University of North Carolina at Greensboro

About: University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a education organization based out in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 5481 authors who have published 13715 publications receiving 456239 citations. The organization is also known as: UNCG & UNC Greensboro.

Mothers' Implicit Theories of Early Literacy Instruction: Implications for Children's Reading and Writing.

Abstract: Subjects in this exploratory study were 19 five‐ to six‐year‐old children and their mothers. Mothers completed surveys of family literacy practices and beliefs about early reading Instruction and children's emergent literacy skills were assessed. Results showed that one group of mothers held implicit theories that resembled whole language models of literacy Instruction. A second group of mothers held views that resembled a phonics orientation, while a smaller group of mothers had more varied and idiosyncratic beliefs. Mothers’ implicit theories were associated with their modeling of literacy behaviors, helping their children write, and with their children's independent exploration of writing and current levels of literacy skill. Results point to the importance of parents’ implicit developmental theories and the heed to understand how parental belief systems affect the roles that families play in literacy acquisition.

Intratester and Intertester Reliability of Clinical Measures of Lower Extremity Anatomic Characteristics: Implications for Multicenter Studies

Abstract: Objective: To determine whether multiple examiners could be trained to measure lower extremity anatomic characteristics with acceptable reliability and precision, both within (intratester) and between (intertester) testers. We also determined whether testers trained 18 months apart could perform these measurements with good agreement.Setting: University's Applied Neuromechanics Research Laboratory.Participants: Sixteen, healthy participants (7 men, 9 women).Assessment of Risk Factors: Six investigators measured 12 anatomic characteristics on the right lower extremity in the Fall of 2004. Four testers underwent training immediately preceding the study, and measured subjects on 2 separate days to examine intratester reliability. Two testers trained 18 months before the study (Spring 2002) measured each subject on day 1 to examine the consistency of intertester reliability when testers are trained at different times.Main Outcome Measurements: Knee laxity, genu recurvatum, quadriceps angle, tibial torsion, tibiofemoral angle, hamstring extensibility, pelvic angle, navicular drop, femur length, tibial length, and hip anteversion.Results: With few exceptions, all testers consistently measured each variable between test days (intraclass correlation coefficient>=0.80). Intraclass correlation coefficient values were lower for intertester reliability (0.48 to 0.97), and improved from day 1 to day 2. Intertester reliability was similar when comparing testers trained 18 months before those trained immediately before the study. Absolute measurement error varied considerably across individual testers.Conclusions: Multiple investigators can be trained at different times to measure anatomic characteristics with good to excellent intratester reliability. Intratester reliability did not always ensure acceptable intertester reliability or measurement precision, suggesting more training (or more experience) may be required to achieve acceptable measurement reliability and precision between multiple testers.

Anxious solitude and peer exclusion predict social helplessness, upset affect, and vagal regulation in response to behavioral rejection by a friend.

Abstract: It was hypothesized that combined individual child vulnerability (anxious solitude) and interpersonal stress (peer exclusion) would predict the strongest responses to experimentally manipulated behavioral peer rejection. Results indicated that in a sample of 3rd graders (N = 160, 59% girls), anxious solitary excluded children displayed more behavioral manifestations of social helplessness before and after behavioral rejection, reported more feelings of rejection in anticipation of and reaction to behavioral rejection, and were observably more upset during behavioral rejection than were normative children. Moreover, affective responses to behavioral rejection mediated the relation between anxious solitary excluded status and behavioral manifestations of social helplessness. Furthermore, anxious solitary excluded children versus anxious solitary children demonstrated excessive suppression of vagal tone and more sustained acceleration in heart rate during the experiment. Results also indicated that affective, social-cognitive, and regulatory processes directly contributed to children's responses to behavioral rejection.

