of K–12 education, collaborative partnerships between research institutions, state and local school systems, and intermediary actors are becoming more prevalent, especially in some of the largest urban school districts in the United States. Despite their growth, very little is understood about the internal working dynamics of these partnerships and the discursive processes explaining how these institutions, with very different cultures, histories and missions are coming together to bridge professional knowledge. The purpose of this study was to understand the similarities and differences between the researchers, developers, and practitioners in one such partnership, The National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools (NCSU). Drawing from key documents, six months of design team meetings, field notes, participant feedback and reflection forms, debrief meeting notes, progress reports, meeting agendas and notes, and participant cognitive interviews, I used Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and positioning theory to understand the partners' interacting 'activity systems' and how they positioned themselves and one another in the evolving context of the NCSU's design work as they worked as a District Innovation Design Team (DIDT). This also helped me understand the contradictions that led to the tensions that unraveled within the partnership. Positioning provided key insight about the cultural and historical contexts of the partners. It also informed how the partners gradually evolved into community, despite the variety of boundary spanning strategies used somewhat prematurely by the developers in an effort to accelerate their formation into a collective identity. Evidence suggests that once the design team engaged in school and district-level data collection and analysis to inform the similarities of their school contexts, they were able to see themselves as a collective. During design team meetings the researchers and developers functioned successfully as boundary spanners. However, outside of the meetings they tended to struggle much more to find a 'lingua franca.' This relates to the first tension that emerged within the partnership over time – attaining the object with adequate expertise. Each partner had a specific area of expertise that served as a critical tool in the design of the prototype. The real expertise however, was in how different individuals positioned themselves to access this valuable expertise. All three of the partner institutions held fast to their original role designations, assumptions and expectations about the obligations of themselves and one another, which was in conflict with the fluid nature of the design work in which they were engaged that necessitated an openness to evolving roles. The second tension that emerged was attaining the object with adequate resources, including: time, human resources, and district support. The concepts of boundary spanning and boundary objects were central to understanding my findings related to how the different partners crossed institutional and hierarchical lines. The long-term nature of many partnerships in education provides the opportunity for participants from diverse institutional backgrounds to establish a shared knowledge base and range of shared experiences to draw from; thus "leveling the playing field" of expertise over time. As a result, this encourages a more egalitarian mindset, and decreases the potential for an imbalance of power. This expertise became a vital cultural tool for the new community of the School Innovation Design Teams (SIDTs) to draw from as they then took the prototype design and used it as their key tool and rule for development and refinement. How the partners positioned themselves, given their institutional role served as either a tool for boundary crossing or hindered it with 'boundary blocking.' Intermediaries bring a new dimension to partnerships for education researchers to explore in the context of school improvement. This dissertation is one of the first of its kind to look at intermediaries in this way and provides timely insight into how education partnerships function when harnessing the expertise of these less understood organizations. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2017. / April 3, 2017. / activity systems analysis, cultural historical activity theory (CHAT), discourse analysis, intermediary organizations, positioning theory, research practice partnerships / Includes bibliographical references. / Stacey A. Rutledge, Professor Directing Dissertation; Vanessa Dennen, University Representative; Motoko Akiba, Committee Member; Helen Boyle, Committee Member.

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that is recognized by the American Psychological Association and characterized by cycles of depression and manic episodes. These symptoms can be highly disruptive to daily life and introduce unique stressors to those that experience the symptoms. The average age of onset of these symptoms coincides with the typical age of a college student in the United States. These students that experience the onset of bipolar disorder during college may face unique challenges when compared to their peers, and these challenges may impact their ability to perform academically in college. While research has been done on supporting students with various types of mental health disorders within the college environment, little research has focused specifically on bipolar disorder. Using heuristic inquiry, a form of phenomenological research in which the researcher is part of the phenomenon being studied, I sought to discover the experiences of four college students, who experienced the onset of bipolar disorder during college, through semi-structured interviews. My insight into the experience of bipolar disorder provided a unique way in which I could connect with these participants and explore their life experiences. Using those experiences, I was able to create a model to show how many facets of bipolar disorder impact student stress, motivation and self-regulated learning within the college context. This model provides valuable insight into how further research can identify the ways in which college campuses and support services can better serve the needs of these students with bipolar disorder. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester 2017. / March 24, 2017. / Bipolar disorder, Emotion, Heuristic Inquiry, Motivation, Self-regulation, Stress / Includes bibliographical references. / Alysia Roehrig, Professor Directing Thesis; Jeannine Turner, Committee Member; Martin Swanbrow Becker, Committee Member.

