Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

This dissertation describes a project to develop an art-based curriculum to teach young elementary school-age children social and emotional skills in the classroom based on the experiences of experts in the field of elementary education. Social-emotional learning (SEL) focuses on several key concepts including skills in interpersonal relationships, emotion regulation, and mindfulness (McClelland et al., 2017). By addressing SEL early within the education curriculum, children are exposed to resources that will help them to develop strong regulation skills, engage in identity exploration, and practice healthy relationship skills (Jones et al., 2017). The integration of SEL and art creates a learning format that embraces the characteristics of creativity and play that are engaging for children, while teaching important skills, such as communication and emotion regulation, in a manner that meets students where they are developmentally (Alfonso & DuPaul, 2020). Nine elementary education professionals were interviewed to collect information about social-emotional learning in schools. The interviews were conducted with a primary focus on the questions: what makes SEL programs effective, what are the roles of school in providing SEL, and what skills are most impactful at the first-grade level? Interviews identified observed positive impacts of social-emotional lessons in first-grade classrooms, preferences for brief lessons that can be easily incorporated into classroom schedules, and a need for creative expression in learning. Using the themes identified in each interview, a classroom-based curriculum was developed. This curriculum focuses on working with first-grade students to develop strong social-emotional skills through art instruction and projects. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, https://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLink ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu.

Committee: Kathi Borden Psy.D. (Committee Chair); Gina Pasquale Psy.D (Committee Member); James Sparrell Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Developmental Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2022, Higher Education

The present phenomenographic research aimed to explore the qualitatively different ways early childhood educators experienced career pathway transitions from a Child Development Associate credential to an associate degree program. I applied Schlossberg's Transition Theory as a data collection and analysis framework. I collected narratives from fifteen early childhood educators across Ohio who earned their credentials and transitioned to or graduated from associate degree programs in early childhood education within the past five years. I interpreted the data and created the outcome space identifying six categories of description highlighting the context, conditions, motivation, support, strategies, and progress of the collective transition experience. From the categories of the outcome space, I produced six key findings: (1) level of support needed, (2) impact of star-rating on the decision to transition, (3) swirling movement, 4) motivation despite obstacles, (5) benefits of higher education on teaching preparedness, and (6) a new application of Schlossberg's Transition Theory. The findings point to potential, actionable strategies to support early childhood educator professional development, including continued and increased scholarship funding to early childhood educators, empowerment of program administrators/directors, individualized higher education recruitment practices, and advocacy efforts to promote the profession by showcasing success stories.

Committee: Snejana Slantcheva-Durst (Committee Chair); Kimberly Kiehl (Committee Member); Katherine Delaney (Committee Member); Debra Brace (Committee Member) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Higher Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2022, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

This study assessed a linkage between father-nurture or lack thereof and the development of leadership capacities through the lens of Bowlby's (1969, 1988) Attachment Theory. The constructs of father-nurture or lack thereof, which was theoretically grounded in Bowlby's key parental attachments of Secure, Anxious-Resistant, and Anxious-Avoidant, were measured by the five constructs of Safe, Fearful, Parentified, Distant, and Dependent relationship with fathers or father-figures during childhood and adolescence, delineated from Michael and Snow's (2019) Adult Scale of Parental Attachment. The leadership capacities were measured by the aspects of cognitive, moral, and social-emotional development that have been emphasized from well-established leadership theories—Authentic, Charismatic, Servant-Leadership, and Transformational/Transactional. In a sample of 38 adult participants, multiple linear regression models provide evidence that 1) those with a lower level of feeling Safe with fathers or father-figures exhibit a significantly lower level of leadership capacities from the aspects of cognitive and moral development, and 2) those with a higher level of feeling a Distant relationship with fathers or father-figures are significantly more likely to show a lower level of leadership capacities from the aspect of cognitive development. This study signifies the roles of fathers or father-figures during childhood and adolescence in the development process of leadership capacities from the aspects of cognitive and moral development.

