Education, Faculty of

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Browsing Education, Faculty of by Subject "Academic achievement"

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    Academic outcomes following sexual assault: the function of post-traumatic stress
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2023) Molstad, Taylor Dale; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education; Luft, Toupey M.
    Sexual assault is a common experience among post-secondary students, with significant and long-lasting impacts such as the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and difficulties in academic performance. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sexual assault, PTSD, and academic outcomes. In addition, social support was tested as a potential moderator in this relationship among post-secondary students. Post-secondary students in Alberta, Canada (N = 100) who had experienced sexual assault since the age of 18 completed a survey on non-consensual sexual experiences, PTSD symptoms, social support, and academic success. The study found that sexual assault was significantly associated with higher PTSD symptom severity, which, in turn, was linked to lower academic success. The hypothesis that social support would moderate the relationship between sexual assault, PTSD, and academic outcomes was not supported. These findings underscore the importance of addressing PTSD symptoms in post-secondary students who have experienced sexual assault to support their academic success.
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    Fostering achievement motivation
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 1991, 1991) Hillyer, F. James; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education; Winzer, Margret
    Researchers defined achievement motivation as a viable research construct in the early 1950s. Adults increased their achievement motivation scores--often with correlative increased achievement. The literature is replete with ways to increase achievement but researchers paid less attention to what could be a core issue--affecting achievement motication itself. McClelland demonstrated repeatedly that adult business people could develop achievement motivation. Alschuler and deCharms found that classroom treatment procedures could yield increased student achievement motivation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which treatment activites could foster achievement motivation in a sample of rural Southern Alberta grade four students. To accomplish this, the investigator in the present study employed a combination of the methods used by Alschuler with adolescents and deCharms with younger students. The treatment group experienced achievement motivation action strategies, conceptualized achievement motivation thoughts, related the achievement motivation syndrome to three areas of personal life, and practised what they learned. Two control groups were grade four classes in rural Alberta; one received a pre-test, the other received the post-test only. This investigator used Gumpgookies (Ballif & Adkins, 1968) to quantify achievement motivation. Grade four students in rural Southern Alberta did not obtain significantly different Gumpgookies (Ballif & Adkins, 1968) (achievement motivation) scores following four weeks of achievement motivation training modelled after Alschuler and deCharms. Birth order and rank in class emerged as significant variables.
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    The impact of outdoor education on executive function in adolescents
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2020) McKenzie, Jared Patrick; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education.; Adams, Pamela
    This mixed-methods study investigated the nature of the impact of a multi-day outdoor education camp on the executive functions of sixth grade students (n = 29) in Alberta, Canada. The participants demonstrated statistically significantly improved reaction time in four of seven trials, and statistically significantly improved accuracy in three of eight trials, after camp. There were no statistically significant differences in either measure in a third round of testing approximately one month later. The improvements were not linked to parental education, previous experiences, or scores on the Amsterdam Executive Function Inventory. As well, eight participants were interviewed about their experiences. Three themes emerged from this analysis: the perceptions of learning, the importance of physical comforts, and the outdoors as a source of wildness. Here, I argue that these impacts to executive functions are linked to the three themes above, suggesting that elements of outdoor education can indirectly support executive functions.