General Education Students Research Articles

Implementing Strong Kids School-Wide to Reduce Internalizing Behaviors and Increase Prosocial Behaviors

Instruction and training in social and emotional learning (SEL) is an important component in addressing the emotional and behavioral needs of students. This study is the first to examine whether Strong Kids , an SEL program, delivered school-wide in all classrooms, could result in decreased internalizing behaviors and increased prosocial behaviors for both at-risk and general education students. This study also evaluated whether teachers could implement Strong Kids as designed and whether they viewed it as socially valid. A non-equivalent control group design was used. The treatment school consisted of 348 student participants and 17 teacher participants in grades K–6. The control school consisted of 266 student participants and 11 teacher participants in grades K–6. Pretest and posttest teacher ratings revealed significant decreases in students’ internalizing behaviors at the treatment school, while these behaviors increased at the control school. Students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders improved significantly more than those not at risk on ratings of internalizing symptoms and prosocial behaviors, even when the intervention was delivered school-wide in all classrooms. Teachers were able to implement Strong Kids with a high level of fidelity and they held moderately favorable views of the program.

“Reacting to the Past” to Be Proactive in the Present: Feminist Roots of High-Impact Practices

© 2015 by the board of trustees of the university of ill inois To longtime feminist instructors, the latest academic buzz phrase, “high-impact practices,” may seem like a self-important guest arriving late to the pedagogical party. After all, women’s studies classrooms have employed student-centered, high-impact practices for many decades. To cite just one well-known example, in 1989 bell hooks called for an “engaged pedagogy,” envisioning education, inspired by Paolo Freire, as “the practice of freedom” (83). hooks’s elaboration of this pedagogy (and the myriad scholars who for decades have developed nuanced practices of feminist pedagogy) anticipates currently touted “high-impact practices” (HIPs) and offers an opportunity for feminist instructors to share with colleagues and students the long tradition of these methods in feminist classrooms and their relation to current HIPs, as well as their effectiveness in inviting students to move from theory to action and to persist and succeed on our campuses and beyond. In this article, I will explain briefly a high-impact role-playing pedagogy developed at Barnard College called “Reacting to the Past” (hereafter, Reacting), which I use to introduce first-year and general education students to feminist history, current feminist issues, and feminist pedagogy. On many campuses, we are being called to design first-year seminars or first-year experience courses that meet the LEAP initiative (“Liberal Education and America’s Promise”) to use innovative high-impact strategies, particularly with new students, to boost our retention and graduation rates. I argue here that feminist approaches and content effectively anticipate and enrich these initiatives, and, when used in first-year general education courses, can become what I like to call a stealth introduction to women’s and gender studies. The current pedagogical climate, then, offers a chance for feminist instructors effectively to introduce first-year (or general education-course) students to concepts and methods that can build our majors and minors and can strengthen feminist intellectual work on our campuses and communities. Let me first offer a quick definition of “high-impact learning practices” (HIPs), drawing on the work of George Kuh, whose 2008 book with Carol Geary Schneider on this topic is foundational. They list “Reacting to the Past” to Be Proactive in the Present: Feminist Roots of High-Impact Practices

The Fourth Level of Health Literacy

The World Health Organization defines health literacy as cognitive and social skills determining individuals' motivation and ability to receive, understand, and use information in a health-promoting manner. This study discusses health literacy in the light of general upper secondary education students' test answers (N = 611) on the Finnish Matriculation Examination. The data were analyzed based on three levels of health literacy: the basic, communicative, and critical level. Analysis suggests the three existing levels do not fully describe the depth of health literacy. A fourth level was derived, called "holistic health literacy," with the following dimensions: (1) tolerance, (2) understanding culture as wide and multidimensional phenomena, (3) environmental consciousness, and (4) analysis of the state of the world from various points of view. The means of developing the subject of health education are discussed.

Determinants of Student and Parent Satisfaction at a Cyber Charter School

ABSTRACT Research indicates that in traditional public schools the subjective well-being of students and parents varies by gender, race, and special education status. Prior studies suggest that general education students are more satisfied with their schooling than special education students, that female students have greater satisfaction with their schooling than male students, and that Caucasian and Latino students report greater school satisfaction than African American students. No prior research has studied parental and student subjective well-being in a cyber environment. The authors investigate parental and student subjective well-being in a cyber charter school, using a student (n = 269; 53.7% response rate) and parent (n = 232; 48.7% response rate) survey. They find statistically significant differences in subjective well-being across demographic groups of students, and also significantly higher satisfaction among special education students in the cyber school environment. Implications are discussed.

