<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> The university environment in science can feel unwelcoming for ethnic underrepresented minority (URM) students due to cultural incongruity. Thus, it can be difficult for a Latino student&mdash;seeking congruity in social and value domains&mdash;to develop a coherent identity as both an ethnic minority and as an emerging scientist. Using longitudinal archival data spanning an academic year, the proposed study sought to examine whether and how motivational experiences for freshmen and sophomores contribute to identity processes, specifically among Latinos in science education. Current hypotheses were mostly unsupported, but unexpected findings suggests there is room to explore a differential influence of Social Congruity and Value Congruity on two components of Identity Integration: Conflict and Closeness. Greater Social and Value Congruity at the beginning of the academic semester independently and positively predicted greater Conflict and Closeness at the end of the same semester, respectively. Potential interpretations and implications are discussed.</p>

Thesis (PH.D.) -- Syracuse University, 2004. / Adviser: Martens, Brian K. "Publication number AAT 3132694."

<p> School culture develops as staff members interact with each other, the students, and the community. It becomes the guide for behavior shared among members of the school at large. School culture is a self-repeating cycle; culture is shaped by the interactions of the personnel, and the actions of the personnel become directed by culture (Hinde, 2004). The culture of a school can be a positive influence on student learning or it can inhibit the functioning of the school. Stakeholders in any environment prefer to be in a situation that is appealing and welcoming. When students attend school, the expectation is that it is a place where they like to be, a place that offers support and encouragement, and a place where physical comfort levels are optimal (MacNeil, Prater, &amp; Busch, 2009). Research indicates school culture plays a significant role in educational reform efforts (Gruenert &amp; Whitaker, 2015). </p><p> This study investigated how perceptions of teachers, support staff, and administrators affect school culture and academic achievement, and aimed to define how Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) impacts school culture. The data collected and the statistical tests performed included Correlations, a Mann-Whitney Test, and a One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The SCS-FF Open-ended responses were coded and synthesized, and interviews with six certificated employees were coded and categorized into nine themes divided into four meta-codes. Lack of implementation with fidelity and consistent progress monitoring of the PBIS program suggests that there is a lack of cohesiveness shared among staff members at XYZ K-8 School. Consistent expectations for all stakeholders, set forth by administration, emerged as imperative to program success and a positive school culture.</p><p>

Instructional time is a precious commodity within the school day. Research has shown (Gettinger & Ball, 2008; Hollywood, Salisbury, Rainforth & Palombaro, 1994) that students are only academically engaged for a fraction of time that is protected for instruction. In order to increase academic achievement, we must increase and protect instructional time. This study used a multiple baseline design across teachers to examine teacher behavior and student engagement. Teachers and students were systematically observed in the classroom. In the first phase, the data from these observations were provided graphically to teachers, thus serving as performance feedback. Performance feedback has been demonstrated as an effective means of increasing treatment integrity and facilitating teacher behavior change (Noell et al., 2005). During the second phase of the study, consultation meetings included a review of the data, collaborative brainstorming of strategies for increasing instructional time and goal setting. It was hypothesized that sharing performance feedback would lead to increased levels of observed instructional time. Results show inconsistent effects for increasing instructional time across participants.

Promising technologies are being developed to increase the levels of reciprocal interactions between typical children and those with autism and other developmental delays. Research in this area, however, has frequently relied on the use of specially trained personnel as behavior change agents. Therefore, the applied significance of this research is in question until effective mediator training strategies are designed and successfully implemented in clinical settings. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a teacher training package on increasing the rates of implementation of a peer-mediated intervention. Participants were three teachers working in an integrated preschool. Each was assigned a child pair, consisting of a child with autism and a typically developing peer, to work with throughout the study. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the training package, which included the use of inservice training, verbal and written feedback, goal setting, and self-recording. Teachers were taught to use a cooperative play procedure that had been demonstrated to be an effective tool for increasing reciprocal interactions between children grouped in integrated dyads. This procedure emphasized the use of toys preferred by the child with autism in a turn taking sequence. Typical peers were instructed and reinforced for participating in the turn taking sequence as well as for following the preferences of the child with autism. Results revealed that for one of three teachers, didactic training alone was sufficient to increase implementation rates to desired levels. However, feedback, goal setting, and self-recording was necessary for the implementation rates of the two other teachers to reach acceptable levels. Furthermore, introduction of the training package was associated with increased rates of reciprocal interactions between child pairs during generalization probes collected during free play situations. Follow-up measures indicated that both teacher implementation rates and child interaction rates were maintained.