Committee: Ahlam Lee Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Michael A. Riley Ph.D. (Committee Member); Stacey Raj Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Developmental Psychology; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Evolution and Development; Families and Family Life; Organizational Behavior; Psychology; Quantitative Psychology; Social Psychology

MAE, Otterbein University, 2019, Education

The purpose of this curriculum design project was to create a curriculum modeled after practices of literacy coaching, to help coach teachers on effective and inclusive methods and practices to offset disruptive, student behavior in their classroom. Using research from literacy coaching a curriculum was created into a handbook for behavior coaches to follow when coaching teachers in their building. The idea is to provide support and guidance to teachers that allow them to have a plan to address their specific student's behavior within their own classroom. A test trial was implemented to test the coaching handbooks effectiveness and gain feedback. Based on that test trial, teacher reflection proved it to be effective in providing support to teachers on how to deal with behavior and give them a plan to follow.

Committee: Carrie Scheckelhoff Ph.D. (Advisor); Marianne Hesseltine Ph.D. (Committee Member); Bethany Vosburg-Bluem Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Human Development and Family Science

Children's social-emotional development is important for the quality of one's life. Based on the bioecological theory and family process model, this dissertation aims to understand the mechanisms underlying parenting and children's social-emotional development, focusing on gene and environment interplay using serotonin genes. Grounded on the literature review in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 investigated whether children with sensitive genes were more likely to show social competence if they experienced positive relationships in an earlier period. The results showed that children with sensitive alleles on 5-HTTLPR or STin2 were likely to show greater social competence if they were securely attached to mothers. Chapter 3 tested mediated and moderated paths from mothers' and children's genes to child behavior problems via child temperament and mothers' negative parenting behaviors. Based on the conceptual framework about gene and environment interplay, I tested gene and environment correlations (passive, active, and evocative) and interaction. The results showed that mothers' sensitive allele(s) on TPH2 rs4570625 inherited to their children and children with sensitive allele(s) were more likely to show anxious and withdrawn behavior problems via mothers' psychological aggression (passive rGE). Children with sensitive allele(s) on 5-HTTLPR were likely to show difficult temperament in infancy and anxious behavior problems after entering schools (active rGE). Children with sensitive allele(s) on 5-HTTLPR were also likely to receive mothers' negative parenting behaviors and to experience more internalizing behavior problems. However, sequential mediation paths supporting evocative rGE were not statistically significant, and there was no significant moderation (G x E) found. After I examined the association between children's genes and their social-emotional behaviors in Chapters 2 and 3, I investigated the association among mothers' genes, fathers' support, and mothers' parenting (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan (Advisor) Subjects: Behavioral Sciences

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2014, College of Education

This study explores the racial attitudes and preferences among 164 children between three and seven years of age. The study is a partial replication of the Clark and Clark (1958) Doll Test which concluded that segregation, along with prejudice and discrimination, caused feelings of inferiority and self-hatred in African-American children. Significant changes to the original doll test are introduced in the current study. This study is based on an embedded mixed method design which utilizes Chi-square, cross-tabulations, and free-choice interviewing. The data were analyzed in response to research questions designed to test the racial attitudes and racial preferences of the participants. The findings of this study concluded that the participants can identify and have an awareness of racial differences, show doll preference, and display positive self-image. Qualitative themes that emerged from the research concluded that the participants liked the doll that looked most like them (or a family member), had a skin tone they liked, or was pretty. Themes associated with why participants did not like the doll that looked like them included skin tone and miscellaneous responses such as facial features and because the doll did not resemble the child's doll at home. The findings of this study are compared to the results from the Clark and Clark (1958) Doll Test.

Committee: Judy Alston Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Rosaire Ifedi Ed.D. (Committee Member); Sunny Munn Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Early Childhood Education; Educational Psychology; Social Psychology

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2014, Leadership and Change

This dissertation uses Positive Deviance (PD) to understand child marriage by abduction in a community in the Sidama Zone of Ethiopia. Marriage by abduction occurs among the poorest 10% of the Sidama population and entails the kidnapping of girls between the ages of 10 and 14 for forced genital circumcision, rape and marriage. PD is a problem solving approach that mobilizes a community to uncover existing yet unrecognized solutions to solve the specific problem. This study, which entailed an examination of the evolution of marriage norms among the Sidama as well as an analysis of the underpinnings of marriage by abduction, discovered that some community members practice behaviors and strategies that can prevent child marriage by abduction. The results support PD application to this specific form of child marriage as well as the practice as a whole, offering an alternative to traditional behavior change methodology. The electronic version of this Dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd

