The research problem that was examined in this study was two-fold. First, was the idea that the stages of group development could be depicted in serial group drawings completed by children who had participated in structured learning groups. Second, was that by using a rating scale that was designed for this purpose, trained objective raters could classify the stages of group development from the serial drawings completed by the children. Fifteen sets of drawings were gathered from fifteen children who had participated in different structured learning groups. These drawings were then analyzed and classified by raters who had been trained to use the rating scale. The rating scale was devised to identify the stages of group development within children's serial drawings. Qualitative data analysis showed that the stages of group development were depicted in some of the sets of serial group drawings. Quantitative data analysis showed that raters were able to use, with limited success, the rating scale designed to classify the drawings into the stages of group development. Many extraneous variables effected the results. These include: the unique characteristics of each child, the leadership style of each counsellor, the varying group topics, the adequacy of the rater training procedure, the objectivity of the raters, and the accuracy of the rating scale. Due to the many extraneous variables, it is clear that methodologically this study leaves many questions unanswered. Further research is necessary to more fully investigate the idea that the stages of group development can be identified within serial group drawings completed by children who have participated in structured learning groups., If further research proves that the stages of group development can be depicted and measured using a rating scale, it will provide group counsellors with a useful tool when evaluating group development. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

This thesis indicates the nature poetry preferences of fifth grade elementary school children. Data gathered helped determine the preferred aspect of nature and choices of girls compared to boys.

No description available.

Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is an empirically endorsed approach for children facing specific clinical concerns and life circumstances alike. The majority of research to date has accrued data about clients from secondary sources, such as adult report and observation. The purpose of this study was to explore children's perceptions of participating in CCPT by implementing a developmentally accessible interview medium, allowing children to share their experiences directly. Ten children between the ages of 4 and 7 who had completed at least eight sessions of CCPT were invited to create a drawing and respond to an interview protocol with their counselor. Data sources included the picture produced, a transcript of the interview between the child and counselor, and observation notes of the interview process. Using a phenomenological approach, three themes were identified to describe children's awareness and experience of the intervention: expressions of relationship, experiences in the playroom, and reluctance to engage in counselor-directed activity. The first two themes reflect children's report of the intervention and the third represents reactions to the research activity. Findings from this study support conclusions that children are aware of relationship between themselves and their counselor and recognize the uniquely unstructured features of play therapy and the playroom, which are defining components of CCPT.

The primary aim of this research was to determine whether teachers in their initial or in-service training have acquired a basic knowledge of the interpretation of children's drawings of human figure. A literature study was done in which the focus was placed on major aspects such as: • The normal development of children's drawings according to different stages, and • Those drawings that deviate from the normal development and their implications. • Reliability of children's drawings as a projective tool. A measuring instrument was developed in order to measure the basic knowledge of teachers with regard to the interpretation of children's drawings of human figure. The results of the empirical research indicated that teachers have limited basic knowledge with regard to the interpretation of children's drawings. The educational implications with reference to teachers, education system and other professionals were discussed. Recommendations for further research on similar topics were made. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The present thesis explores the link between children's drawings and cognitive development. The aim of this study is to investigate the intellectual abilities of the child draughtsman with good depiction skills and to evaluate the merit of the drawing technique in the assessment of conceptual maturity. The standardised Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test (GHDT) of intellectual maturity was administered to 115 children between 4 to 8 years of age against criterion ability measures (Wechsler scales). Its psychometric properties are examined in respect to its norms and scales, its reliability and validity at different age levels and ranges of intelligence. Early theories in the area of pictorial representation were directed towards identifying features characteristic of different developmental periods (Kerschensteiner, 1905; Luquet, 1927/1977). At the same time Piaget and Inhelder (1948/1967) incorporated these stage theories into their model of spatial intelligence. Yet, the recent experimental study of children's drawings has disclosed a number of variables which interfere during the course of production, challenging the view that drawings can be seen as the royal route to access children's concepts. Stage theories are re-evaluated by means of fourteen experimental drawing tasks with various degree of difficulty. The tasks - administered to the same children tested with the standardised instruments -are spatial in nature and have been sampled from two widely researched areas related to the pictorial representation of partial occlusion and of spatial axes (horizontal/vertical). The acquisition of the pertinent spatial concepts by means of drawings is examined, considering competence-deficiency and competence-utilisation accounts of children's performance at different ages. Finally, overall perfomance on spatial tasks is compared with performance on conventional (Wechsler scales) and non-verbal (GHDT) measures of intellectual functioning, considering the optimum method to assess children's abilities by means of drawings. In general, drawing performance is reasonably sensitive to children's level of intelligence, yet the significance of drawing varies at different ages and ranges of IQ. Finally, the establishment of steadfast developmental trajectories falls short in the field of pictorial representation. The variable performance, particularly from the children at intermediate ages, suggests that the stages of intellectual or visual realism should be seen as relative and not as absolute.

The purpose of this study was to see if the Koppitz objective scoring method for interpreting children's human figure drawings could be used as a valid assessment instrument with elementary school children. Human figure drawings were obtained from two matched groups of elementary school students, a normal and an emotionally disturbed group. The results of the comparison of human figure drawings of the two groups did not support Koppitz's findings. The Koppitz objective scoring method was found to be invalid as an assessment instrument with elementary school children and of doubtful use in diagnosing emotionally disturbed children. Possible explanations for the differences in results and areas for further research were discussed.

This paper presents a method for assessing the personal construct systems of young children (ages 4 to 6) regarding the notion of 'nature,' conducted at a Montessori Casa in Toronto, Ontario. Images from the participants' drawings of 'nature' were used in a card sorting exercise and as elements in a modified repertory grid test. Member checking was conducted through recorded conversations with the children throughout the process to minimize the influence of my own construct system. I conducted content analyses of the initial drawings, and made structural measurements and statistical analyses of the card sort and repertory grid data. The limited results indicate that this modified form of repertory grid test is reliable and useful for assessing the structure of young children's construct systems regarding 'nature.' Using Personal Construct Theory may facilitate the development of more participatory, engaging, and effective Environmental Education programs.

Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 138-144). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

The primary aim of this research was to determine whether teachers in their initial or in-service training have acquired a basic knowledge of the interpretation of children's drawings of human figure. A literature study was done in which the focus was placed on major aspects such as: • The normal development of children's drawings according to different stages, and • Those drawings that deviate from the normal development and their implications. • Reliability of children's drawings as a projective tool. A measuring instrument was developed in order to measure the basic knowledge of teachers with regard to the interpretation of children's drawings of human figure. The results of the empirical research indicated that teachers have limited basic knowledge with regard to the interpretation of children's drawings. The educational implications with reference to teachers, education system and other professionals were discussed. Recommendations for further research on similar topics were made. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)