Changes in Stress and Psychological Adjustment During the Transition to High School Among Freshmen in an Accelerated Curriculum

This study determined whether participation in an accelerated curriculum (specifically, the International Baccalaureate [IB] program) upon entry to high school is associated with increases in stress and/or associated with psychological problems. Data from self-report questionnaires were collected at two time points (summer after eighth grade, fall of ninth grade) from 134 freshmen entering three high schools. Results indicate that ninth-grade students in the IB program reported more perceived stress than students in general education, at levels higher than what was present before the students began high school. Despite this increase in stress, the psychological functioning (life satisfaction, psychopathology, and social anxiety) of IB students was statistically similar or superior to the mental health indicators reported by their peers in general education. The main effects of time, gender, and academic program are also discussed in the context of prior research on students’ adjustment during the transition to high school.

THE PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ACADEMICALLY RIGOROUS PROGRAMS

This cross‐sectional study determined whether students who take part in academically challenging high school curricula experience elevated levels of stress and whether this stress co‐occurs with psychological and/or academic problems. Data from self‐report questionnaires and school records were collected from 480 students from four high schools. Results of analyses of covariance suggested that stress is not always associated with deleterious outcomes, as students in academically rigorous programs (specifically, Advanced Placement [AP] classes and International Baccalaureate [IB] programs) reported more perceived stress than did students in general education, while maintaining exceptionally high academic functioning. Furthermore, despite their stress level, the psychological functioning of students in AP and IB is similar or superior to the levels of psychopathology, life satisfaction, and social functioning reported from their peers in general education.

Effects of Multimedia Vocabulary Instruction on Adolescents With Learning Disabilities

The purpose of this experimental study is to investigate the effects of using content acquisition podcasts (CAPs), an example of instructional technology, to provide vocabulary instruction to adolescents with and without learning disabilities (LD). A total of 279 urban high school students, including 30 with LD in an area related to reading, were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions with instruction occurring at individual computer terminals over a 3-week period. Each of the four conditions contained different configurations of multimedia-based instruction and evidence-based vocabulary instruction. Dependent measures of vocabulary knowledge indicated that students with LD who received vocabulary instruction using CAPs through an explicit instructional methodology and the keyword mnemonic strategy significantly outperformed other students with LD who were taught using the same content, but with multimedia instruction that did not adhere to a specific theoretical design framework. Results for general education students mirrored those for students with LD. Students also completed a satisfaction measure following instruction with multimedia and expressed overall agreement that CAPs are useful for learning vocabulary terms.

The Effects of a STEM Intervention on Elementary Students' Science Knowledge and Skills

The purpose of the study was to assess elementary students' science process skills, content knowledge, and concept knowledge after one year of participation in an elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program. This study documented the effects of the combination of intensive professional development and the use of inquiry‐based science instruction in the elementary classroom, including the benefits of using rigorous science curriculum with general education students. The results of the study revealed a statistically significant gain in science process skills, science concepts, and science‐content knowledge by general education students in the experimental group when compared with students in the comparison group. Moreover, teacher participation in the STEM program had a statistically significant impact on students' variability in posttest scores. These interim student performance data support the implementation of rigorous differentiated science curriculum focused on improving science concept, content knowledge, and process skills.

Examination of a Peer-Led, Non-Diet Nutrition and Exercise Adherence Pilot Program on a College Campus

A non-equivalent control group design was utilized to investigate the effect of a non-diet, peer-led, tailored nutrition and exercise adherence intervention (FitU) on exercise stages of change, intuitive eating, and barriers to healthy eating and exercise in college females. Female students (n=17) who enrolled in the 8-10 week program served as the intervention group and general education students who did not receive an intervention served as the control group (n=16). Surveys were administered pre and post intervention over two consecutive semesters. Utilizing ANCOVA analyses, reported barriers to eating healthy decreased (p=.008) and one intuitive eating subscale, eating for physical rather than emotional reasons improved significantly (p=.01) in the intervention group compared to control from pre to post. Further, 65% of the intervention group reported an improvement in exercise stage of change and none relapsed compared with only 20% improvement and 40% relapse in the control group from pre to postintervention. The majority of the intervention participants also reported improved dietary (82.4%) and exercise (76.5%) patterns/thoughts. Peer-led and individually tailored, non-diet nutrition and exercise interventions may effectively promote healthy behaviors among college females.