Committee: Alan Guskin PhD (Committee Chair); Jon Wergin PhD (Committee Member); Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Member); Monique Sternin MA (Committee Member); Sandra Cheldelin PhD (Other) Subjects: African Studies; Behavioral Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Families and Family Life; Gender Studies; Social Psychology

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Education : Special Education

This study described the communication and spoken language development of a Japanese girl with profound hearing loss who used a cochlear implant from 19 months of age. The girl, Akiko, was born in Belgium where her family was living at that time. After she was identified as deaf at birth, she and her parents were provided with support services. The family relocated to Japan when Akiko was 1 year 5 months of age. When she was 1 year 6 months of age Akiko underwent cochlear implantation. The cochlear implant device was activated when Akiko was 1 year 7 months of age. The parents routinely made video recordings of Akiko interacting with family members and teachers at home and at school. The video recordings taken by the parents used as the data for this study contained scenes of Akiko from the time she was 3 months of age until she was 4 years 11 months of age. Micro-ethnographic methods were used to analyze the dynamics and development of selected communicative interactions over this age span of fifty-six months. The original pool of video recordings provided for my dissertation study contained 213 scenes, as well as email exchanges with Akiko's mother, the webpage created by Akiko's mother, and an informal discussion with Akiko's parents during a joint viewing session of the 29 scenes, which were chosen for in depth analysis. As a result of video viewing and editing, Akiko's communication development was found to follow expected patterns of development as described by other child language researchers of children with normal hearing, such as, Elizabeth Bates and colleagues (e.g., Bates, 1974; Bates, Camaioni, Volterra, 1975) who applied, J.L. Austin's “speech act theory” as the foundation for their descriptions of “early communication development” of children. There were seven demarcations that represent Akiko's communication and spoken language development: 1) perlocutionary, 2) transition of perlocutionary to illocutionary, 3) illocutionary, 4) transition of illocu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Kretschmer EdD (Committee Chair); Laura Kretschmer PhD (Committee Member); Jo-Ann Prendeville EdD (Committee Member); Roberta Truax PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2013, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Professional development is a common phrase used by public school educators to describe the training they participate in order to stay current and increase their knowledge and skills in their respective fields. School districts implement professional development for various purposes including but not limited to curriculum, pedagogy, mathematics and so forth. In various school districts professional development training has many formats. Some of these formats include attending conferences, hiring outside consultants, using existing staff, small group book studies, live sessions and online training. Often, the sessions vary from one single isolated training session to on-going multi-year training plans. Essentially, no professional development programs are identical. This dissertation analyzes current secondary data including published articles, journals, reports, dissertations, theses and studies to identify effective characteristics of professional development in traditional public schools grades K-12 since the inception the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 hereafter referred to as NCLB. The dependent variable of student test scores is analyzed to examine what characteristics/strategies are identified as effective and to what degree. Analysis revealed that the professional development of teachers had a moderate-to-large significant effect on student achievement.

Committee: Karen Larwin PhD (Advisor); Robert Beebe EdD (Committee Member); David Dees PhD (Committee Member); Jake Protivnak PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Leadership

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2013, Psychology

Although developmental research continues to connect parenting behaviors with child outcomes, it is critical to examine how child behaviors influence parenting behaviors. Given the emotional, cognitive, and social costs of maladaptive parenting, it is vital to understand the factors that influence maternal socialization behaviors. The current study examines children's observed emotion regulatory behaviors as one influence. Mother-child dyads (n = 91) with toddlers around 24 months of age participated in novelty episodes from which toddler emotion regulation behaviors were coded, and mothers reported their use of emotion socialization strategies. The concurrent and predictive relation between emotion regulation and emotion socialization was examined in the context of several moderators. It was found that child gender, depressive, and worry symptoms individually moderated the relation between emotion regulation and emotion socialization. Results from the current study have the potential to inform the literature on when child-elicited effects are most salient in the parent-child relationship.

Committee: Elizabeth Kiel Ph.D. (Advisor); Aaron Luebbe Ph.D. (Committee Member); Vaishali Raval Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Developmental Psychology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1963, Graduate School

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Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1918, Graduate School

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Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1966, Graduate School

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Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1921, Graduate School

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Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1968, Graduate School

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Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1946, Graduate School

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Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1966, Graduate School

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Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1924, Graduate School

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Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1967, Graduate School

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Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 1971, Graduate School

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