Adolescent readers' self-perceptions of affective factors related to performance on standardized tests

The purpose of this study was to investigate which affective factors of adolescent high school readers were related to high-level readers, middle-level readers and low-level readers. The research problem was to determine the relationship between adolescent high school students' self-perceived reading self-efficacy factors and the students' reading performance on a standardized reading assessment considering demographic factors of age, gender and socio-economic status as covariates. The research design was ex post facto making inferences without direct intervention. The sample was obtained from one large, diverse, urban high school, consisting of 9th and 10th grade adolescent students (N = 176). Students voluntarily completed a self-report, reading self-efficacy survey. School records were used to obtain standardized reading level scores, age, gender, and socio-economic status data. An exploratory factor analysis of the self-efficacy survey responses resulted in the identification of 7 underlying factors. The striving (low-level) readers had significantly lower self-perceptions on 5 of the 7 affective factors than the middle-level readers, and strong (high-level) readers, p < .05. The 5 affective factors on which the striving readers had significantly lower self-perceptions were: (a) Observational Comparison, (b) Progress, (c) Lack of Progress, (d) Lack of Anxiety, and (e) Positive Social Feedback. The 2 affective factors which were not significantly different for reader level were Anxiety and Negative Social Feedback. Girls had significantly less anxiety than boys for both of the factors in the Anxiety category. Statistical results showed that none of the demographic covariates tested; age, gender, or socio-economic status, moderated the relationship between affective reader self-efficacy factors and reader level. This study concluded that there were distinguishable differences for striving, middle, and strong readers' self-efficacy factors. Determining affective factors related to reading can be used to create better instructional environments and instruction for adolescent students.

The effects of cross -age peer tutoring on writing and reading comprehension skills and attitudes and self -perceptions as writers of third and fourth grade students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cross-age peer writing response groups on the writing and reading achievement of third and fourth grade students. Students' attitudes about writing and their perceptions of themselves as writers were also measured at the end of the study. ^ One hundred and twenty-two third and fourth grade students enrolled in a public school in a middle-class, multi-cultural neighborhood participated in the study. Four existing classes of students were randomly assigned to either the experimental condition (EC) or the control condition (CC). Both groups were pretested and posttested for writing and reading achievement. The intervention, cross-age peer writing groups, met for eleven weeks. ^ Three hypotheses were examined in this study: (a) writing improvement score, (b) reading comprehension improvement score, and (c) students' attitudes toward writing and their perception of themselves as writers based on the five scales measured on the Writer Self-Perception Scale. ^ ANOVAs were done on the pretests and posttests for writing and the Stanford Achievement Test reading comprehension subtest scores for the year of the study and the previous year. ANOVAs were also done for the five areas of the Writer Self-Perception Scale. Cross-tabulations were also used to compare improvement level verses treatment group, and grade level. ^ Analysis of the data revealed that there was no evidence that the tutoring (EC) groups made more progress than the non-tutoring (CC) groups in writing and reading. There was evidence of growth in writing, especially by the fourth graders. Most importantly, the fourth grade tutors, the experimental group, had the most positive feelings about writing and themselves as writers. ^

Diet Self-efficacy and Physical Self-concept of College Students at Risk for Eating Disorders

Background: Both eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction affect a high proportion of college students. Self-esteem and self-efficacy may be protective factors for eating disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate diet self-efficacy, the confidence to maintain or lose weight, and its association with physical selfconcept using data from an online survey of health literacy, body image, and eating disorders. Study Population and Methods: This cross-sectional study collected online survey data from college students within the United States. The inclusion criteria allowed for 1612 college students, ages 17-35 years (597 males, 1015 females) belonging to the following racial/ethnic categories: Black (187); White, non-Hispanic (244), Hispanic (1035), and other (146). Specifically, the study aimed to examine (a) whether and to what degree diet self-efficacy and physical self-concept were associated with risk of eating disorders; (b) the interaction of gender by ethnicity on diet self-efficacy, physical self-concept and risk of eating disorders; and, (c) the relationship of diet self-efficacy with physical self-description and body mass index (BMI) in college students. Results:Low diet self-efficacy was associated with a lower score on physical self-concept (B = −0.52 [−0.90, −0.15], P = 0.007). Males had a higher physical self-concept as compared to females (B = 14.0 [8.2, 19.8], P Conclusion: College students in this study who had a poor body image were less confident with diet control. Poorer body image and low diet selfefficacy were associated with higher BMI. These findings suggest lifestyle management interventions may be of value to improve physical self-concept and lower risk of eating disorders for college students.

