Browsing Special Education Theses and Dissertations by Title

Wagner, Katherine Elizabeth 2012-03-01T01:03:51Z 2012-03-01T01:03:51Z 2011-09 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11990 x, 36 p. This research considers one of a university's most academically vulnerable populations - student-athletes. The purpose of this investigation was to test the effectiveness of a multi-component writing intervention that combines two empirically validated strategies - Self-Regulated Strategy Development and a modified version of Reciprocal Teaching. This randomized control trial was conducted with 50 student-athletes enrolled in an introductory writing course. Pre-test and post-test data on the Test of Written Language IV (TOWL IV), essay grades, and post-test grades in the course were gathered. All data were analyzed using a one-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) using pretest scores as covariates, group assignment as the independent variable (Intervention vs. Control), and post-test scores on the TOWL IV, essay grades, and post-GPA in the course as dependent variables. This analysis will allow us to determine the effectiveness of the combined SRSD/MRT intervention on the writing skills of student-athletes. Committee in charge: Christopher Murray, Chair en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, M.A., 2011; rights_reserved Higher education Adult education Special education Education Intervention Post secondary SRSD Student-athlete Tutoring Writing Improving Student-Athletes' Writing Skills: Examining the Effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development Coupled with Modified Reciprocal Teaching Thesis

Cohn, Bradley P., 1983- 2012-02-03T01:57:10Z 2012-02-03T01:57:10Z 2011-06 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11925 xiv, 110 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. Many youth under the age of 18 experience high levels of mental health problems, and very few of those youth receive the necessary services to combat those problems. Historically, assessment of behavior and social and emotional functioning and subsequent design of interventions occur using deficit-based measures and tools. Another method of assessing behavior and social and emotional functioning that is receiving more attention over the last decade is strength-based assessment and service delivery. The Social Emotional Assets and Resiliency Scales (SEARS) is a new multi-informant strength- based behavior-rating system currently being developed and researched at the University of Oregon. To assess the factor structure, psychometric properties, and cross-informant correlation of the teacher version of the SEARS, data were gathered from elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the United States. Teachers ( n = 1673) were asked to rate students in their classes in several domains of social and emotional functioning (e.g., problem solving, social skills, empathy, and self-regulation). Results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis indicate that the SEARS-T is made up of four strong factors--Responsibility, Self-Regulation, Social Competence, and Empathy. Analysis of reliability of total scores reflects very strong internal consistency (α = .98) and test-retest reliability ( r = .94). Reliability of factor scores also reflects strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Cross-informant reliability with the SEARS-T indicates relatively weak correlations between teacher reports and child self-reports based on the Pearson-product moment correlation ( r = .37). Analyses of group differences were carried out for grade, student gender, rater gender, disability status, ethnicity, rater setting, and teacher categorization of academic performance. Results indicate teacher ratings differed based on student gender, disability status, rater setting, and academic performance. Results from this study indicate the SEARS-T is a psychometrically sound measure with a solid factor structure. With an understanding of the need for continued research, the SEARS-T appears to be culturally valid and useful for research and applied purposes. Committee in charge: Kenneth Merrell, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Krista Chronister, Member, Counseling Psychology and Human Services; Deanne UnrUh, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Philip Fisher, Outside Member, Psychology en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Ph. D., 2011; rights_reserved Educational psychology Clinical psychology Education Psychology Resilience Strength-based assessment Innovations in Strength-Based Social-Emotional Assessment: Factor Analysis, Psychometric Analysis, and Cross-Informant Comparisons with the SEARS-T Thesis

