Effects of a Tier 2 Supplemental Reading Intervention for At-Risk Fourth Grade Students

This study investigated a Tier 2 intervention in the context of a Response to Intervention (RTI) model for 123 fourth grade students who were identified as having a high probability of reading failure. A randomized control trial was used to evaluate the effects of a 24 session multi-component supplemental intervention targeting fluency and expository comprehension of science texts. Intervention students performed significantly higher on comprehension strategy knowledge and use and science knowledge, but not on word reading, fluency, or other measures of reading comprehension. Moderators of intervention effects were also examined; children at higher risk in the intervention condition appeared to benefit more in comparison to lower probability children in intervention and compared to higher probability children in the control condition.     

An Examination of College Students' Problem‐Solving Self‐Efficacy,Academic Self‐Efficacy,Motivation, Test Performance,and Expected Grade in Introductory‐Level Economics Courses

This study investigated whether self‐efficacy influenced students’ educational outcomes in introductory‐level economics courses. First, this study investigated the correlations between problem‐solving self‐efficacy, academic self‐efficacy, and motivation. Second, this study investigated whether problem‐solving and academic self‐efficacy served as predictors of students’ motivation, test performance, and expected grade. Correlational analyses suggest that problem‐solving and academic self‐efficacy are correlated with student motivation. Results show that problem‐solving self‐efficacy was a predictor of student motivation and test performance. Academic self‐efficacy and problem‐solving self‐efficacy were also predictors of their expected grade. Implications and future directions for economics education are also discussed.     

Kindergarten Self‐Regulation As a Predictor of Body Mass Index and Sports Participation in Fourth Grade Students

Identifying early precursors of body mass index (BMI) and sports participation represents an important concern from a public health perspective and can inform the development of preventive interventions. This article examines whether kindergarten child self‐regulation, as measured by classroom engagement and behavioral regulation, predicts healthy dispositions in fourth grade. To address this objective, secondary analyses were conducted using prospective‐longitudinal data from 966 children followed by the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Self‐regulatory skills, including classroom engagement and behavioral regulation, were measured by kindergarten teachers. Greater self‐regulatory skills predicted lower BMI and greater parent‐reported child sports participation, after controlling for a number of potentially confounding child and family characteristics. This article suggests that assessing kindergarten self‐regulatory capacities may help identify children at risk of developing unhealthy dispositions and behaviors in middle childhood.     

Mindfulness and Counseling Self‐Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Attention and Empathy

This study examined the predictive relationship between mindfulness and counseling self‐efficacy and the potential mediating effects of attention and empathy. Master's‐level counseling interns and doctoral counseling students (N = 179) were surveyed to determine levels of mindfulness, attention, empathy, and counseling self‐efficacy. Pearson product‐moment correlation coefficients revealed significant pairwise relationships between the 4 variables of interest. A multiple‐mediator path analysis supported the hypotheses that mindfulness is a significant predictor of counseling self‐efficacy and that attention is a mediator of that relationship. Results suggest that mindfulness may be an important variable in the development of key counselor preparation outcomes.     

Assessing General Education and Special Education Majors’ Self‐Efficacy for Teaching Reading

In an era of teacher quality reforms, one overlooked area for assessing readiness for teaching is education majors’ self‐efficacy for teaching reading. This gap is unfortunate, as teaching reading is a common responsibility among general and special education teachers. In the current push for RTI—one in which more general education teachers are increasingly called upon to provide reading support to students with learning disabilities, in addition to the support received from special educators—it is important to determine preservice teachers’ self‐efficacy for teaching reading. Self‐efficacy is an important construct to consider as it is related to eventual teacher attrition. The purpose of the current study was to develop a scale to measure elementary and special education majors’ self‐efficacy for teaching reading. With a sample of 110 education majors, a three‐factor scale was developed and demonstrated strong psychometric properties. Implications for the future of teacher education programs are discussed.     

The Effectiveness of a Color‐Coded,Onset‐Rime Decoding Intervention with First‐Grade Students at Serious Risk for Reading Disabilities

This study was an investigation into the effectiveness of a color‐coded, onset‐rime–based decoding intervention with first‐graders at serious risk for reading disabilities using a single‐subject multiple probe design. Students increased their ability to decode instructional words on average 73% over baseline. For novel words from instructed rime patterns, scores increased by an average of 56%. Transfer at the vowel level to uninstructed rime patterns was limited, with scores improving by an average of 29%. Students maintained decoding gains at 1‐week and 1‐month maintenance. While acknowledging the difficulty in predicting reading disabilities based on first‐grade performance, the effectiveness of the early intervention is a promising step in finding an instructional approach that is successful with the most at risk or disabled students who often do not respond to effective remedial programs.     

