Directions

Specific Topics to Choose from: Physical Disabilities/Motor Development, Language and Speech Impairments, Hearing Impairment, Vision Impairment, Poverty, Substance Abuse, Specific Disabilities (Autism, Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)

Locate, read and review an article from professional, peer-reviewed educational journal published within the last seven years that reports on findings from research studies. The

article needs to be current (within the last seven years).

Your search will focus on the topic selected for your Signature Assignment “Barriers to Social and Emotional Development”. (If you have not read the requirements for the Signature Assignment, do so before you complete this assignment). The age selection of the some of the subjects in the study must be from birth to five years old.

Below are some specific topics you may choose from:

? Physical Disabilities/Motor Development

? Language and Speech Impairments

? Hearing Impairment

? Vision Impairment

? Poverty

? Substance Abuse

? Specific Disabilities

a.Autism

b.Down Syndrome

c.Spina Bifida

d.Cerebral Palsy

e.Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

You may want to go back to the ASU Library tutorials from week 1 if you need assistance searching for an appropriate article

As you conduct your search type in the barrier/topic you select as well as “social and emotional development”. This will narrow down the articles to choose from. for example….. Search….. “ gifted students and social emotional development” It is best to go to https://lib.asu.edu, ERIC, PsychInfo, or Google Scholar

Read the entire article and respond to the following items using complete

sentences:

What issue were the researchers investigating?

a) What is the research question?

b) What were the independent and dependent variables (if applicable)?

This segment should describe in your own words why the researchers report they were doing the study. Usually, some particular question has come up or the researchers want to look at several studies to determine if there are patterns. The question(s), even in a meta-analysis, should be readily apparent in the abstract and the beginning of the article.

Who were the participants? Age? Ethnicity? Where are they from?

a) Methodology: What is a general description of the methods used to study the research question?

Variables should be readily apparent. What did the researcher(s) study. Remember that the independent variable is the variable which the researcher controls for, such as “type of diet” and the dependent variable changes (or does not change) with the independent variable. In the case of changes brought about by weight and exercise programs (independent variables), researchers look to changes in weight , level of stress, wellness, etc. (dependent variables) to determine the effectiveness of the aforementioned programs. So, the shorthand here is what does the researcher manipulate (IV) to see a result in something else (DV).

a) What were the major results of the study? Graphs may be included but will not serve as a substitute for a description of major findings.

Focus here on the results. What do the researchers report? You may have to examine the text and the graphs to determine what is actually being shown. In a meta-analysis, you look to the range of results reported. If the researchers chose six studies or fifty studies, they should summarize what the results were in each case.

Conclusions

a) What did the researcher(s) conclude about their study? Did they confirm their research question?

b) Do the researcher(s) make suggestions for future research? Is so, what do they suggest? Implications

a) Why did you select this topic as an area of focus for your Signature Assignment?

b) What implications does the article have for educators? How are the results useful to know for teachers, parents, or others who may work with children?

c) How does this study apply to learning/teaching/professional growth? Be specific in your connection. It may help to give examples and make direct connections to the idea of risk and resiliency.