Socioemotional outcomes of children sexually abused during early childhood

This study investigated the nature and impact of the sexual abuse of children ages birth through 6 years. The purpose was to enhance knowledge about this understudied population through examination of: (1) characteristics of the abuse; (2) socioemotional developmental outcomes of young victims; and (3) potential moderating effects of family dynamics. An ecological-developmental theoretical framework was applied. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data collected from the consortium Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). A sample of 250 children was drawn from LONGSCAN data, including children who were sexually abused (n=125) and their nonabused counterparts (n=125), matched on demographic variables. Results revealed that young victims of sexual abuse were disproportionately female (91 girls; 73%). The sexual abuse committed against these youngsters was severe in nature, with 111 children (89%) experiencing contact offenses ranging from fondling to forcible rape. Sixty-two percent of child victims demonstrated borderline, clinical, or less than adequate functioning on normative, expected socioemotional outcomes. Child victims reported low degrees of perceived competence and satisfaction in the social environment. When compared with their nonabused counterparts, child victims demonstrated significantly poorer socioemotional functioning, as evidenced by aggressive behaviors, attention and thought problems. Sexually abused youngsters also reported lower self-perceptions of cognitive and physical competence and maternal acceptance. Family dynamic factors did not significantly moderate the relationships between abuse and socioemotional outcomes, with one exception. The caregivers’ degree of empathy for their children had a significant moderating effect on the children’s social problems. This study contributes to an otherwise scant body of literature on the sexual abuse of preschoolers. Findings provide implications for social work practice, especially in the development of assessment and prevention strategies.

A qualitative study of selected fourth -grade teachers' perceptions of the Sunshine State Standards

Despite a history of grappling with educational standards, never before has the federal government attempted to establish explicit national standards for what American children should learn in school. Recently, U.S. educators have developed voluntary national content standards, or explicit expectations of what students should know and be able to do. Not surprisingly, this major curriculum reform has provoked considerable debate. Today, teachers face difficult challenges working towards the implementation of standards. The objective of this study was to describe and explain the perceptions of a selected team of fourth-grade teachers regarding the language arts component of their state's Sunshine State Standards (SSS). The exploratory questions that guided this qualitative study were: (a) How are the SSS perceived by these fourth-grade teachers? (b) In what ways do the SSS affect teachers' self-perceptions? and, (c) To what extent and how do the SSS affect the participants' professional classroom behavior? ^ Direct observations, interviews, analysis of relevant documents and the researcher's critical reflective journal served as the methods of inquiry employed in this qualitative study. Bandura's Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale was used as a tool to help categorize the data specifically related to self-perception. ^ Analysis of the data suggests that participants perceived the SSS as a useful guideline as they taught. The SSS were a decisive factor in teachers' planning. They were the actual guide lines used by teachers to plan their lessons. However, participants did not believe the SSS were attainable by all students or were fair to students with special needs. They also believed there was not sufficient time allocated for the effective implementation of the SSS. This lack of time created pressure among some of the participants and others even felt disempowered regarding the curriculum and the instructional focus implemented during the test preparation time. The SSS negatively affected the participants when they felt constraints during this time, which led to their inability to carry out important activities in their classrooms. Thus, the SSS directly affected the participants' behavior in their classrooms. ^

