The Effects Of Gender In Elementary Science Groups

This action research study investigated the effects of gender on same and mixed gender elementary school science groups. Qualitative data for this study was collected using surveys, student focus groups, student journals, and teacher-researcher field notes and observations. Students in this study were eager to participate in science groups and demonstrated a positive attitude toward the study of science. Results also showed the types of interactions between boys and girls varied and those interactions affected their science attitude and participation. Recommendations were made for continued research to examine the long-term effects of gender groupings in the elementary science classroom

Coping, family functioning and the experience of caring for an adolescent with an eating disorder, a comparative study

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud. Fecha de lectura: 05-05-2017Esta tesis tiene embargado el acceso al texto completo hasta el 05-11-201

Spelling, Handwriting, and Process: Writing Instruction Strategies for Students with Intellectual and Learning Disabilities

This manuscript examines how educators can improve their writing instruction for students with intellectual and learning disabilities. It outlines the challenges that these students face in writing and describes research conducted in these areas of need. The goal was to examine many studies and compare the methods used in them, with the objective of finding the most effective research-based practices to use in intermediate elementary classrooms. Specifically, this work analyzes writing in three different components: spelling, handwriting, and the writing process. Additionally, suggestions are included for pre-service teachers and early career in-service teachers.Faculty Sponsor: Melissa Park

Assemblages and Adaptation: The Influence of Multispecies Social Networks on Small Farmers’ Perceptions of and Responses to Climate Change in Oregon

This study explores how multispecies social networks influence small farmers' perceptions of and responses to climate change across Oregon. Local food sovereignty and food system resilience depend on a robust local food system in which small farms play a critical role. To maintain their viability, small farmers must adapt to the increasingly volatile climate to ensure such a system. This study uniquely combines assemblage thinking, a paradigm which focuses on relations between human and nonhuman entities as they co-function in a space, and social network analysis (SNA) to examine the complex social networks small farmers rely on for information about the weather, climate, and farming strategies, as well as the ways those networks influence their perceptions of and responses to weather-related challenges. To address this topic, it draws on 22 in-depth interviews, 16 on-farm participant observations, personal photographs collected from participants, and a network survey of 48 small farmers across five different ecoregions of Oregon. The findings illustrate that while farmers across Oregon perceived many of the same weather-related challenges, their beliefs about climate change and its causes varied. Interactions with nonhumans, such as domesticated crops and animals, wild plants and animals, and geographic features like rivers and soils, were critical for shaping farmers’ perceptions of the weather and climate. Overall, more diverse nonhuman interactions led to more diverse perceptions of weather challenges. Tight-knit groups of nearby farmers, key governmental entities, and various forms of media largely influenced farmers’ responses, which tended to be reactive rather than proactive and focused on the use of organic and sustainable methods. Their interactions with other farmers as well as the media also influenced their beliefs about climate change. Overall, while most farmers were concerned about climate change’s impacts, confusion remained around its causes. Conclusions support the need for outreach about climate adaptation to focus on farmers’ lived experiences with weather and the nonhumans in their networks, which even those farmers with differing beliefs about climate change held in common. Key actors in their social and informational networks, particularly beginning farmers, governmental entities such as Oregon State University Extension, and weather forecasting websites, also can spread much-needed information about climate predictions and appropriate ways to adapt. Finally, the unique methodology of this study makes novel contributions to both anthropological theory and methodology by expanding the scope of SNA scholarship to include nonhuman entities in analysis and establishing a new method for assemblage theorists to draw on

Spelling, Handwriting, and Process: Writing Instruction Strategies for Students with Intellectual and Learning Disabilities

This manuscript examines how educators can improve their writing instruction for students with intellectual and learning disabilities. It outlines the challenges that these students face in writing and describes research conducted in these areas of need. The goal was to examine many studies and compare the methods used in them, with the objective of finding the most effective research-based practices to use in intermediate elementary classrooms. Specifically, this work analyzes writing in three different components: spelling, handwriting, and the writing process. Additionally, suggestions are included for pre-service teachers and early career in-service teachers

Arctic Standards: Recommendations on Oil Spill Prevention, Response, and Safety in the U.S. Arctic Ocean