Sun, Lei 2009-02-06T00:03:52Z 2009-02-06T00:03:52Z 2008-09 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/8443 xiv, 149 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. Three types of literate words, including abstract nouns (freedom, challenge), mental state verbs (assume, explain), and derivatives (relationship, respectful), were examined in narrative and expository writing in typically developing children and adolescents. It was predicted that older students would use literate words more frequently than younger students, and that literate words would occur more frequently in expository writing than in narrative writing. One hundred and twenty typically developing children and adolescents including forty 5th graders, forty 8th graders, and forty 11th graders wrote one narrative and one expository essay at school. The results showed that genre had a substantial impact on the use of literate words in the writing of school-age children and adolescents. except metalinguistic verbs. Moreover, literate words were used significantly more often in expository than in narrative text, except derived adjectives. Additionally, metalinguistic verbs occurred more often in narrative writing than expository writing; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Age-related increases occurred in the use of abstract nouns, derived nominals, early/late developing metacognitive verbs and late developing metalinguistic verbs in narrative writing. Age-related increases also occurred in the use of derived adjectives, and late developing metacognitive and metalinguistic verbs in expository writing. The present study adds to the knowledge base concerning the development of literate word use in narrative and expository writing in typically developing children and adolescents. Adviser: Marilyn Nippold en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Ph. D., 2008; Rhetoric Children Narrative Derivational morphology Adolescents Literate lexicon Mental state verbs Writing School-age children Language development The literate lexicon in narrative and expository writing: A developmental study of children and adolescents Thesis

Ettel, Deborah Jean, 1958- 2010-02-26T00:38:14Z 2010-02-26T00:38:14Z 2009-06 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10220 xvi, 133 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. The increasing incidence of depression worldwide has led the World Health Organization to predict that depression will be the second leading global burden of disease by 2020. Since depression is often characterized by suboptimal emotion regulation, one of the potential pathways for understanding the transmission of depression risk is through the examination of early emotion regulation development, specifically in a known at-risk group: offspring of depressed parents. A substantial body of literature underscores the myriad ways in which offspring of ever-depressed parents differ from offspring of never-depressed parents, particularly in their development of emotion regulation, and level of risk for affective disorders. Emotion regulation was defined, along with its putative component dimensions, within the context of several well developed temperament models. This study examined emotion regulation in toddlers through data from the Infant Development Study, a longitudinal study of infant development which included parents from the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project and their offspring. A measurement model of emotion regulation based upon mother reports of toddler behavior was developed and tested as a first step in exploring this putative risk pathway. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test three measurement models for absolute and comparative fit. A three factor model with dimensions of Negative Affectivity, Surgency, and Effortful Control, was the best fitted model of those tested. Following this aspect of the study, structural models with outcomes of problem behavior were also tested in order to examine the concurrent and predictive validity of the measure. The best fitting model was found to be significantly associated with concurrent toddler problem behavior and predictive of later toddler problem behavior, including internalizing, externalizing, and aggressive behaviors. Recommendations are presented for future study of emotion regulation as a risk transmission pathway. Committee in charge: Kenneth Merrell, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Cynthia Anderson, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences Joe Stevens, Member, Educational Leadership; John Seeley, Member, Not from U of 0; Jean Stockard, Outside Member, Planning Public Policy & Mgmt en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Ph. D., 2009; Emotion regulation Depression, Mental Temperament Developmental psychology Quantitative psychology The measurement of emotion regulation: A confirmatory analysis Thesis