Socioemotional Outcomes of Children Sexually Abused during Early Childhood

This study investigated the nature and impact of the sexual abuse of children ages birth through 6 years. The purpose was to enhance knowledge about this understudied population through examination of: (1) characteristics of the abuse; (2) socioemotional developmental outcomes of young victims; and (3) potential moderating effects of family dynamics. An ecological-developmental theoretical framework was applied. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data collected from the consortium Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). A sample of 250 children was drawn from LONGSCAN data, including children who were sexually abused (n=125) and their nonabused counterparts (n=125), matched on demographic variables. Results revealed that young victims of sexual abuse were disproportionately female (91 girls; 73%). The sexual abuse committed against these youngsters was severe in nature, with 111 children (89%) experiencing contact offenses ranging from fondling to forcible rape. Sixty-two percent of child victims demonstrated borderline, clinical, or less than adequate functioning on normative, expected socioemotional outcomes. Child victims reported low degrees of perceived competence and satisfaction in the social environment. When compared with their nonabused counterparts, child victims demonstrated significantly poorer socioemotional functioning, as evidenced by aggressive behaviors, attention and thought problems. Sexually abused youngsters also reported lower self-perceptions of cognitive and physical competence and maternal acceptance. Family dynamic factors did not significantly moderate the relationships between abuse and socioemotional outcomes, with one exception. The caregivers’ degree of empathy for their children had a significant moderating effect on the children’s social problems. This study contributes to an otherwise scant body of literature on the sexual abuse of preschoolers. Findings provide implications for social work practice, especially in the development of assessment and prevention strategies.

The body matters: Understanding social differences in mental health

This doctoral dissertation illuminates the salience of body image to sociological investigations of mental health. It is argued that concerns over body-appearance evident in America embody a dimension of distress over the physical self that may be appropriately considered a mental health outcome, called body dysphoria. Using cross-sectional data on 1,183 young adults comprising Hispanic, African American, and non-Hispanic white males and females from varying social classes, a valid and reliable measure of body dysphoria is developed and demonstrated to be a distinct dimension of psychological distress. ^ From the standpoint of the sociology of mental health, the social distribution of body dysphoria makes known individual consequences of the stratified arrangements of society based on gender, race/ethnicity, and social class. Results reveal significant social differences in body dysphoria that are both consistent with and contrary to clinical studies attributing eating disorders to white, upper-class females. Body dysphoria is substantially greater among females supporting that unrealistic cultural ideals and standards of body-appearance remain disproportionately targeted at females in the development and presentation of self. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics exhibit higher average levels of body dysphoria while African Americans exhibit lower levels of comparable proportion. The question is addressed whether identification with the dominant (white) culture influences distress over body-appearance among racial/ethnic minorities. A small inverse association is revealed between social class origin and body dysphoria suggesting that individuals from lower social class backgrounds are as greatly affected by body image concerns generally presumed to preoccupy upper social classes. ^ The stress process is a widely used theoretical paradigm for explaining structurally driven social differences in mental health outcomes. New evidence is introduced that the stress process may contribute to understanding body image problems. Regression analyses reveal that stress exposure has a significant positive association with body dysphoria that is mediated by varying psychosocial resources. Overall, the stress process explains the effects of social class origin and African American race/ethnicity on body dysphoria but does not account for the larger effects of being female or Hispanic. ^

Effects of student-faculty interactions on persistence of underprepared community college students

The high concentration of underprepared students in community colleges presents a challenge to educators, policy-makers, and researchers. All have pointed to low completion rates and caution that institutional practices and policy ought to focus on improving retention and graduation rates. However, a multitude of inhibiting factors limits the educational opportunities of underprepared community college students. Using Tinto's (1993) and Astin's (1999) models of student departure as the primary theoretical framework, as well as faculty mentoring as a strategy to impact student performance and retention, the purpose of this study was to determine whether a mentoring program designed to promote greater student-faculty interactions with underprepared community college students is predictive of higher retention for such students. While many studies have documented the positive effects of faculty mentoring with 4-year university students, very few have examined faculty mentoring with underprepared community college students (Campbell and Campbell, 1997; Nora & Crisp, 2007). In this study, the content of student-faculty interactions captured during the mentoring experience was operationalized into eight domains. Faculty members used a log to record their interactions with students. During interactions they tried to help students develop study skills, set goals, and manage their time. They also provided counseling, gave encouragement, nurtured confidence, secured financial aid/grants/scholarships, and helped students navigate their first semester at college. Logistic regression results showed that both frequency and content of faculty interactions were important predictors of retention. Students with high levels of faculty interactions in the area of educational planning and personal/family concerns were more likely to persist. Those with high levels of interactions in time-management and academic concerns were less likely to persist. Interactions that focused on students' poor grades, unpreparedness for class, or excessive absences were predictive of dropping out. Those that focused on developing a program of study, creating a road map to completion, or students' self-perceptions, feelings of self-efficacy, and personal control were predictive of persistence.

