Counseling, Higher Education & Special Education Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2757
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Item The Role of Temperament and Emotion Understanding in the Development of Child Internalizing Disorders(2014) Gifford, Kathleen Marie; Teglasi, Hedy; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Internalizing disorders are among the most frequently diagnosed psychological problems in childhood (Crawford, Schrock, & Woodruff-Borden, 2011). Evidence suggests that children who have the tendency to avoid, and less developed effortful control, are more likely to develop symptoms of internalizing (White, McDermott, Degnan, Henderson, & Fox, 2011). Similarly, preschoolers who are rated as being more withdrawn during social interactions often display more social anxiety than less avoidant peers (Ale, Chorney, Brice, & Morris, 2010). Furthermore, more difficulty with emotion understanding, and social avoidance, has been shown to directly relate to internalizing problems such as depression, fear/anxiety, somatic complaints, worry and rumination (Rieffe & De Rooij, 2012). Although researchers have identified some early vulnerability factors that lead to the development of internalizing problems, research on anxiety/internalizing in the preschool age population is scarce (Wichstrom, Belsky, & Berg-Nielsen, 2013). The current study sought to fill this gap in the existing literature. The study sample consisted of 139 parent, teacher, and preschooler participants from a university setting (38 to 82 months old; with a mean age of 57 months). Temperament was examined through parent ratings on the Structured Temperament Interview (STI) (Teglasi, 2009) and the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), Short Form (Putnam & Rothbart, 2006). Emotion understanding was examined by preschoolers' performance on the Emotion Comprehension Test (ECT) (unpublished). Internalizing behaviors were measured through teacher ratings on the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE) (LaFreniere & Dumas, 1996). Correlations between the STI factors and CBQ scales illustrated underlying aspects of emotionality and reactivity that influence children's approach/avoidance tendencies, and the link between temperament and overall adjustment. Children who were rated high on preferring familiar/routine activities were also rated as having more internalizing problems, and worse performance on a measure of emotion understanding; whereas, children who were rated high on sociability were rated as having fewer internalizing problems. Regression analyses demonstrated that effortful control moderated the relationship between sociability and internalizing behaviors such that children with high sociability and high effortful control displayed the best behavioral adjustment; and children with low sociability and high effortful control displayed the most internalizing behaviors.Item Examining Temperament: Approach and Avoidance(2012) Gifford, Kathleen; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This was a mixed methods examination of the approach and avoidance dimensions of temperament. These dimensions were measured through parent examples given on the Structured Temperament Interview (STI). Parents were interviewed by a research assistant and were asked to give both quantitative and qualitative examples of their child's behaviors representing the different distinct dimensions of temperament. A principal components analysis was conducted to help select factors and items to be examined in the qualitative study. Three main factors emerged from the principal components analysis: Prefers Familiar / Routine; Sociability; and Risk Seeking Approach / Short Sighted Approach / Risky. The two items with the highest factor loadings on each of the three factors were chosen for further exploration in the qualitative analysis. The emphasis of this study was on quantifying and classifying the parent examples for the six main items chosen through the principal components analysis.Item Preschool Teachers' Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practices Related to Classroom Management(2011) Drang, Debra Michal; Lieber, Joan A; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined preschool teachers' beliefs, knowledge, and practices related to classroom management. The rationale for researching this topic is based on the role of teachers in the special education referral process, the poor success rate for inclusion for children with disabilities who demonstrate problematic classroom behaviors, and the data on expulsion rates for preschool students. A multiple case study design was used to explore the following questions: (a) What are the components of classroom management in preschool? (b) What is the role of the preschool teacher in classroom management? (c) What are the sources of preschool teachers' knowledge about classroom management? (d) How have preschool teachers evolved or developed as classroom managers over the course of their careers? (e) How are preschool teachers' beliefs and knowledge about classroom management manifested in their classroom practices? (f) Do preschool teachers engage in classroom management practices that support or contradict their stated beliefs? The research setting was Hawthorne Academy, a private community-based preschool in a suburban county of a mid-Atlantic state. Participants included six teachers divided over three classrooms. Data were collected via interviews, classroom observations, and document review. Findings are presented as case summaries of each classroom and participant, a descriptive analysis of the setting, and themes from a cross-case analysis outlined in the context of the research questions. The participants in this study described teaching children the expectations of school as a component of classroom management, along with establishing structure and routines and fostering emotional development. Participants consistently cited other teachers as sources of knowledge about classroom management, but feedback from accumulated classroom experience was the strongest influence. There was considerable evidence to substantiate that participants' knowledge about classroom management came from personal and informal sources. Language was the tool that teachers employed to manifest classroom management beliefs and knowledge in their practices, and their practices were consistent with their stated beliefs. Findings are discussed in connection to pertinent literature, Bronfenbrenner's (2006) bioecological model of human development, and for their potential relevance to preschool children with disabilities who demonstrate problematic behavior.