Parent-child aggression: association with child abuse potential and parenting styles

Abstract: The present investigation predicted that greater use of corporal punishment as well as physical maltreatment would be associated with child abuse potential and selected parenting styles. Three independent studies were examined, two with community samples and a third with a clinical at-risk sample of parents. Parents across all studies anonymously completed the Child Abuse Potential Inventory, the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale to assess physical discipline and maltreatment, as well as the Parenting Scale to measure dysfunctional parenting styles. Findings support that overall parent-child aggression, as well as physical maltreatment behaviors specifically, were associated with child abuse potential. Parent-child aggression was also related to dysfunctional parenting styles, particularly an overreactive, authoritarian parenting style. Permissive parenting was also identified as potentially associated with physical maltreatment, although the findings regarding such lax parenting styles are less clear. Intriguing findings emerged regarding the connection of psychological aggression to both child abuse potential and dysfunctional parenting style. Child abuse potential was also associated with dysfunctional parenting style, particularly harsh, overreactive approaches. Recommendations for future study with at-risk samples and additional research on permissive parenting and psychological aggression are discussed.

Cooperating teachers' perspectives on the student teaching triad

Abstract: Student teaching has been the capstone experience in teacher preparation for more than 75 years. Welborn (1920) noted that by 1920, one third of the normal schools placed student teachers in public schools. With few exceptions, the situation today is similar. Griffin (1989) concluded that student teaching was business as usual and that the triad of university-based supervisor, school-based cooperating teacher, and student teacher has remained stable over many years. Hierarchical decision making in student teaching is a particularly constant characteristic. Cooperating teachers are excluded from many decisions; university personnel typically influence decisions about the choice of cooperating teacher, the duration of student teaching, the requirements of planning and written work, and the final grading (Glickman & Bey, 1990). Smyth (1986) viewed hierarchical relationships in many aspects of public education as problematic Arguably the most serious issues confronting teachers are not matters of teaching technique, but impediments that exist because of power relationships (p. 146). In this article, we explore the student teaching triad from the cooperating teacher's perspective. In our study, the cooperating teachers have views similar to those of the four male cooperating teachers in Barrows's (1979) study. She identified a hierarchical relationship among members of the triad, with the cooperating teacher in the position of most power and influence over the student teacher. The Student Teaching Triad Researchers have studied relationships within the three-person triad (Karmos & Jacko, 1977; Yee, 1968) and focused on the interpersonal dimension within the triad (Bain, 1991; Barrows, 1979; McIntyre & Morris, 1980) primarily from the perspectives of university supervisors and student teachers. Researchers have recently examined the student teaching experience from cooperating teachers' perspective (Koerner, 1992; Rothman, 1981; Tannehill, 1989). Numerous studies of the relationship between student teachers and cooperating teachers (Kremer-Hayon & Wubbels, 1992; Lemma, 1993) exist. Researchers have focused on student teachers' perceptions of cooperating teachers (Kagan, 1987; Karmos & Jacko, 1977; Rikard & Knight, 1997), the influence of cooperating teachers on student teachers (Bunting, 1988; Yee, 1969), and changes in student teachers' perspectives, skills, or attitudes (Ellwein, Graue, & Comfort, 1990; Griffin, 1989). Studies focusing on the relationship between university supervisors and cooperating teachers (Horton & Harvey, 1979; Tannehill & Zakrajsek, 1988) provide examples of how the former can train the latter. Hoy and Woolfolk (1989) concluded from their literature review that little evidence exists of cooperating teachers and university supervisors working together to provide a quality student teaching experience. On the contrary, Glickman and Bey (1990) and McIntyre (1984) substantiated conflict between cooperating teachers and university supervisors in their literature reviews. Koehler (1988) decried the lack of reciprocity in her relationship as university supervisor with cooperating teachers due to her inability to spend the time needed to build trust. Tensions have often existed between university supervisors and cooperating teachers for a number of well documented reasons. Researchers have written little about successful triads. Lack of agreement about the roles triad members should play (Bain, 1991; Grimmit & Ratzlaff, 1986; Kauffman, 1992; Rothman, 1981) and lack of clarity about the goals of student teaching (Gallemore, 1981; Griffin, 1989; Marrou, 1989; McIntyre, 1984) may be reasons for the tensions researchers cite. Communication problems among all three members are also cited as a major source of tension (Bain, 1991; Kauffman, 1992; Koehler, 1988; Ryan, 1982). In one survey of cooperating teachers, the most common problems between cooperating teachers and student teachers were personal and related to communication (Sonthall & King, 1979). …