Effects of direct instruction on the acquisition of prepositions by students with intellectual disabilities

Some students with intellectual disabilities require explicit instruction of language skills, including preposition use; however, little is known about effective ways to teach preposition use to this population. This study examined direct instruction (DI) to teach students to use and respond to prepositions. Results indicated that DI was an effective way to teach prepositions. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.     

Mathematics self-efficacy: stereotype threat versus resilience

Children’s academic self-efficacy is one of the strongest predictors of achievement (Wigfield and Eccles, Contemporary Educational Psychology 25(1): 68–81, 2000). The present research examined mathematics self-efficacy and the relationship of racial context from the perspective of two competing bodies of research. Stereotype threat theory would predict that, under conditions where negative stereotypes are salient, self-efficacy would decrease. So, Black/African American students in primarily White classrooms would be predicted to report lower self-efficacy. However, other research suggests that Black/African American students demonstrate fortitude even under disadvantage (e.g., Graham, Review of Educational Research, 64(1): 55–117, 1994). We examined the mathematics self-efficacy of 170 fifth-grade students. In contrast to stereotype threat theory, results suggested that Black/African American students’ self-efficacy remained stable regardless of the racial breakdown of the class. However, White students demonstrated elevated self-efficacy when in predominantly Black/African American classrooms. These results could not be explained by differences in classroom environments. Results are discussed in terms of resilience, ethnic identity and White identity.     

Effects of type and amount of feedback upon hypothesis sampling systems among 7- and 8-year-old children

Second- and third-grade children (age 7 to 9 years) received a series of discrimination-learning problems containing verbal probes for hypotheses. The children received either (a) verbal-directional feedback in which the correct stimulus complex was indicated, (b) verbal feedback in which they were told whether they were correct or wrong, or (c) material feedback in which a marble was moved by the experimenter following choice responses. The three types of feedback were combined with three amounts: right-wrong, wrong-blank (blank = no feedback), and right-blank, to yield a 3 × 3 factorial design. Children in the verbal-directional right-wrong and wrong-blank conditions showed systematic problem-solving strategies in about 80% of their problems, while those in the remaining cells showed strategies in only 32 to 43% of theirs. The most prevalent processing error among children in the latter conditions was failure to resample according to a local consistency criterion following errors.     

Finding Home: A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Adolescent Mothers’ Housing Instability

Many low‐income Latina adolescent mothers face instability in their housing circumstances, which has implications for their long‐term prospects and that of their children. This study used longitudinal, ethnographic data from Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three‐City Study to explore experiences of low‐income, Latina adolescent mothers (N = 15) with unstable housing who primarily rely on their families or the families of their significant others for housing support. Results of analysis employing grounded theory and narrative approaches suggested two types of instability: “Horizontal moves” between family homes and “vertical moves” between family homes and independent living. Although family support often was fundamental in allowing for participants’ pursuit of independent housing (i.e., vertical moves), it also was associated with greater residential mobility (i.e., horizontal moves), most often in the context of intrafamilial conflict and family instability. These results are discussed with respect to inconsistencies in policies to address this vulnerable population.     

“The Awesomeness and the Vastness of Who You Really Are:” A Culturally Distinct Framework for Understanding the Link Between Spirituality and Health for Black Sexual Minority Men

Journal of Religion and Health - Despite health inequities, many Black sexual minority men are resilient and often utilize spirituality as a culturally distinct self-protective and self-enhancing...