Development of an instrument to measure high school students' global awareness and attitudes: Looking through the lens of social sciences

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure high school students’ perspectives on global awareness and attitudes toward social issues. The research questions that guided this study were: (a) Can acceptable validity and reliability estimates be established for an instrument developed to measure high schools students' global awareness? (b) Can acceptable validity and reliability estimates be established for an instrument developed to measure high schools students' attitudes towards global social issues? (c) What is the relationship between high school students’ GPA, race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, parents’ education, getting the news, reading and listening habits, the number of classes taken in the social sciences, whether they speak a second language, and have experienced living in or visiting other countries, and their perception of global awareness and attitudes toward global social issues. ^ An ex post facto research design was used and the data were collected using a 4-part Likert-type survey. It was administered to 14 schools in the Miami-Dade County, Florida area to 704 students. A factor analysis with an orthogonal varimax rotation was vii used to select the factors that best represented the three constructs – global education, global citizenship, and global workforce. This was done to establish construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability of the instrument. Descriptive statistics and a hierarchical multiple regression were used for the demographics to establish their relationship, if any, to the findings. ^ Key findings of the study were that reliable and valid estimates can be developed for the instrument. The multiple regression analysis for model 1 and 2 accounted for a variance of 3% and 5% for self-perceptions of global awareness (factor 1). The regression model also accounted for a 5% and 13% variance in the two models for attitudes toward global social issues (factor 2). The demographics that were statistically significant were: ethnicity, gender, SES, parents’ education, listening to music, getting the news, speaking a second language, GPA, classes taken in the social sciences, and visiting other countries. An important finding for the study was those attending public schools (as opposed to private schools) had more positive attitudes towards global social issues (factor 2) The statistics indicated that these students had taken history, economics, and social studies – a curriculum infused with global perspectives.^

The Mysteries of Secret Shopping and Student Training!

In 2011 the Reference Department at the Glenn Hubert Library (HL), Biscayne Bay Campus, Florida International University (FIU) moved to a joint ser-vice desk with the circulation desk. Shortly after the move reference librarians became concerned with the misinformation that the circulation department’s work-study students sometimes provided to patrons. As a result, we felt a Secret Shopping program would be a good method to evaluate the information provided. Furthermore, it was seen as a method of improving customer service and com-paring the self-perceptions of service to patrons’ perceptions.