Doabler, Christian T., 1971- 2010-08-02T20:03:55Z 2010-08-02T20:03:55Z 2010-03 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10565 xvi, 115 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. There is convincing evidence that many students struggle to learn mathematics proficiently. One plausible contributor to the low math achievement is the quantity and quality of learning opportunities provided in classrooms. These opportunities may fall short of addressing the learning needs of students, especially those at risk for failure in mathematics. Against this backdrop, the purpose of the dissertation was to validate a direct observation instrument. The Coding of Academic Teacher-Student interactions (CATS) observation instrument systematically measures the instructional interactions that occur between teachers and students during kindergarten mathematics instruction. The dissertation harvested data from the Early Learning in Mathematics: Efficacy Trials in Kindergarten Classrooms (ELM-ETKC) project, a randomized control efficacy trial. ELM-ETKC is investigating the efficacy of the Early Learning in Mathematics curriculum within 65 kindergarten classrooms across three school districts in the state of Oregon. The dissertation utilized student and classroom-level information collected in 65 ELM-ETKC kindergarten classrooms across the 2008-2009 school year. At the student level, data included scores from 929 kindergarten students on the Test of Early Mathematics Ability-Third Edition (TEMA) and two curriculum-based measures: Oral Counting and Number Identification. Information at the classroom level included observational data from 191 classroom observations. Utilizing the extant data, the dissertation addressed research questions related to content validity, discriminant validity, and criterion-predictive validity. Additionally, the study examined if observers could reliably use the CATS instrument in classrooms. To address two of the research questions, the dissertation employed a hierarchical design and fit multilevel models that nested (a) observations within classrooms and (b) student posttest TEMA scores within classrooms. Predictors of the models included student risk status and rates of observed instructional behaviors. The study found promising evidence for using the CATS instrument to collect information about the quantity and quality of kindergarten mathematics instruction. Independent observers reached acceptable interobserver agreement across the observations. The CATS instrument demonstrated high levels of content validity, as well as sensitivity to treatment conditions. Results also found statistically significant relationships between the mean rate of instructional behaviors and student posttest TEMA scores. Implications for future research and practice are provided. Committee in charge: Robert Homer, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Christopher Murray, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Scott Baker, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Joe Stevens, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Thomas Dishion, Outside Member, Psychology en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Ph. D., 2010; Instructional interactions Classroom observation Kindergarten Mathematics education Elementary education Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Primary) Measuring instructional interactions in kindergarten mathematics classrooms through a direct observation system Thesis

Hung, Pei-Fang 2010-12-08T02:16:51Z 2010-12-08T02:16:51Z 2010-06 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10878 xiii, 205 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. This study examined idiom understanding in 120 neurologically healthy adults, ages 20-29 (20s Group), 40-49 (40s Group), 60-69 (60s Group), and 80-89 (80s Group) years old. Each participant was administered a familiarity task, definition explanation task, mental imagery task, and forced-choice comprehension task. Twenty idioms, 10 transparent and 10 opaque, were used with no supporting contexts. Participants were asked to rate the familiarity of each idiom, to provide a definition of each, to generate a mental image of each, and to select the best definition of each from among four options. It was predicted that younger and older adults would perform equally well on the comprehension task but that older adults would perform poorer than younger adults on the explanation task. Additionally, mental imagery of idioms was expected to become more figurative with advancing age, and participants were expected to perform better on highly familiar and transparent idioms than on less familiar and opaque ones. Participants rated all 20 idioms as highly familiar, with the lowest familiarity rating for participants in the 20s Group. No significant differences were found on the forced-choice comprehension task across the four age groups although the 20s Group scored the lowest among all age groups. The 60s Group performed significantly better than the 20s Group on the definition explanation task, but no significant differences were found between the other age groups. No significant differences were found in generating mental images between transparent and opaque idioms, and mental images tended to be figurative rather than literal for both types of idioms. The present study adds to our knowledge of idiom understanding across adulthood. Familiarity seemed to play a stronger role than transparency in idiom understanding in adults. Once an idiom was learned and stored as a lexical unit, people used the idiomatic meaning and generated figurative mental imagery immediately without accessing the literal meaning or the literal mental image. Committee in charge: Marilyn Nippold, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Roland Good, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Deborah Olson, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Nathaniel Teich, Outside Member, English en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Ph. D., 2010; Idiom comprehension Mental imagery Dual coding theory Aging Adult language Idioms Linguistics Speech therapy Cognitive psychology Mental imagery and idiom understanding in adults: Examining dual coding theory Thesis