The Effects of Professional Development on Co-Teaching for Special and General Education Teachers and Students

The Effects of Professional Development on Co-Teaching for Special and General Education Teachers and Students

General Education Oral Communication Assessment and Student Preferences for Learning: E-textbook versus Paper Textbook

As part of a yearly university mandated assessment of a large basic communication course that fulfills the oral communication general education requirement, this study examined student preferences for textbooks, reading, and learning. Specifically, basic course students (N=321) at a large state university in the Midwest were asked to complete a survey regarding paper textbook and e-textbook usage in their classes. The results indicated that neither reading the paper textbook nor the e-textbook was a predictor of grade, but comfort in accessing the e-textbook through the online portal was associated with grade. Many students reported strong preferences for paper textbook usage, and indicated several reasons for not liking or not using the e-textbook. The results of this assessment study could help communication course instructors make decisions about adopting e-textbooks versus paper textbooks, as well as alert them to the challenges students may experience with textbook reading.

THE STATE OF INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN GENERAL PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN PRAGUE AND CENTRAL BOHEMIAN REGION

Inclusion of students with physical disabilities in general schools in the Czech Republic has become widespread educational policy. On the other hand inclusion of these students in general physical education is often overlooked or underestimated. In order to understand this phenomenon in the Czech Republic we must conduct series of survey studies, this being one of them. The purpose of this study was to describe State of Inclusion of Students with Physical Disabilities in General Physical Education in Prague and Central Bohemian region. We used the descriptive study based on survey, which took part in schools with integrated pupils with disability in Prague and also in Central Bohemian region. Participants are teachers of included children. Questions in the survey were focused on experiences of the teachers with inclusive physical education (PE), especially what helps during inclusion and what kind of assistance or advice they would need (education, personal support etc.).Total number of surveys we distributed was 95 and we get 60 of them back. These were used for further processing and the resulting statistics. Total file research respondents were teachers of 29 boys and 31 girls who were in age from 7 – 21 years. All of respondents were teaching in schools in Prague or Central Bohemian Region. The largest percentage of the total number of children participating in PE lessons is pupils with mild physical disabilities (64 %). The most common problems are based on the severity of students’ disabilities. Other fundamental problems in inclusion of children to the PE lessons are: (a) the lack of teaching assistants (40 %), (b) special equipment (35 %) and (c) the lack of knowledge (12 %) of teachers in the field of APA.

Beliefs of liberal arts mathematics students regarding the nature of mathematics

This study compared general education students’ beliefs about the nature of mathematical behaviour with those of mathematics majors and mathematics faculty at both at the start and at the completion of an inquiry-based mathematics course. The course was designed to provide students with authentic experiences in doing mathematics. Results from an initial survey were consistent with findings from earlier studies of similar groups (e.g. prospective elementary teachers): participants viewed the subject as a body of facts and procedures that were at best loosely connected. However, data showed dramatic changes in general education students’ mathematical beliefs by the end of the course; on the post-survey, general education students scored on par with mathematics majors. This work suggests that the mathematical beliefs of these students can be changed. Mathematics is a living subject which seeks to understand patterns that permeate both the world around us and the mind within us. - Everybody Counts (National Research Council, 1989) Influenced by what he was taught in school, the average person regards mathematics as a series of techniques of use only to the scientist, the engineer, and perhaps the financier. - Morris Kline

Using Problem-based Learning to Explore Unseen Academic Potential

One goal of the US Department of Education-funded Project Insights was to see if the use of Problem-based Learning (PBL) would encourage students to reveal previously unseen academic potential. Two PBL units were taught to 271 sixth grade students in 13 classrooms. Afterwards, teachers identified students who demonstrated previously unseen academic potential during the PBL units. This advanced academic potential group was compared with students identified as gifted using district criteria and the remaining sixth grade students. Measures included standardized achievement test scores, teacher ratings of students’ engagement in PBL, and independent ratings of students’ performance on specific PBL assignments. Results of comparisons support the teacher’s identification of the advanced academic potential students as a group distinct from both from the traditionally identified students and general education students. Findings suggest that a well-designed, engaging curriculum such as PBL can create learning context that encourages more students to reveal academic potential.