School library media specialists have a flexible role within the structure of a school's environment, which allows for a unique opportunity to promote students' reading motivation. This study qualitatively explored school library media specialists' beliefs and practices regarding promoting students' intrinsic motivation; specifically the strategies they use to promote students' motivation, and examine their own workplace motivation. A qualitative ethnographic framework was used to explore media specialists within the larger environment of a school system. This included a semi-structured interviews and informal observations. Four elementary public school library media specialists from low-achieving schools and four from high achieving schools from one district participated. The interviews explored participants' roles as media specialists and their strategies to promote students' reading motivation, collaboration with teachers, and how they situated their media center within the larger school environment. The results were an emergence of a model where the media specialist's role includes their beliefs, strategies, and responsibilities, which surround the heart of their role, connecting the right book to the right student. In this, the media center plays a role. The model encompassed not only the beliefs, strategies, and responsibilities the media specialists used to promote students' motivation, but also the media specialists' perceptions of outside influences on students. The outcomes of their roles connect with the media center, which in turn influence students' intrinsic motivation to read. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester 2017. / March 28, 2017. / Elementary Education, Librarians, Motivation, School Libraries / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeannine Turner, Professor Directing Thesis; Beth Phillips, Committee Member; Don Latham, Committee Member.

Participation in elite level sport requires being subjected to considerably stressful training and competition environments. Psychological skills and mindfulness have been demonstrated to enhance performance in sport, but less is known regarding how they impact an athlete's well-being in their sport and in their life. Greater knowledge of this relationship would aid practitioners in developing holistic, more psychologically well-adjusted student-athletes. To meet this end, 222 current NCAA Division I fall and winter sport athletes representing six different sports completed the Mental Health Continuum –Short Form (Keyes et al., 2008), Sport Mental Health Continuum –Short Form (Foster & Chow, 2016), Ottawa Mental Skills Assessment Tool-3 (Durand-Bush et al., 2001), Mindfulness Inventory for Sport (Thienot et al., 2014), and the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (Brewer et al., 1993). Path analysis indicated that both psychological skills and mindfulness had significant moderate direct effects on sport well-being; however, only mindfulness was shown to have a significant moderate direct effect on global well-being. Correlational data indicated foundational skills and somatic skills, specifically self-confidence, relaxation, and activation, to be the most salient psychological skills for sport well-being and global-well. Nonjudgmental acceptance was the most salient mindfulness skill, as it had a moderate causal path to sport well-being and a strong causal path to global well-being. The practical implications of the findings include evidence for the importance of developing these skills in college athletes to enhance their sport well-being and global well-being. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2017. / April 5, 2017. / Athlete, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Psychological Skills, Sport, Well-being / Includes bibliographical references. / Graig Chow, Professor Directing Dissertation; Joshua Newman, University Representative; Gershon Tenenbaum, Committee Member; Shengli Dong, Committee Member.

Bullying in schools has been an issue that has affected students since the 1970’s (Tsiantis et al., 2013). There are interventions that can help prevent bullying within the classroom such as the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, and the KiVa Bullying Prevention Program. The purpose of this study is to survey teachers about their knowledge of bullying and how to prevent it as well as how they feel bullying affects the students they work with and what interventions they have tried to help prevent bullying. Survey research was used to conduct this study. Surveys were sent to 25 teachers at an elementary school. 9 teachers responded to the survey. The teachers included both general education and special education who teach grades K-6. Teachers who were familiar with intervention strategies were asked to explain what interventions they have tried. A feelings dry erase board where a student could rate the intensity of their feelings and also explain on the board was one strategy used. Cool down pass and sand timers to complete task given, visual checklist on desk for procedures, and preferential seating were among other strategies used in the classroom. This study emphasizes the need for teacher resources to help them prevent bullying in their classroom. Bullying affects student development in all areas, which is why it was important to the researcher to investigate this topic and provide a teacher handbook that includes lots of resources for teachers to utilize.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 1996. / The aims are: To study and report on relevant existing literature pertaining to Zulu fathers' perceptions of their educational responsibility To undertake an empirical investigation into Zulu fathers' perceptions of their educational responsibility. To provide certain recommendations and guidelines so that accountable support can be instituted in order to meet the possible needs of Zulu fathers regarding their educational responsibilities.