Two studies are presented which test the applicability of Ericksonian hypnosis to an academic environment. The treatment consisted of 4 one hour group sessions fashioned on Lankton and Lankton's (1983) embedded metaphor formulation of Milton Erickson's approach to hypnotherapy. Subjects in the first study were 57 undergraduate students in a challenging remedial algebra course. When treatment subjects were compared to a group of randomly selected no-treatment control participants, and using a model which controlled for cognitive developmental level (TOLT), the treatment was associated with a difference of 14.5 points on a 100 point final exam with the treatment group scoring higher (F = 6.77, p $<$.01, one tail). Other analyses which used a different covariate (midterm exam) and which used a different control group (self-selected volunteers) did not reach statistical significance. The models using the TOLT appeared to be most sensitive to the effect of the treatment. Students in the second study were 85 undergraduates in an introductory statistics course. Controlling for performance on prior exams, the treatment was not associated with a difference between groups on performance on a final exam. Some evidence for an interaction was found, suggesting that the treatment benefitted the least able students in the class. Results suggested that the treatment might have affected these students in the areas of self-assessment of resources and "feeling good" about class. These latter findings are considered especially tentative because of a low n. Methodological shortcomings discussed include the lack of a control group which received a similar treatment, e.g. relaxation training, lack of control for an expectancy effect on self-efficacy/affect variables, and a low ceiling on the dependent variable in the second of the studies.

<p> The path to expertise has been quantified on several occasions (Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-R&ouml;mer, 1993; Ericsson 2001; Ericsson &amp; Charness, 1994; Ericsson 2008) as well as explored through qualitative retrospective methods (Bloom 1985; Kreiner, Phillips, &amp; Orlick 1993; Hayman et. al. 2014). However, little research has investigated the experience of elite performers as they attempt to maximize their performance over time. The purpose of this study was to examine how elite golfers think about, structure, and experience practice intended to maximize performance throughout a long career.</p><p> The researcher utilized a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experience of five PGA Tour players as they reflected on their practice experience thus far. The central themes found were: a) tailoring practice, b) <i> achieving balance, c) staying engaged, d) being proactive</i>. The core thematic findings spring from two results: 1. The most effective practice for elite golfers are highly individualized, and 2. effective practice for these players is reached when they proactively tailor their approach to pursue appropriate balance and achieve consistent engagement. These findings may benefit golfers, golf coaches, and applied sport psychology practitioners. Theoretical implications and possibilities for future research are discussed. </p><p>

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1968. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Some of the positive social benefits found to accrue among participants of peer tutoring programs were investigated in mentally retarded subjects who were characterized by aggressive behavior. Twenty-five institutionalized adults were randomly assigned to be tutors or nontutuors. All subjects were trained to play with an experimental apparatus that delivered pairs of edible rewards following its correct operation. Subjects were taught to share one of the edibles with the trainer. During the experimental treatment, nontutors were allowed to operate the apparatus and to share with the trainer as before. However, tutors were prompted to demonstrate their skill to a peer and then to share an edible with them. As expected, the scores on posttreatment experimental tests of both sharing and helping were significantly higher for tutors (p $<$.05). In addition, tutors were found to be significantly less aggressive than nontutors on one measure of aggression (p $<$.05). The results are congruent with previous research and suggest that the positive effects of tutoring may extend to the mentally retarded. Potential biases in the procedure, as well as a number of alternative explanations for the results are discussed.