THE CHALLENGES OF HEALTH EDUCATION: FINNISH STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF HOW TO CHERISH HEALTH

Youngsters’ health is widely studied from various points of view but a holistic approach to health has been minimal. The purpose of this research was to study general upper secondary education students’ health knowledge and perceptions of health by analyzing their answers concerning the subject of health education in the general studies battery of tests in the Finnish matriculation examination. The sample of the research consisted of 611 essays that were the test answers in health education in 2007. The essays covered altogether eight questions about health education. 81 candidates for the spring 2007 matriculation examination and 60 candidates for the fall 2007 matriculation examination participated in this research; altogether 141 candidates. The research approach was phenomenological-hermeneutic. The data was analyzed through qualitative content analysis. According to the results, students recognized people’s responsibility for their own health. They disapproved especially those who consciously neglect their health. According to the findings, it seemed evident that health education as a subject should be further developed so that it supports youngsters’ health appreciation and ability to make health-promoting choices in life. This decade sets special challenges to health education in schools, and therefore, it is important to listen to the youth‘s opinions and perceptions of health in order to, for example, develop curriculum planning. Key words: health, health education, matriculation examination, general upper secondary education.

Preparing Teachers for Urban Students Who Have Been Labeled as Having Special Needs

Abstract Preparing teachers to work in urban public schools – and to remain there – is a daunting challenge. In an age plagued with the overrepresentation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students placed in special education programs, it is important that teacher preparation programs within the field of special education devote attention to the devastating effects of deficit thinking. The current focus on the achievement gap and poor graduation rates has highlighted the challenges facing urban schools and their teachers in our nation. Many colleges and universities have ill-prepared or unprepared to work with CLD students in general and special education. This article discusses how teachers and service providers can be prepared to work with urban children and youth with and without special needs.

Differentiating Literacy Growth of ELL Students With LD From Other High-Risk Subgroups and General Education Peers

The authors used a large data set (N = 1,011,549) to examine literacy growth over a single school year comparing general education (GenEd) students to three high-risk subgroups: English language learners (ELL), those with a specific learning disability (LD), and those identified as both LD and ELL (LD-ELL) in students in Grades 3–10. The authors were particularly interested in whether variability existed between initial status and the growth trajectories of the three high-risk groups on measures of spelling, fluency, and reading comprehension across the school year and whether this variability was differentiated because of socioeconomic status (SES) as defined by free and reduced lunch (FRL) status. Results indicate that all high-risk groups began the year at substantially lower levels than their GenEd peers, with the largest differences seen between the LD-ELL students and the other subgroups. Further results suggest that students who are in the high-risk subgroups and also qualify for FRL perform significantly worse than their peers in similar risk status groups who do not qualify for FRL, demonstrating the significant impact of SES on academic outcomes for all groups.

Including students with disabilities in national academic assessments in Korea

In Korea, the effort to include students with disabilities in the educational accountability system has just begun. This paper reviews how Korean students with disabilities have been tested using the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) and what issues have emerged as a result of the testing. Analysis of the 2009 and 2010 NAEA data reveals that only a small proportion of students with disabilities participated in these tests and that those who did participate showed low academic achievement compared with general education students. In addition, even though alternate assessments are conducted by special education teachers to assess the academic performance of students with disabilities, national academic assessments in Korea do not include a system for alternate assessment. Based on findings of the analysis, several suggestions are made for improvement in Korea’s educational accountability system for students with disabilities.

Objectives Of The Students Use General And Vocational Education Students To Facebook

Depending upon developing internet technologies in Turkey and in the world, the emerging innovations are commonly used by individuals. Social network websites are the most prominent innovation which assembles people from each part of community at the same point according to their interests by removing the borders in real life. Since communication and interaction are the top-level in these days, the attraction of using social network websites in education has significantly increased. The aim of this study is to indicate purposes of use of Facebook, which is one of the most popular social network websites, in educational environments.

Assessment of an ELISA Laboratory Exercise

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a powerful immunological technique for quantifying small amounts of compounds and has been used in research and clinical settings for years. Although there are laboratory exercises developed to introduce the ELISA technique to students, their ability to promote student learning has not been thoroughly assessed. We found that a commercially available ELISA kit increased student performance on pre- and post-tests in three undergraduate college courses, especially in those taught to general-education students. Student confidence levels about ELISA methodology, as well as comfort level in performing the technique, increased significantly in both general- education and biology-major courses.