Skills‐Based Training and Counseling Self‐Efficacy

The authors studied the effectiveness of the skilled counselor training model (SCTM). Counseling students who completed the SCTM demonstrated greater gains in skills acquisition and counseling self‐efficacy than counseling students who did not receive the training. At pretest, the counseling students in both groups, doing self‐appraisals, rated their performance of counseling skills significantly higher than trained raters assessed the students' performance of counseling skills. At posttest, members of the control group continued to overestimate their skills levels when compared with the ratings given by the trained raters, whereas, in comparison, students who received SCTM training underestimated their performance.     

Examining the Impact and School‐Level Predictors of Impact Variability of an 8th Grade Reading Intervention on At‐Risk Students’ Reading Achievement

The purpose of the present article is to report on a large‐scale investigation of six school districts’ implementation of an initiative aimed at reducing dropout rates by improving reading achievement in the middle grades. Data for the Middle School Intervention Project (MSIP) were collected in 25 middle schools across the state of Oregon. We examined (a) the degree to which the schools improved reading achievement for struggling readers in 8th grade, and (b) whether we could account for school differences in the treatment effect through measured explicit and intensive intervention factors. At the end of 8th grade there was no evidence of significant or positive effects on the two primary reading outcome measures.     

The Role of Generational Status,Self‐Esteem,Academic Self‐Efficacy,and Perceived Social Support in College Students' Psychological Well‐Being

This study examined the influences of generational status, self‐esteem, academic self‐efficacy, and perceived social support on 367 undergraduate college students' well‐being. Findings showed that 1st‐generation students reported significantly more somatic symptoms and lower levels of academic self‐efficacy than did non‐1st‐generation students. In addition, students' generational status was found to moderate predictive effects of perceived family support on stress. Implications for professional practices, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.     

Academic and Cognitive Characteristics of Persistent Mathematics Difficulty from First Through Fourth Grade

This longitudinal study investigated the academic and cognitive characteristics of persistent mathematics difficulty (MD-p) from first to fourth grade. Ninety-nine children were retrospectively categorized into one of three groups: MD-p, transient mathematics difficulty (MD-t), or typically developing. MD-p was defined as persistently low mathematics achievement (≤25th percentile) in at least 2 years from first to fourth grade. The results indicated that the MD-p group was more likely than other groups to have deficits in calculation, practical problem solving, number facts, and reading. In terms of cognitive characteristics, MD-p was specifically characterized by deficits in math concepts and phonological decoding, though there was some evidence for the involvement of working memory, processing speed, and numerical reasoning.     

Fostering Self‐Regulation of Students with Learning Disabilities: Insights from 30 Years of Reading Comprehension Intervention Research

Thirty years of intervention research on the effects of reading comprehension strategies for students with learning disabilities was reviewed in this quantitative synthesis. Specifically, researchers targeted studies that contained self‐regulated learning components. A systematic search yielded 18 studies from nine research journals that met specified inclusion criteria. Studies were evaluated for methodological quality and to identify types of instructional and self‐regulation components within interventions. Large effect sizes were found immediately after instruction and after a time delay, suggesting that instruction in reading comprehension strategies that contain self‐regulation components may have a long lasting impact on student performance. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Efficacy of an Intervention Program for Attention and Reflexivity in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

There has been increasing evidence in recent years of the need to adapt intervention programs to the specific needs of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The main goal of this research work was to study the efficacy of an educational intervention program to improve attention and reflexivity in school children with ADHD in order to verify the improvements in symptoms associated with ADHD such as aggressivity, social isolation, anxiety, and attention deficit. The sample was comprised of 26 primary school children ranging from 7 to 10 years of age with ADHD. Symptoms of children with ADHD were evaluated by applying the Escalas Magallanes Screening Scale for Attention Deficits and Other Developmental Problems in Children (EMA‐DDA) at two time points (pre and post). The results show a statistically significant reduction in symptoms on the aggressivity and social isolation scales measured with the EMA‐DDA after applying the intervention program. These data supports the potential value of an intervention program for working with ADHD children.     

College Students and Self‐Injury: Intervention Strategies for Counselors

This article provides an overview of self‐injurious behaviors and provides intervention strategies for college counselors to use when working with students who self‐injure. College counselors' roles in managing self‐injurious behaviors are explored in relation to individualized treatment issues, outreach, education, advocacy, and prevention. Implications and recommendations for college counselors are provided.     

