UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
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Item The Portrayal of Anger and Anger Management in Children's Picture Books(2024) Hernandez, Ilcia; Teglasi, Hedwig; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Through a comprehensive analysis of a sample of 80 children’s picture books, this study highlights the importance of embedding language to describe anger experiences and elements of social information processing (SIP) within stories to enhance young children’s understanding of anger arousal within themselves and others, as well as of anger management strategies. This study identified anger-eliciting situations, physiological and behavioral reactions, coping strategies proposed by helpers or the main character, along with other themes related to emotion socialization within the books. The current study identifies gaps in the portrayal of SIP mechanisms within stories, which underscores a need to emphasize the role of emotion dysregulation and of SIP biases during interpersonal conflicts as it is critical to foster regulation, reappraisal, and problem-solving skills among readers. The depiction of anger arousal and its escalation, predominantly through illustrations, is explored, along with implications for emotion understanding and cultural considerations of emotion expression. Picture book stories convey beliefs and values about anger by normalizing the emotion while promoting constructive regulation and expression through addressing the arousal in the body, delaying reactive responses, and using cognitive coping strategies. Overall, the current study has implications for caregivers and clinicians, in that becoming aware of how anger experiences are portrayed in picture books can aid in book selection based on a match with an individual child’s experiences and temperament to maximize its use as a tool for social-emotional learning and anger management in young children.Item Cutting Edge Injury Prevention(2024) Boland, Margaret Kenneday; May, Lindsey; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The growing childcare crisis in the United States leaves many families without access to quality, affordable care. This crisis is not just a matter of statistics but a deeply emotional experience for those who find themselves torn between professional responsibilities to sustain their households and proper care for their children. This thesis explores the design of physically and emotionally safe spaces for children and their caregivers that catalyze a positive transformation in the country’s childcare infrastructure. Focused on the relationship between architecture and childhood development, this work explores innovative design solutions that consider functionality, the scale of a child, and the well-being of both children and their caregivers. Through a synthesis of research, case studies, and innovative design solutions, this work aspires to create architectural spaces that consider the unique needs of children. In doing so, it promotes a new narrative where the American dream encompasses not just economic success but also the well-being of children, the most significant investment in the nation’s future.Item The Role of Effortful Control in Moderating the Relationship Between Temperamental Shyness, Fearfulness, and Internalizing Behaviors(2023) Zheng, Shanyun G; Teglasi, Hedwig; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Internalizing behaviors, such as anxiety and depression, have frequently been associated with temperament characteristics, specifically Behavioral Inhibition (BI) traits, such as Shyness and Fearfulness. While Effortful Control (EC) has been posited as a potential moderator in the relationship between heightened negative emotionality and Internalizing problems, empirical evidence precisely about BI remains inconclusive. This cross-sectional study investigated the role of Effortful Control and its sub-constructs (Attentional Focusing, Inhibitory Control, Low-intensity Pleasure, and Perceptual Sensitivity) in moderating the relation between Behavioral Inhibition (fear and shyness) and internalizing behaviors in a sample of 130 kindergarteners. The findings indicated that Behavioral Inhibition was significantly correlated with and predicted internalizing behaviors. However, no significant correlations were found between Effortful Control, its sub-constructs, and internalizing behaviors in this sample. Additionally, Effortful Control and its sub-constructs did not moderate the relationship between Behavioral Inhibition and internalizing behaviors.Item SYNTACTIC AND LEXICAL ALIGNMENT DURING NATURALISTIC CONVERSATIONS AMONGST AFRICAN AMERICAN PARENTS OF 4-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN FROM PROFESSIONAL- AND WORKING-CLASS FAMILIES(2023) Ogbonna, Chidinma; Bernstein Ratner, Nan; Hearing and Speech Sciences; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Parents play an important role when it comes to child language development. This study examines differences in lexical and syntactic alignment, in child-directed speech (CDS), between African American mothers and fathers from the professional- and working-class. The Hall (1984) corpus from the Child Language Data Exchange System (CHILDES; MacWhinney, 1991) was used to analyze syntactic and lexical alignment in African American professional- and working-class parent-child dyads (children aged 4;6). We investigated the proportion of overlapping nouns shared between mother-child and father-child dyads, as well as differences between parent-child syntactic complexity scores (i.e., Mean Length of Utterance-words (MLU-w), and Verbs per Utterance (Verbs/utt). Results revealed there to be no significant differences regarding lexical and syntactic alignment between the professional- and working-class families; however, fathers were found to produce a significantly higher average proportion of overlapping nouns compared to mothers.Item KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS’ VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICES, AND INFLUENTIAL FACTORS: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY(2023) Johnston, Tara Burke; Dreher, Mariam J; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Early and explicit vocabulary instruction is one important way teachers can support early readers for later reading comprehension success (Duncan et al., 2007; Marulis & Neuman, 2010; Neuman & Dwyer, 2011; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), 2000); however, some observations indicate that early childhood and early elementary teachers do not provide consistent and explicit vocabulary support (e.g., Dwyer & Harbaugh, 2020; Wright & Neuman, 2014; Donaldson, 2011) and that most teachers do not have much time to spend on vocabulary instruction generally (Baumann et al., 2003). To further explore why these phenomena may occur and to provide direction for future research and teacher education initiatives, this study examined the reported vocabulary knowledge, reported vocabulary practices, and reported influential factors on vocabulary instruction of seven kindergarten teachers in public school settings in the United States. Using a multiple case study design, I studied seven teachers to answer the following research questions: (1) What do kindergarten teachers report about their own knowledge related to vocabulary instruction? (2) What do kindergarten teachers report about how they implement and change their vocabulary instruction? (3) What factors do kindergarten teachers report as influencing their vocabulary instruction? Each case was bound as one teacher, and I framed my study using two main theories: Shavelson and Stern’s (1981) pedagogical decision making and Shulman’s (1986, 1987) pedagogical content knowledge as it relates to teacher professional knowledge. I collected data using a demographic survey, a knowledge screening survey, an initial interview about reported vocabulary practices, four pre- and post-vocabulary lesson interviews, and artifacts related to the vocabulary lessons. I used multiple rounds of coding for both individual case analysis and cross-case analysis. Individual case analysis yielded a profile for each teacher which describes in detail their reported vocabulary knowledge, practices, and influential factors. For example, one teacher’s profile (pseudonym Brenda) describes reported use of a consistent Tier 2 vocabulary routine for every lesson, whereas other teachers in the study did not report a consistent vocabulary instructional routine. Another teacher (pseudonym Joyce) frequently reported using hands on science lessons to teach vocabulary; she also frequently discussed how knowledge of her students’ needs impacted her vocabulary instruction. Cross-case analysis revealed that participants reported little knowledge of and wide variation in reported pedagogies to effectively support Multilingual Learners’ (MLLs) or students with reading difficulties’ oral vocabulary development. Participants frequently reported using explicit instruction to teach Tier 2 (Beck et al., 2002) vocabulary words before and during literacy read aloud lessons. However, participants did not often report teaching taxonomically or thematically connected words using informational texts; these pedagogies have proven to be particularly effective for increasing word knowledge and comprehension in young children (Neuman & Dwyer, 2011; Pinkham et al., 2014). Additionally, participants reported that they received very little professional development in how to effectively teach vocabulary, despite knowing that vocabulary instruction is important for young learners. Most of participants’ reported knowledge about vocabulary instruction was rooted in their knowledge of students’ perceived needs and knowledge they gained informally from other members of their teaching teams. These findings have implications for the professional development of both pre-service and in-service teachers, and for future research on early vocabulary practices in classroom contexts.Item Family Child Care: Characteristics, Relationships, and Parent Outcomes(2022) Jimenez Parra, Laura Fernanda; Jones Harden, Brenda; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Researchers employing qualitative methods consistently emphasize the close relationship between parents and providers as a unique feature of family child care (FCC) arrangements that is often missed in quality improvement initiatives (Ang et al., 2017; Hooper et al., 2019). Strong parent-provider relationships may be a critical conduit to support positive provider, parent, and child outcomes (Blasberg et al., 2019; Forry et al., 2012). However, little is known about how these constructs operate in FCC settings. I examined the association between FCC providers’ characteristics, the quality of the parent-provider relationship, and how these connections relate to parental involvement and well-being. My results revealed that FCC providers’ educational attainment and the pleasure they derived from their profession were positively associated with the quality of the relationship they formed with families in their programs. However, these relationships were not found to be related to FCC providers’ years of experience, feelings of burnout and stress, and professional development. Further, parents’ perceptions of this