Pool, Juli Lull, 1974- 2008-10-16T17:17:16Z 2008-10-16T17:17:16Z 2008-03 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/7498 xviii, 147 p. A print copy of this title is available from the UO Libraries, under the call number: KNIGHT LB1131 .P64 2008 Identifying children with developmental delays or disabilities as early as possible is a growing concern and has increased focus on the development of valid, reliable screening tools. The previous editions of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) have been investigated and found to be valid and reliable for screening children at risk for delay and in need of further evaluation. This study examined the psychometric properties of a newly revised third edition, including the utility of the addition of a "monitor" scoring category with preschool age children. Participants included 59 child/parent dyads ages 45-65 months with either no known risk factors ( n = 39) or one or more risk factors ( n = 20). Results from data analyses evaluating the psychometric properties were promising. Validity was investigated by examining concurrent validity using the Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2 nd Edition (BDI-2). Classifications (i.e., "typically developing" or "identified") of child's performance based on the domain scores of the ASQ were compared to the classifications of the child's performance based on total developmental quotient scores of the BDI-2. Percentage of agreement between classifications (91%) was computed. Based on BDI-2 and ASQ agreement, specificity was 91%, sensitivity 100%, and positive predictive value 20%. Reliability was examined with test-retest, inter-observer, and internal consistency. Intraclass correlations (ICC) and percent agreement were used to calculate test-retest and inter-observer reliability. ICC for test-retest ranged from .29 to a .88 when comparing individual domain scores from time one to time two. Percent agreement was calculated by comparing classifications at time one to classifications at time two, with 96% agreement. ICC for inter-observer reliability ranged from .22 to 1.00, with a percent agreement of 100%. Internal consistency means were calculated at: communication .66, gross motor.70, fine motor.52, problem solving .35, and personal-social .61. Results from the analyses addressing the utility of a "monitor" scoring category and using learning activities suggested that (a) parents and teachers found the activities easy to understand and use, and (b) the learning activities would be effective with a child scoring in this category. Adviser: Jane K. Squires 3227513 bytes 61302 bytes application/pdf application/pdf en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Ph. D., 2008 Screening Preschoolers Parent-completed Questionnaires Reliability Validity Preschool children Parent-completed developmental screening for preschool children: A study of concurrent validity and reliability Thesis

McIntyre, Laura Lee Felver, Sarah 2013-10-03T23:29:59Z 2013-10-03T23:29:59Z 2013-10-03 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/13218 Social and emotional competencies have received increased attention as important components of school readiness for young children. Universal programs incorporating social and emotional learning (SEL) instruction for all preschool students are needed given the relation between social and emotional competencies in early childhood and later developmental outcomes. The Strong Start: Pre-K program is a low-cost, developmentally tailored educational curriculum targeting important social and emotional knowledge and skills. Although this program is part of an evidence-based SEL curriculum (Strong Kids), the preschool component lacks empirical investigation. This pilot study used a single group pre-post within-subjects design to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of implementation of Strong Start: Pre-K and the impact of the curriculum on social and emotional knowledge and skills of 39 students in two preschool classrooms. Feasibility and acceptability were evaluated through descriptive data on social validity and treatment integrity. In addition, preliminary evidence of effects was established through analysis of observed child and teacher behavior. Results suggest that teachers and students find the Strong Start: Pre-K curriculum to be highly acceptable and that teachers are able to implement the curriculum with moderate to high levels of fidelity with limited training. Preliminary evidence of effects suggests that children who participated in the Strong Start: Pre-K curriculum demonstrated increases in social and emotional strengths and resiliencies as well as increases in social and emotional knowledge following exposure to the Strong Start: Pre-K curriculum. Direct observations of child behavior also demonstrated increases in pro-social behavior and decreases in disruptive behavior. en_US University of Oregon All Rights Reserved. early intervention mental health prevention social and emotional learning young children A Pilot Study of Strong Start: Preliminary Evidence of Feasibility and Efficacy of Social and Emotional Learning in Preschool Electronic Thesis or Dissertation Ph.D. doctoral Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences University of Oregon

