Duhita Mahatmya

Linking psychosocial stressors and childhood obesity

Research has established a wide array of genetic and environmental factors that are associated with childhood obesity. The focus of this review is on recent work that has established the relationship between one set of environmental factors, stressors and childhood obesity. These stressors are particularly prevalent for low‐income children, a demographic group that has high rates of obesity in the USA and other developed countries. In this review, we begin by summarizing the psychosocial stressors faced by children followed by health outcomes associated with exposure to these stressors documented in the literature. We then summarize 11 articles which examined the connection between psychosocial stressors in the household and obesity and eight articles which examined the connection between individual psychosocial stressors and obesity. Policy recommendations emerging from this research include recognizing reductions in childhood obesity as a potential added benefit of social safety net programmes that reduce financial stress among families. In addition, policies and programmes geared towards childhood obesity prevention should focus on helping children build resources and capacities to teach them how to cope effectively with stressor exposure. We conclude with suggestions for future research.

Engagement Across Developmental Periods

The goal of this chapter is to provide a cohesive developmental framework and foundation for which to understand student engagement across early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. Guided by the bioecological theory of human development and the person-environment fit perspective, this chapter extends Finn’s participation-identification model of engagement by mapping student engagement within a larger developmental sequence. This chapter discusses student engagement within specific developmental periods that are tied to the developmental tasks, opportunities, and challenges unique to early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. Student engagement is found to be a nuanced developmental outcome, and the differences may be a result of the maturation of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional developmental tasks and the changing contextual landscape for the children and adolescents. Recommendations for future research as well as policy implications are also discussed.

It Takes Two: Sensitive Caregiving across Contexts and Children's Social, Emotional, and Academic Outcomes.

Research Findings: Using longitudinal survey data from the Welfare, Children, and Families Study: A Three-City Study (n = 135), this study examines how congruence in maternal and child care provider sensitivities contributes to young childrens social, emotional, and academic outcomes among low-income minority families. Congruence groups were created based on levels of high and low maternal and child care provider sensitivity. Children with high maternal sensitivity and low child care provider sensitivity had lower scores on measures of social competence and applied problems compared to children with high maternal and child care provider sensitivity. Children with low maternal sensitivity but high child care provider sensitivity displayed higher emotional competence than children with low maternal and child care sensitivity, implying an important protective benefit of child care. Practice or Policy: Current state and federal policy climates, including recently awarded Early Learning Challenge grants focused on social and personal development and the Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act, reflect an important emphasis on social and emotional learning. Given this, the findings from this study implicate the role of families and child care providers as important components in any policy or program focused on shaping childrens early social and emotional outcomes.

Associations of Preschool Type and Teacher–Child Relational Quality With Young Children's Social-Emotional Competence

Research Findings: This study examined associations of preschool type (i.e., urban and suburban Head Start and university-affiliated center) and teacher–child variables with positive and negative child outcomes among 145 preschoolers (74 boys). Differences emerged across preschools, with urban Head Start children scoring lowest on the emotional competence measures and university-affiliated preschoolers experiencing less peer victimization than urban and suburban Head Start preschoolers. Differences across preschool types were also found for the teacher–child variables, such that teacher–child closeness was lower and teacher–child conflict and dependence were highest in the urban Head Start preschool. Regression analyses revealed significant and meaningful interactions between preschool type and teacher–child relational quality in the prediction of childrens social-emotional outcomes. Teacher–child conflict was negatively associated with emotion regulation and teacher–child dependence was associated with the highest levels of emotion regulation, but only for university-affiliated preschoolers. Suburban Head Start preschoolers experienced less prosocial attention than urban Head Start preschoolers, but only when teacher–child closeness was high. Teacher–child closeness was also a negative predictor of urban Head Start preschoolers’ prosocial attention. Practice or Policy: Results point to the importance of understanding the role of teacher–child relational quality in the social-emotional development of children exposed to different preschool and environmental contexts.