Oil spilled in Arctic waters would be particularly difficult to remove. Current technology has not been proved to effectively clean up oil when mixed with ice or when trapped under ice. An oil spill would have a profoundly adverse impact on the rich and complex ecosystem found nowhere else in the United States. The Arctic Ocean is home to bowhead, beluga, and gray whales; walruses; polar bears; and other magnificent marine mammals, as well as millions of migratory birds. A healthy ocean is important for these species and integral to the continuation of hunting and fishing traditions practiced by Alaska Native communities for thousands of years.To aid the United States in its efforts to modernize Arctic technology and equipment standards, this report examines the fierce Arctic conditions in which offshore oil and gas operations could take place and then offers a summary of key recommendations for the Interior Department to consider as it develops world-class, Arctic-specific regulatory standards for these activities. Pew's recommendations call for improved technology,equipment, and procedural requirements that match the challenging conditions in the Arctic and for full public participation and transparency throughout the decision-making process. Pew is not opposed to offshore drilling, but a balance must be achieved between responsible energy development and protection of the environment.It is essential that appropriate standards be in place for safety and for oil spill prevention and response in this extreme, remote, and vulnerable ecosystem. This report recommends updating regulations to include Arctic specific requirements and codifying temporary guidance into regulation. The appendixes to this report provide substantially more detail on the report's recommendations, including technical background documentation and additional referenced materials. Please refer to the full set of appendixes for a complete set of recommendations. This report and its appendixes offer guidelines for responsible hydrocarbon development in the U.S. Arctic Ocean

The relationship between dysfunctional family patterns and symptom severity among adolescent patients with eating disorders: a gender-specific approach

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Women & Health on 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03630242.2015.1118728The objective of the authors in this study was to identify factors related to dysfunctional family functioning that may be associated with the severity of symptoms among adolescent patients with an eating disorder (ED) at first-contact care. A total of forty-eight mothers and forty-five fathers of fifty patients with EDs were recruited from an ED unit in Madrid, Spain, between October 2011 and July 2012. Parents completed self-report assessments related to family functioning and psychological wellbeing. Patients went through clinical interviews and completed a self-report questionnaire assessing symptom severity. Compared to fathers, mothers showed higher levels of anxiety and emotional over-involvement and perceived to a greater degree the positive and negative aspects of their experience as caregivers. Regarding the relationship between family functioning and symptom severity, mothers’ perceptions of their family relationships as enmeshed and less adaptive, along with anxiety, accounted for 39% of variance in the severity of ED symptoms. Anxiety and symptom accommodation by the fathers accounted for 27% of variance in the symptom severity. Interventions that help parents to cope with their caregiving role should target behavioral, cognitive, and emotional aspects of their functioning and be gender-specific, to improve the outcome of ED in patient

Psychiatric comorbidity and maternal distress among adolescent eating disorder patients: a comparison with substance use disorder patients

High rates of comorbidity are found among eating disorder (ED) patients, which may negatively affect treatment outcome and prognosis. However, there is a shortage of studies in Spain using clinician administered interviews to assess rates of comorbidity among these patients, particularly in adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate Axis I psychiatric diagnoses in adolescent patients with an ED and to compare them with patients with a distinct disorder with adolescent onset, substance use disorder (SUD) patients. Considering that maternal psychological distress is another factor involved in ED prognosis, a secondary aim was to examine the relationship between patient's psychological variables and maternal distress (depression and anxiety). The cross-sectional study included 50 ED patients, 48 SUD patients, and their mothers. More than half of the patients received a diagnosis for a comorbid disorder. Internalizing problems were more common among EDs and externalizing disorders were the most common comorbidities among SUDs, similar to findings from other countries. Maternal distress was associated with higher levels of depression and symptom severity in patients. No differences in distress were found between mothers of patients with a comorbid diagnosis and those without. Elevated anxiety or depression in mothers did not increase the likelihood of patients having a particular primary diagnosis. In short, while both ED and SUD patients presented high rates of comorbidity, the types of comorbid diagnoses were specific to each group. Assessing for the presence of comorbid disorders and targeting maternal psychological distress may guide treatment interventions and improve patient prognosisDr. Sepulveda has a postdoctoral Ramon and Cajal scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC-2009-05092) as well as a project funded from the same Ministry (PSI2011-23127). Dr. Anastasiadou was awarded with a Research Fellowship for students of PhD Programmes distinguished with Mention of Excellence. Dr. Graell is a member of the Spanish Psychiatric Research Network (CIBERSAM