Nelson Walker, Nancy J., 1980- 2012-02-03T21:19:44Z 2012-02-03T21:19:44Z 2011-06 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11927 xvi, 136 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. An examination of evidence-based practices for mathematics reveals that a solid grasp of key algebraic topics is essential for successful transition from concrete to abstract reasoning in mathematics. In addition, experts indicate a need to emphasize formative assessment to allow results to inform instruction. To address the dearth of technically adequate assessments designed to support data based decision making in algebra, this study examined (a) the validity of algebra and mixed computation curriculum-based measurement for predicting mid-year general math and algebra outcomes in 8th grade (b) growth rates for algebra and mixed computation CBM in the fall of 8th grade, (c) whether slope is a significant predictor of general math and algebra outcomes after controlling for initial skill, and (d) whether growth rates differ for pre-algebra and algebra students. Participants were 198 eighth grade pre-algebra ( n = 70) and algebra (n = 128) students from three middle schools in the Pacific Northwest. Results indicate moderate relationships between fall performance on mixed computation and algebra CBM and winter SAT-10 and algebra performance and significant growth across the fall. Growth was not found to predict general math and algebra outcomes after controlling for initial skill. Future studies should examine (a) growth rates over an extended period of time with a larger sample of classrooms, (b) instructional variables that may impact growth across classrooms, and (c) the impact on student performance when data gleaned from the mixed computation and algebra CBM are used to support data based decision making in middle school algebra and pre-algebra classrooms. Committee in charge: Roland Good, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Elizabeth Ham, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Leanne Ketterlin Geller, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Christopher Phillips, Outside Member, Mathematics en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Ph. D., 2011; rights_reserved Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Middle school) Educational psychology Special education Education Mathematics achievement Algebra Progress monitoring Progress Monitoring in Algebra: Exploring Rates of Growth for Middle School Math Curriculum-Based Measurement Exploring Rates of Growth for Middle School Math Curriculum-Based Measurement Thesis

Lee, Sangeun, 1971- 2011-06-13T18:33:04Z 2011-06-13T18:33:04Z 2011-03 http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11257 xvi, 144 p. : col. ill. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires the US educational systems to provide effective instruction for all students to be successful in reading. It is generally accepted that there are five essential components for effective reading instruction: phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension. However, the role of morphological awareness is gaining greater attention. This study focused on understanding the role of morphological awareness in relation to the more commonly accepted aspects of literacy instruction. The purpose of this study was to complete a meta-analysis on how specific aspects of morphological awareness relates to different components of literacy (i.e., word reading, reading comprehension, and spelling) in elementary-aged students of different grade levels and learner types. Specific procedures were used to identify relevant research that examined both morphological awareness and reading measures resulting in the identification of 44 studies. These studies were then coded for specific features and to capture and generate effect sizes for analysis. Results indicated a positive, strong relationship between morphological awareness in general and each literacy skill (i.e., word reading, reading comprehension, and spelling) in elementary students. No significant difference in the mean relationship between morphological awareness and reading outcomes was found for each of the following variables: (a) grade (lower versus upper elementary aged-students); (b) learner type (typical versus struggling and mixed learners); and (c) morphology type (derivational versus inflectional morphology). However, medium to large effects were found across each of these variables. Results were significantly impacted by a number of factors including the implemented coding procedures and features of the studies included in this meta-analysis (e.g., researcher developed measures, variation in defining student populations, etc.). However, a major factor that impacted addressing each specific research question was the limited number of effect sizes available for this meta-analysis. Suggestions for future research and general education implications are provided. Additional research in this area will improve the field by providing a better understanding of the role of morphological awareness within literacy instruction to potentially enable teachers to better meet the needs of all students. Committee in charge: Beth Harn, Chairperson; Robert Horner, Member; Joe Stevens, Member; Eric Pederson, Outside Member en_US University of Oregon University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Ph. D., 2011; Elementary education Literacy Meta-analysis Morphological awareness Reading (Elementary) Special education Reading instruction Education, Elementary Elementary education The relationship between morphological awareness and literacy outcomes of elementary students: A meta-analysis study Thesis