relationship were related to better parental mental health outcomes. Yet, there were mixed associations between parents’ perceptions of the parent-provider relationship and their engagement in their children’s education. Findings of this study highlight the need to understand the distinct aspects of quality in FCC settings. FCC offers unique features, such as closer parent-provider relationships, that need to be examined to successfully promote high-quality care in FCC homes and to inform the early childhood field about mechanisms that support positive outcomes in FCC providers and the families they serve.Item STEM TEACHERS AS INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC LEADERS: CHANGE AGENTS AT THE SYSTEMS SCALE(2022) Vieyra, Rebecca Elizabeth; Elby, Andrew; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation research attempts to answer the questions “What do early childhood teachers perceive as their original sources of self-efficacy for strategic leadership in STEM education?” and “How does their initial self-efficacy for strategic leadership mediate their eventual engagement as international leaders in STEM education?” This study aims to move beyond the mostly descriptive studies of teacher leadership, to understand why a particular group of teachers chose to lead. It attends to visionary leadership outside the school building or district that contributes beyond administrative or political boundaries, at the wider level of the STEM teaching profession. It explores literature across multiple disciplines to aid the adoption and contextualization of a theoretical framework for data collection and analysis of seven case studies of teacher leaders. The resulting theoretical framework is anchored in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory for its emphasis on self-efficacy and is informed by prior work in leadership and STEM teacher leader development. This theoretical lens is aligned with themes that previously emerged from the results of preliminary interviews with teachers who attributed their leadership to significant increases in leadership self-efficacy. Findings from this study suggest that the teachers acted upon their tendency toward impulsivity to accept new opportunities for strategic leadership in STEM education even when self-efficacy for STEM and teacher leadership was reported to be low, or non-existent due to the lack of familiarity with leadership or STEM (Finding #1). After accepting leadership opportunities, growing self-efficacy for leadership activities primarily derived from improvements in their STEM identity (Finding #2). Among Bandura’s sources of self-efficacy, these teachers frequently reported the importance of emotional and physiological states to engage opportunistically in strategic teacher leadership in STEM education, as well as the role of persuasion from friends and colleagues (Finding #3). Implications from this research include recognizing the importance of supporting early childhood teachers’ STEM identity through the recognition of work they already do that falls within the domain of STEM content and processes. It also suggests the need for educational leaders to help early childhood teachers move toward and overcome a commonly expressed fear of STEM. Further, it calls for those who support teachers to identify and foster risk-taking mentalities concerning leadership, offering opportunities and support even (or perhaps especially) to those teachers who do not yet feel ready to lead others. This work aims to increase the awareness of early childhood teachers’ potential as reform agents in STEM education, as well as bring attention to more human, individualized elements of teacher personal wellness and professional growth that can be realized through leadership.Item Exploring Instructional and Institutional Opportunities and Challenges in a Newly-Formed Translanguaging Dual- Language School(2021) Shi, Lijuan; Rolstad, Kellie; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Translanguaging pedagogy disrupts linguistic inequalities and creates transformative spaces for emergent bilingual students in dual language education (DLE) programs to leverage and expand students’ full linguistic repertoires. Guided by translanguaging theory and positioning theory, this case study presents an analysis of the opportunities and the challenges of implementing translanguaging pedagogy in a co-teaching Chinese-English dual language Pre-K school in China. Using the entire school as a case, this investigation is based on data from videos and field notes of class observations, interviews of teachers, school leaders and parents, audio recording of school meetings, and school documents. The study focuses on two main factors: First, how translanguaging pedagogy was implemented in the school including the individual or coordinated translanguaging practices of 34 Chinese and English teachers and the challenges they encountered; second, the institutional factors including teachers’ institutional positionality and the understanding of translanguaging among stakeholders (teachers, administrative leaders, and parents), which all influence the implementation of translanguaging pedagogy. The findings provide a rounded view of how the school’s translanguaging policy provided opportunities for teachers to legitimately navigate between two languages in teacher-student interactions and teachers’ co-teaching practices. Teachers employed various translanguaging strategies to construct three translanguaging components (translanguaging bridges, translanguaging assessments, and translanguaging showcases) through which emergent bilingual students’ full linguistic repertoire were validated