Russia's Islam: Discourse on Identity, Politics, and Security

Despite the long history of Muslims in Russia, most scholarly and political literatures on Russia’s Islam still narrowly interpret Muslim-Slavs relations in an ethnic-religious oppositional framework. In my work, I examine Russia’s discourse on Islam to argue that, in fact, the role of Islam in post-Soviet Russia is complex. Drawing from direct sources from academic, state, journalistic, and underground circles, often neglected by Western commentators, I identify ideational patterns in conceptualizations of Islam and reconstruct relational networks among authors. To explain complex intertextual relations within specific contexts, I utilize an analytically eclectic method that appropriately combines theories from different paradigms and/or disciplines. Thanks to my multi-dimensional approach, I show that, contrary to traditional views, Russia’s Muslims participate in processes of post-Soviet Russia’s identity formation. Starting from textual contents, avoiding pre-formed analytical frames, I argue that many Muslims in Russia perceive themselves as part of Russian civilization – even when they challenge the status-quo. Building on my initial findings, I state that a key element in Russia’s conceptualization of Islam is the definition, elaborated in the 1990s, of traditional Islam as part of Russian civilizational history, as opposed to extremist Islam as extraneous, hostile phenomenon. The differentiation creates an unprecedently safe, if confined, space for Islamic propositions, of which Muslims are taking advantage. Embedded in debates on Russian civilization, conceptualizations of Islam, then, influence Russia’s (geo)political self-perceptions and, consequently, its domestic and international policies. In particular, Russian so-far neglected Islamic doctrine supports views of Islamic terrorism as a political and not religious phenomenon. Hence, Russia interprets both terrorism and counterterrorism within its own historical tradition, causing its strategy to be at odds with Western views. Less apparently, these divergences affect Russian-U.S. broader relations. Finally, in revealing the civilizational value of Russia’s Islam, I expose intellectual relations among influential subjects who share the aim to devise a new civilizational model that should combine Slavic and non-Slavic, Orthodox and Islamic, Western, and Asian components. In this old Russian dilemma, the novelty is Muslims’ participation.

Effects of student-faculty interactions on persistence of underprepared community college students.

The high concentration of underprepared students in community colleges presents a challenge to educators, policy-makers, and researchers. All have pointed to low completion rates and caution that institutional practices and policy ought to focus on improving retention and graduation rates. However, a multitude of inhibiting factors limits the educational opportunities of underprepared community college students. Using Tinto's (1993) and Astin's (1999) models of student departure as the primary theoretical framework, as well as faculty mentoring as a strategy to impact student performance and retention, the purpose of this study was to determine whether a mentoring program designed to promote greater student-faculty interactions with underprepared community college students is predictive of higher retention for such students. While many studies have documented the positive effects of faculty mentoring with 4-year university students, very few have examined faculty mentoring with underprepared community college students (Campbell and Campbell, 1997; Nora & Crisp, 2007). In this study, the content of student-faculty interactions captured during the mentoring experience was operationalized into eight domains. Faculty members used a log to record their interactions with students. During interactions they tried to help students develop study skills, set goals, and manage their time. They also provided counseling, gave encouragement, nurtured confidence, secured financial aid/grants/scholarships, and helped students navigate their first semester at college. Logistic regression results showed that both frequency and content of faculty interactions were important predictors of retention. Students with high levels of faculty interactions in the area of educational planning and personal/family concerns were more likely to persist. Those with high levels of interactions in time-management and academic concerns were less likely to persist. Interactions that focused on students' poor grades, unpreparedness for class, or excessive absences were predictive of dropping out. Those that focused on developing a program of study, creating a road map to completion, or students' self-perceptions, feelings of self-efficacy, and personal control were predictive of persistence.

Differences in perceptions of teachers' and students' values of physical education programs in private universities in Taipei City, Taiwan

After the New University Code was issued in 1994, the university physical education program was at a crossroad in Taiwan. Physical education teachers are facing changes in the curriculum. The purpose of this study is to find a direction for the future in physical education by using a revised Value Orientation Inventory to investigate the teachers' and students' value orientations. Based on these findings, results could identify a value-based philosophy for physical education curriculum innovation at the private university in Taiwan. ^ The subjects of this study included forty-two physical education teachers and ninety-four current students in five private universities in Taipei City, Taiwan. Value Orientation Inventory were developed by Ennis and Chen (1993), was used to assess subjects on five items five value orientations. VOI data were collected and analyzed by using T-test, ANOVA, and a set of special contrasts. ^ The findings of this study indicated that ninety-four percent of the private university students and physical education teachers made consistent curricular decisions within one or more of the value orientations. Teachers perceived Disciplinary Mastery (DM) and Learning Process (LP) value orientations as the most important values. Students perceived Ecological Integration (EI) and Disciplinary Mastery as the most important values. Both teachers and students placed Social Reconstruction value orientation as the lowest value. There were significant differences between teachers' and students' value orientations. Differences were found in DM, LP, and SA (Self-Actualization). There also were significant differences between teachers' and students' value orientation based on students' gender and year at university. These findings lead to the conclusion that private university students' values are incongruent with the physical education teachers' values. The finding suggests that unless physical education teachers address students' values on EI and SA, conflict may occur. ^