DREAMers and their families: A family impact analysis of the DREAM Act and implications for family well-being

Abstract Discourse around immigration reform largely centers on economic and national security issues and rarely mentions the well-being of families. This paper applies Family Impact Analysis (FIA) and rhetorical discourse analysis to the congressional hearings, debates, and documents surrounding the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to examine representations of immigrant families and implications for their well-being. Our analysis reveals that while the discourse in the DREAM Act and related congressional documents gives voice to undocumented children, it undermines family well-being. In particular, the Act promotes the rights of children over their parents, discourages family stability and unity, and impacts family interdependence negatively. Findings suggest that further consideration of FIA, in light of immigration reform efforts, is essential to crafting a policy that supports children and families during periods of transition.

Closing the Excellence Gap: Investigation of an Expanded Talent Search Model for Student Selection into an Extracurricular STEM Program in Rural Middle Schools.

High-potential students from underresourced rural schools face barriers that reduce options for academic advancement, which widens the excellence gap between them and their more affluent, but similar ability peers. The goal of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an expanded above-level testing model to identify high-potential rural students for an extracurricular math and science enrichment program. Results from our analyses indicated that a more inclusive talent pool differentiated among high achievers to find greater percentages (13%) of talented students compared with most gifted programs (3% to 5%) or Talent Search programs (5%). Overall, students’ math and science scores were related to a 75% and 50%, respectively, greater odds in being identified for the extracurricular program. Regardless of program participation, all talent pool students increased their math and science achievement; however, there were some significant gender differences.

Mentoring Undergraduate Scholars: A Pathway to Interdisciplinary Research?

Interdisciplinary research is a valuable approach to addressing complex real-world problems. However, undergraduate research mentoring is discussed as an activity that happens in disciplinary silos where the mentor and student scholar share a disciplinary background. By transcending traditional academic divisions, we argue that mentors can train a new generation of scholars who think innovatively and create integrative research questions. We examined a sample of undergraduate students and their faculty mentors to determine the extent to which interdisciplinary research teams exist at George Mason University. Results indicated that interdisciplinary research teams are rare and faculty rank was their main predictor. University administrations can make specific choices regarding recognition and support for interdisciplinary undergraduate research mentoring that also advance institutional mission and values.

Developing Students’ Well-Being Through Integrative, Experiential Learning Courses

This study examined the effects of experiential learning courses on the well-being of undergraduate students (n = 76, 77.6% female, 67.1% White). A repeated-measures design was used to compare changes in resilience, mindfulness, emotional reappraisal, and social connectedness across three different course formats. All students saw increases in mindfulness; social connectedness was particularly sensitive to the course format. Through integrating academic and experiential learning, students can experience steady increases in multiple components of well-being.

The Effects of Data-Based, Individualized Interventions for Behavior

Data-based individualization (DBI) is a systematic process used to guide teachers in making decisions related to students’ responsiveness to intervention. Whereas this process has been used extensively with academic interventions, far less is known about DBI used within the context of behavioral interventions. In this study, elementary general and special education teachers (a) implemented a technology-based, self-monitoring intervention with students exhibiting challenging behavior; and (b) used DBI to evaluate student progress and make intervention adaptations accordingly. Results of multilevel modeling indicated students improved their positive behavior significantly (p < .001) from baseline to intervention. For most students, once they began intervention, positive behaviors either maintained or increased gradually when teachers made adaptations to the self-monitoring intervention. In addition to these results, an analysis of the effects of different intervention adaptations (e.g., raising or lowering goals, increasing or decreasing interval length) and visual analysis of individual students’ response are discussed.

STEM Excellence and Leadership Program: Increasing the Level of STEM Challenge and Engagement for High-Achieving Students in Economically Disadvantaged Rural Communities.

High-achieving students in economically disadvantaged, rural schools lack access to advanced coursework necessary to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational and employment goals at the highest levels, contributing to the excellence gap. Out-of-school STEM programming offers one pathway to students’ talent development. Using a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods research design, this study was conducted to evaluate the experiences of 78 high-achieving students and their 32 teachers, participating in an extracurricular, school-based, STEM talent development program for rural students from economically disadvantaged communities. Findings suggest that students and teachers expressed satisfaction with program participation and that they thought more creatively and critically about their work. Results also showed that students’ perceptions of the mathematics and science activities were significantly different, which informs ways to improve programming for future high-achieving, rural students. These findings expand the literature supporting the use of informal STEM education environments for underserved gifted populations to increase engagement in and access to challenging curricula.