Initial Efficacy of a Fraction-Vocabulary Intervention for Students Experiencing Mathematics Difficulty in Grade 4

This quasi-experimental study was designed to investigate the initial efficacy of a fraction-vocabulary intervention for Grade 4 students with mathematics difficulty (MD) and to explore its impact on relevant fraction competencies. Thirty-three students were assigned to either the intervention condition (n = 16) or a business-as-usual comparison condition (n = 17). The intervention occurred 3 sessions per week for 4 weeks, for a total of 11 sessions. Results indicated the main effect of the fraction-vocabulary intervention was significant for fraction-vocabulary posttest and one fraction competency—fraction arithmetic. That is, students with MD can successfully learn fraction vocabulary via a brief intervention, and improved fraction-vocabulary knowledge may positively affect their fraction competencies.     

Examining the Relationship between Math Self‐Efficacy and Statistics Motivation in the Introductory Business Statistics Course: Self‐Compassion as a Mediator

Because business statistics students often experience a lack of statistical motivation, business educators need to understand the factors that influence students’ motivation levels in undergraduate‐level business statistics courses. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of math self‐efficacy and self‐compassion on students’ motivation levels and the gender differences among the main variables. The regression results showed that math self‐efficacy was a positive predictor of statistics motivation. Self‐compassion was also found to be a partial mediator of the relationship between math self‐efficacy and statistics motivation. Gender differences were also found in business students’ math self‐efficacy, self‐compassion, and statistics motivation.     

Gender‐Based Relationship Efficacy: Children's Self‐Perceptions in Intergroup Contexts

This research introduces a new construct, gender‐based relationship efficacy, which refers to beliefs about one's ability to relate to own‐ and other‐gender peers. Study 1 investigated 204 fourth graders (M age = 9.56) and confirmed that own‐gender and other‐gender relationship efficacy represent distinguishable aspects of preadolescents' social competency beliefs that are differentially related to outcomes with own‐ and other‐gender peers, including outcome expectancies and friendships with own‐ and other‐gender peers. Study 2 provided further evidence of the distinctiveness of relationship efficacy for own‐ and other‐gender peers among 403 seventh (M age = 12.48) and 453 eighth (M age = 13.50) graders and found gender and age differences. Developmental changes and implications for research on intergroup relationships are discussed.     

Bringing Research‐Based Practice in Reading Intervention to Scale

Multiple consensus reports have provided converging evidence regarding effective instruction for students who have difficulty learning to read. Evidence‐based instruction in general education classrooms must be in place in order to implement response‐to‐intervention models. Despite the well‐developed knowledge base supporting the value of interventions that have been demonstrated to have positive outcomes, these interventions are not widely employed in typical classroom instruction, and models of service delivery for students with reading and learning disabilities implemented in schools are often ineffective. Recent research has demonstrated that this need not be the case, but there are many obstacles to change. Large‐scale implementation of effective educational practices for struggling readers depends on a research agenda that directly addresses questions related to scaling and sustaining educational innovations. We suggest that reform depends on collaboration among researchers, educational practitioners, teacher educators, and policymakers, with the common goal of improving outcomes for students who might otherwise experience reading failure.     

四年级学生语文阅读能力影响因素研究——基于阅读投入与阅读教学行为视角

为探索四年级学生语文阅读能力的影响因素,本研究对某地区283所小学的语文教师与56796名四年级学生进行了大规模调查。采用量化研究方法,客观呈现了我国四年级学生的阅读情况,并通过双层线性模型从学校层面的阅读教学行为与学生层面的阅读投入讨论了其对阅读能力的具体影响。研究表明:首先,我国四年级学生阅读投入及各要素水平表现较好,但男生、单亲家庭学生表现较弱,农村留守学生表现最差。其次,阅读投入与阅读教学行为对阅读能力有显著的正向预测作用,且情感投入与阅读教学行为存在跨层交互效应:对于那些阅读情感投入较低的学生,教师的阅读教学行为与阅读能力的关系呈现出积极的趋势。     

Sources of Social Support and Self‐Efficacy for Adult Students

This study explored the sources of social support and self‐efficacy for college students 25 years and older (adult students), using a cross‐sectional mixed method approach. Differences in academic self‐efficacy were found between adult students nearing graduation and those at the beginning of their educational pursuits. Graduating adult students received less family support than did entry‐level adult students. Results suggested the need for counselors to bolster adult students' abilities to seek support.