and developed. The school’s child-initiated play pedagogy and stakeholders’ strong translanguaging stance supported the implementation of translanguaging pedagogy. The findings also reveal that the legitimizing position of translanguaging pedagogy did not eliminate all the challenges teachers encountered. These challenges stemmed from teachers’ insufficient experience of practicing translanguaging and their limited skills in translanguaging co-teaching design. Discrepancies between the institutional positions and co-teaching assignments, between language equivalency inside and outside the classroom, and between different stakeholders’ expectations created hindrances for the implementation of translanguaging pedagogy. This study adds to the growing research on translanguaging in early childhood education, as well as offering useful translanguaging strategies and examples for language teachers at Pre-K schools. This study explores the ideological boundary between two languages and reflects the core of translanguaging theory, which resonates with anti-bias education and conceptualizes the sociolinguistic reality and symbolic competence of emergent bilingual students. This study also provides insights about what kind of administrative and peripheral support is needed for translanguaging to occur and what obstacles may hinder teachers’ translanguaging practices in this specific DLE program. The findings can inform other schools to overcome challenges and enact an anti-bias and dynamic bilingual education based on the acknowledgment of the full linguistic capital students bring to the classroom.Item Promoting Children's Early Mathematical and Statistical Understanding Through Parent-Child Math Games(2022) DePascale, Mary; Ramani, Geetha; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Basic statistical literacy is essential for understanding and making inferences from information received from external sources and for developing critical thinking skills necessary for engagement in real-world contexts. However, many children and adults struggle with understanding and interpreting data and graphs. Therefore, it is critical to develop engaging, effective methods for teaching early graphing and data analysis, as they have the potential to enhance children’s development of statistical understanding, math, and higher-order thinking skills that remain essential throughout their lifespan. Math games are a common method for teaching math in a way that is engaging and effective for young children. However, few studies have examined games for math content beyond numerical skills. The current study examined the effectiveness of a home-based, experimental graphing game intervention for children’s statistical understanding and math skills. One-hundred-forty-eight 5- to 6-year-old children and their parent were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: graphing board game, graphing card game, or literacy board game, and completed a pretest, 4-week intervention, and posttest. At each test session, children completed statistical understanding and math ability measures. During the intervention, parents and children played games together in their home. Game materials were mailed to families, and families video recorded a session of gameplay at the midpoint of the intervention. Parent and child use of numerical, mathematical, and statistical talk during play were examined. Children in the graphing game conditions improved more than children in the literacy game condition on measures of statistical understanding and arithmetic. Families who played graphing games used more number and math talk during play than families who played literacy games. Talk during play did not relate to gains in statistical understanding or math abilities. These findings provide initial evidence on the effectiveness of games for promoting children’s early statistical understanding, as well as descriptive information about children’s early graphing skills and parent and child engagement in graphing games at home. Results also support the development of play-based interventions and materials to promote children’s early mathematical and statistical skills, with implications for children’s later development and achievement.Item The Association Between Parental Executive Function and Children’s Language Skills at 18 Months(2021) McKee, Kelsey; Cabrera, Natasha; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Executive function (EF) is thought to be particularly important for parenting (Crandall et al., 2015). Studies have shown that maternal EF is related to parenting quality and children’s social and cognitive outcomes (Bridgett et al., 2015). These studies are few and are mostly conducted with mothers raising the question of whether paternal EF also affects children in the same way as maternal EF. In an effort to address these gaps I examined whether maternal and paternal EF influenced child language at 18-months, in part through parental engagement in home learning activities, in a sample of low-income, first time parents and their infants. My results did not show a significant, direct influence of maternal or paternal EF when children were 9 months old on children language skills at 18 months. Similarly, neither of the overall indirect effects of parental EF to child language through home parental learning activities were significant. However, paternal EF did positively predict paternal home learning activities, though this was not the case for mothers. Results of this study highlight the unique influences on maternal and paternal parenting and suggest further study is needed to fully elucidate the relation between parental EF and child language skills.