The study investigated the relationship between defensiveness scores and self- report scores as they interrelate in the assessment of self - concept and its change. Data were analyzed to determine if self- report scores adjusted by regression for defensiveness would be more congruent with a criterion measure than unadjusted scores. A secondary problem was to evaluate the extent to which the self criticism scale on the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS) and the self report vs. objective rating discrepancy method would identify the same individuals as defensive. Samples were drawn from a population of adolescent Navajo boarding school students. A treatment sample participated in an individualized physical education program. A control sample participated in a more traditional , group oriented physical education program. The purpose for having comparison groups was to assess the differential effects which the two settings might provide in the relationship between defensiveness and self report as they interact in assessment. The self-criticism scale on the TSCS was used as a measure of defensiveness. The total p scale on the TSCS was used as a measure of self report. A behavior check list was designed, tested, and used as a criterion measure to rate behavior for inference of self-concept. Findings were: The correlations between defensiveness scores and self-report were significantly larger than zero in all cases. The correlations between changes of scores (between pretest and posttest) for defensiveness and changes of self-report scores were significantly larger than zero in the treatment and control groups. Self-report scores adjusted for defensiveness were significantly different from unadjusted scores; however, adjusted scores did not correlate higher with a criterion measure (behavior check list scores) than unadjusted scores. Changes of self-report scores (between pretest and posttest ) adjusted by covariance with changes in defensive scores were significantly different from unadjusted changes of scores. The extent to which the self- criticism scale and the self-report vs. objective rating discrepancy method identified the same individuals was not significantly greater than zero. It was concluded in relation to the population studied that: (a) Defensiveness and self-report scores are interrelated. (b) Adjustments to self-report scores on the basis of defensiveness scores may be practical for counseling or case studies where an individual within a homogeneous norm group is considered; however, inasmuch as adjusted groups scores did not become more congruent with a criterion measure than unadjusted scores, further study of the nature of self concept and defensiveness assessment methods is needed. (c) The self report vs. behavior rating discrepancy method is an impractical and undependable means by which to assess defensiveness . (d) Whenever self concept is assessed by self report measures, defensiveness should be considered as a factor which can systematically contribute to the magnitude of self-report scores.

The general purpose of this study is to attempt to determine whether or not the presence of a severely mentally retarded child has deleterious effects upon the family. The hypothesis that a retarded child tends to have a disintegrating effect upon his parents’ marriage has frequently been stated, but there has been little systematic research concerning the relationship of severely retarded children and the marital interaction patterns of their parents. A common belief in the area of mental retardation is that the presence of a retarded child in family has an adverse effect on the other siblings. This is one of the reasons most frequently given to parents for recommending institutionalization of a mentally retarded child; however, there is little empirical evidence in the literature that either sustantiaties or vitiates this supposition. Those who advocate institutionalization of severely mentally retarded children often tend to believe that this process may strengthen the cohesiveness of the remaining family members and serve to diminish possible stress and strain within the family structure. The investigator has therefore stated two hypotheses which will serve as the nucleus of this study and will be tested within a specified population. They are as follows: (1) The marital integration of parents who have kept their severely mentally retarded children at home tends to be lower than that of parents who have placed their severely retarded children in an institution.; and (2) The role tension of siblings between the ages of six and seventeen in families who have kept their retarded children at home tends to be higher than that of siblings of similar ages in families in which the retarded children have been placed in an institution This study is based upon the general assumption that a knowledge of the reactions, attitudes, and problems of parents of mentally retarded children will enhance the understanding of those who come in contact with them. Counseling the parents and the siblings of the mentally retarded child is an integral part of almost all educational and therapeutic programs. It is hoped that information derived from this study may point the way toward better counseling techniques and possible rehabilitative measures for families of severely retarded children.

It was the purpose of this study to evaluate the effectiveness of counseling by comparing results of a counseling tema approach with those of a standard counseling approach. The criterion of effective counseling was client, counselor, and supervisor satisfaction with the counseling experience. The following background questions were raised. Would the perceptions as experiences in the two counseling practicum approaches be measured as significantly different? What in both approaches would be common perceptions among the student counselor, his client, and the student counselor supervisor of what constitutes a satisfying counseling interaction? What common perceptions of the counseling experience would be least gratifying? What would be the appropriate content of a questionnaire designed to measure student counselor satisfaction during both team and standard practica? Would the student counselors involved in a team approach to counselor education perform differently from those using a standard approach? Would practicum questionnaire results be different among student counselors experiencing both a standard and a team approach? Would there be a difference among student counselors experiencing both methods if they had had a team approach before the standard approach? How would the advanced student counselor, his client, and the counselor supervisor perceive the team and standard experiences as compared to the individuals involved in an intermediate counseling practicum? Would there be a difference between male and female perceptions of the experience in there two approaches in counselor education? Among clients, how would fathers perceive the counseling interactions as compared with mothers? The above questions would assume that expressed satisfaction might be indicative of successful counseling interaction and possibly of client growth. The problem of this initial study may be stated as follows: What are the possible values of team counseling for school settings? Subsidiary questions include: How might the evaluation of counseling effectiveness be enhanced? How many underachievers be further encouraged in counseling? What elements in the counseling interaction should possibly be more emphasized in counselor education? Does the perceived difference of the experience of the counseling interaction among counselor, client, and counselor supervisor have curricular implications?

The purpose of this study is one of exploratory validation. Concurrent validity was established by showing the relationship between the experimental instrument and the Lee-Clark Reading Readiness Test. The relationships among the experimental instruments, the Lee-Clark Reading Readiness Test, kindergarten teacher judgment, and first grade post-readiness reading group placement determined the predictive validity. The statistics offered in this study are for descriptive rather than definitive purposes.