Exploring the Influence of Vocabulary Instruction on Students’ Understanding of Mathematical Concepts

In this action research study of my classroom of 8th grade mathematics, I investigated the influence of vocabulary instruction on students’ understanding of the mathematics concepts. I discovered that knowing the meaning of the vocabulary did play a major role in the students’ understanding of the daily lessons and the ability to take tests. Understanding the vocabulary and the concepts allowed the students to be successful on their daily assignments, chapter tests, and standardized achievement tests. I also discovered that using different vocabulary teaching strategies enhanced equity in my classroom among diverse learners. The knowledge of the math vocabulary increased my students’ confidence levels, which in turn increased their daily and test scores. As a result of this research, I plan to find ways to incorporate the vocabulary teaching strategies I have used into current math curriculum. I will start this process at the beginning of the next school year, and will continue looking for new strategies that will promote math vocabulary retention.

THE INFLUENCE OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE ON LONGITUDINAL COURSE OF RECOVERY IN PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION

Background: Empirical outcome studies have identified specific symptomatic, cognitive, emotional and functional sequelae of childhood abuse in people with severe mental illness (SMI). These findings illuminate the need for an integrated understanding of biological, psychological, environmental, and developmental aspects of SMI. Purpose: The purpose of the present study includes the following: 1) to examine reliability and validity of the comprehensive child abuse rating system in a sample of individuals with SMI, 2) to examine the influence of childhood abuse severity on recovery of psychotic symptoms, neurocognition and social-cognition, and social functioning in people with SMI during 12 months of inpatient psychiatric rehabilitation, and 3) to examine moderating effects of social cognition on the relationship between severity of different types of child abuse history and social functioning. Results: In Study I (N=171), the child abuse rating system produced reliable ratings and some subtypes of child abuse history were related to poorer premorbid functioning and cognition, higher overall psychiatric symptoms, and lower social functioning. In Study II (N=161), the longitudinal factor pattern invariance of the measures of social functioning, externality, and psychiatric symptoms were confirmed across 3 time points (e.g., at admission, at 6 months, and at 12 months). In addition, significant but varied linear relationships between subtypes of child abuse and each level of assessment of functioning were identified. In Study III (N=143), the results showed that higher baseline social inference, independent of history of child physical abuse (CPA), played a protective role in improvements in social functioning. High externality appeared to be counter-therapeutic for individuals with no history of CPA but protective for individuals with a more severe history of CPA. Conclusion: The child abuse rating system appears to provide reliable and valid assessment of subtypes of child abuse history of individuals with SMI. Considering the extreme heterogeneity in both SMI and child maltreatment, the current finding sheds light on providing individualized treatment and assessment planning for individuals with SMI and a history of childhood abuse.

The Influence of Schematic Knowledge on Contradictory versus Additive Misinformation: False Memory for Typical and Atypical Items

In the current study, we examined the influence of schema consistency on contradictory and additive misinformation. Sixty-four participants were shown a series of still photographs of common scenes (e.g., a kitchen), were later exposed to narratives containing misinformation, and were then tested on their memory of the photographic scenes. In addition, participants were asked to reflect on their phenomenological experience of remembering by giving remember/know responses. Participants reported greater false memory for schema-inconsistent items than schema-consistent items. The findings failed to replicate Roediger, Meade, and Bergman (2001). Explanations for the discrepant findings are discussed.