Converging evidence indicates that argumentative thinking and writing are promoted by peer discourse. Here it is proposed that collaborative writing can serve as a bridge from peer discourse to individual argumentative writing. Three groups of sixth graders participated in a study that tested this hypothesis. Two of the groups took part in a…

Background: Children who come from families on welfare or government assistance might be at risk for bullying involvement. As research has shown, children living in poverty and experiencing family economic hardship are significantly likely to be involved in bullying in school. Objective: This study investigates whether welfare assistance is…

The aims of this study were to identify children's reactions towards speech sound disorders (SSD) in other children and whether these reactions can be related to specific speech characteristics. Six audio samples, each containing minute-long resumes of short animated film by five children with SSDs and one child with typical speech (TS), aged 5-9…

The purpose of this study was to examine how undergraduate peer mentors at Texas A&M University perceive their development of leadership behaviors through their peer mentor experience. Participants were first-generation college students serving as mentors to first-generation college students at Texas A&M University. A qualitative approach…

One of the most underutilized and cost-effective ways of encouraging more undergraduate students to actively engage in the college experience and complete their studies is through educationally purposeful peer interactions (EPPIs). Many institutions use mentors, coaches, and tutors to leverage the power of EPPIs. This article is about why and how…

This study investigates whether the quantity and quality of contact with migrants and perceiving that cultural diversity is accepted at school (as a dimension of the perceived school climate) are associated with perpetrating bullying toward migrant classmates. Quantity and quality of contact are also examined as moderators of the association…

It has long been assumed that children and adolescents want to be with their peers and therefore make active efforts to engage with them. However, a sizable minority of youth avoid peers for internal reasons (e.g., anxiety, preferences for solitude) or because they are socially withdrawn. Although by definition, withdrawn youth tend to stay away…

Two hundred and nine undergraduate students at a large public research institution were surveyed about their sense of mattering and well-being and their perceptions of the resources available to them at the university and how these affected their overall attitudes toward their educational experience. Significant relationships between well-being,…

Bullying is a common problem in today's schools. Bullying affects not only victims and bullies but also the other students who witness the bullying. The purpose of this research is to examine the behaviors shown by high school students who have witnessed bullying and the processes that have led them to these behaviors. By with this purpose, the…

This dissertation consists of three essays that focus on tournaments, incentives, and performance. The first essay presents evidence of cheating that took place in online examinations during COVID-19 lockdowns and proposes two solutions with and without a camera for the cheating problem based on the experience accumulated by online chess…

This study examines the relational implications of the presence of mobile technology within the basic communication course. To investigate this phenomenon a survey design was employed, and participants were asked to respond to open-ended, closed-ended, and descriptive questions. Results of this study shed light upon how and when university…

Play materials designed to enhance children's pretense were investigated; namely, how the specific characteristics of the play sets (thematically open-ended village set vs thematically closed-ended train set) influenced children's play communication regarding their co-construction of shared meanings. Participants included 44 7-year-old focal…

This study aimed at identifying and describing patterns of sports participation during high school among a general population of students and examining individual, social, and environmental predictors of pattern membership. A sample of 287 high school students (61% girls) from Quebec (Canada) annually reported all the organized sports in which…

Over the years, Web 2.0 tools have played a more dominant role in education as they provide the skills necessary for 21st century learning (McLoughlin & Alam, 2014; Sadaf, Newby, & Ertmer, 2012). While this shift with educational technology has been prevalent in most schools, small rural communities such as American Samoa have yet to have…

Engagement in mathematics education is an important factor in a successful student experience. This paper reports findings from a study of Year 5 student perceptions of engagement during a two-week, inquiry-based learning (IBL), problem-posing investigation. The study triangulated data from semistructured interviews, video observations and student…