The effects of attribute quality information and sources of information on consumers' perceptions and behavior: A model of Pre-purchase Information Utilization in Service Physical Environments

The search-experience-credence framework from economics of information, the human-environment relations models from environmental psychology, and the consumer evaluation process from services marketing provide a conceptual basis for testing the model of "Pre-purchase Information Utilization in Service Physical Environments." The model addresses the effects of informational signs, as a dimension of the service physical environment, on consumers' perceptions (perceived veracity and perceived performance risk), emotions (pleasure) and behavior (willingness to buy). The informational signs provide attribute quality information (search and experience) through non-personal sources of information (simulated word-of-mouth and non-personal advocate sources).^ This dissertation examines: (1) the hypothesized relationships addressed in the model of "Pre-purchase Information Utilization in Service Physical Environments" among informational signs, perceived veracity, perceived performance risk, pleasure, and willingness to buy, and (2) the effects of attribute quality information and sources of information on consumers' perceived veracity and perceived performance risk.^ This research is the first in-depth study about the role and effects of information in service physical environments. Using a 2 x 2 between subjects experimental research procedure, undergraduate students were exposed to the informational signs in a simulated service physical environment. The service physical environments were simulated through color photographic slides.^ The results of the study suggest that: (1) the relationship between informational signs and willingness to buy is mediated by perceived veracity, perceived performance risk and pleasure, (2) experience attribute information shows higher perceived veracity and lower perceived performance risk when compared to search attribute information, and (3) information provided through simulated word-of-mouth shows higher perceived veracity and lower perceived performance risk when compared to information provided through non-personal advocate sources. ^

Perceptions of family environment, body image and self-esteem of eating disordered and non-eating disordered women

This study explored the perceptions of family environment, body image and self esteem of women who suffer from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and depression. Using a nonequivalent control group design, one hundred and fifty women with anorexia nervosa (n = 50), bulimia nervosa (n = 50), and depression (n = 50) were given the Family Environment Scale (FES) and the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2). The objectives of this study were to: (1) study how women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa perceive their family environment as measured by the FES; (2) compare and contrast perceptions of family environment of women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa with the control group; (3) compare and contrast perceived levels of self esteem and body image as measured by the EDI-2 of women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa with the control group; and (4) examine the perceived family environments of eating disordered and non-eating disordered women with regard to body image and self esteem. Results suggested, women who suffered from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa scored significantly lower (p $<$.021) on the Expressiveness, Intellectual-Cultural Orientation, and Active-Recreational subscales of the FES. The results also indicated that women who suffered from bulimia nervosa scored significantly higher (p $<$.015) than women who suffered from anorexia nervosa on the Conflict and Independence subscales of the FES. The results of studying these three populations reflected that women who suffered from anorexia nervosa scored significantly different (p $<$.000) than women who suffered from bulimia nervosa on many of the subscales of the EDI-2. The findings of the study confirmed that women who suffered from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa scored significantly different (p $<$.000) on the subscales of the EDI-2 compared to women who suffered from depression. It was also confirmed that a relationship does exist between perceptions of body image and self esteem and perceptions of family environment amongst women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa as compared to depressed women. The findings of the study indicated that women who suffered from anorexia nervosa tended to: be less expressive and independent; handle conflict less openly; have a greater drive for thinness; have greater body dissatisfaction; be more perfectionistic; and struggle more intensely with fears around maturity and social insecurity than did women who suffered from bulimia nervosa or depression. In addition, the findings of the study also suggested that women who suffered from bulimia nervosa tended to: be raised in homes where openly expressed anger is permitted amongst family members; have a lesser drive for thinness; have less body dissatisfaction; be less perfectionistic; and not struggle as intensely with fears around maturity and social insecurity as do women who suffered from anorexia nervosa, but more than women who suffer from depression. Treatment implications that may assist community college professors and counselors in meeting the special needs of this special group of women were also discussed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) ^