UC to Host Regional Spring Research Conference Downtown

The University of Cincinnati College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) will host the 25th annual spring research conference from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 12, at the Duke Energy Center downtown.

The conference will feature research presentations from graduate students representing UC, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville.

Bradley Wilson, professor of the UC School of Human Services and director of graduate research in human services, will deliver opening remarks. The conference will also feature a lunchtime panel discussion from the deans of the three colleges represented at the conference.

Sponsored annually by the three universities, the site of the annual conference rotates among the cities of Cincinnati, Lexington and Louisville.

The conference provides graduate-level students an opportunity to present early research findings as well as completed projects – earning feedback from peers and from faculty who have dedicated their careers to research in teaching in the students’ fields.

UC Student Research Presentations

Poster Presentations

Cultural and Societal Factors Associated with Knowledge of Mental Health Services in Hispanic Youth

Presenter/Researcher

: Lauren Bartsch, doctoral student, health education (CECH)

Summary:

As the Hispanic population grows in the United States, the need for culturally appropriate and easily accessible mental health services is vital. Hispanic youth are disproportionally at risk for mental health problems including depression and suicide. Low health literacy levels among this population play a large role in the growing numbers of untreated mental health illnesses. Barriers to seeking mental health assistance for Hispanic youth include the stigma of mental illness, low knowledge about mental illness, acculturation challenges and lack of access to health services. This paper explores these barriers among Hispanic youth. The information provided should be especially beneficial to health educators and community professionals working to promote positive mental health for Hispanic youth. Cultural values and social factors should be considered when developing and implementing interventions to increase mental health status and mental health help-seeking behaviors. Bartsch is a certified health education specialist (CHES).

Women and Art: A Study of Confidence in Body Image

Presenter/researcher

: Grace Dumesnil, a junior major in communications sciences and disorders, College of Allied Health Sciences

Summary:

This study examines how women interpret their own body image in relation to sculptures of the female nude. Centered around two iconic statues of the Cincinnati Art Museum, a survey was conducted with females aged 19-55. Women who stopped to look at the statues for a significant length of time responded to a set of questions regarding ideal female form, self-concept and confidence. Results showed that the younger women (ages 19-29) were more critical of the statues’ forms than the older women (ages 30-55). The younger women were also more quick to comment on the physical differences between the statue’s form and their own form. Through analysis, confidence emerged as a central theme.

Ecstacy Use Among Youth: An Examination of Psychosocial Factors

Presenter/researcher

: Michelle Burbage, master’s student, health education, CECH

Summary:

The club drug ecstasy is a serious health concern among adolescents. The present study used the Cincinnati Pride survey to examine ecstacy use among young people in schools across Greater Cincinnati. Results found that male students, ninth-12th grade students, non-Caucasian students and employed students were at highest risk for ecstasy use. In addition, students who demonstrated high-risk behaviors were more prone to ecstacy use. Findings indicated that students with postivie social connections were less likely to use ecstasy, whereas students lacking connections with parents, teachers and schools were more likely to use this substance. These findings should be considered when developing programs to prevent ecstasy use among youth.

Knowledge and Health Literacy of Human Papillomavirus in African-American Women Ages 18-24

Presenter/researcher

: Angelica Hardee, a master’s candidate in health education, CECH

Summary:

This study explored  knowledge and general health literacy among African-American women ages 18-24 regarding the human papillomavirus (HPV), and whether knowledge about HPV differed in regard to grade level, health literacy or knowing someone who had received the vaccine. An online survey was developed to measure overall knowledge of the issue as well as perceived benefits and barriers to HPV vaccination. A series of descriptive statistics were used to describe the background and demographic characteristics of respondents and determine the significance of the findings.

Paper Presentations

The Use of Joint Displays in Mixed Methods Research: Strategies for Effectively Combining the Quantitative and Qualitative Components of a Study

Presenter/researcher

: Khahlia Sanders, doctoral student, educational studies; Vicki Plano Clark, assistant professor, educational studies, CECH

Summary:

Mixed methods research examines a research challenge from quantitative and qualitative perspectives. This study explores how researchers develop and use joint displays to advance the organization, interpretation and communication of a mixed methods research study. This study involved a review of 179 articles from the Journal of Mixed Methods Research. Forty-six percent contained joint displays to convey the research design, conceptual frameworks, instrument development and data analysis results. This ongoing research study will provide guidelines for the development of new and innovative joint displays that explicitly integrate quantitative and qualitative aspects in the context of mixed methods research studies.

The Impact of School Experiences on Alcohol Use Among Hispanic Youth

Presenter/researcher

: Ashley Merianos, doctoral candidate and graduate research assistant, health promotion and education, CECH

Summary:

In an analysis of data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health involving 3,457 Hispanic youth, the study found that Hispanic youth who reported having low school experiences (involvement in clubs, connections to teachers, etc.) were at increased odds for recent alcohol use and binge drinking. The highest risk age groups were 14-15 years old and 16-17 years old.

Deterring Transitional Difficulities Among Adolescent Student Athletes

(Paper, poster and online presentations)

Presenter/researcher

: Rebecca Elkins, doctoral student, health promotion and education, CECH

Summary:

From as early as childhood, athletes devote a great deal of time and dedication to developing their talent, and they receive an incredible amount of attention. These factors can lead to difficult adjustments once their “glory days” are over. As a result, some student athletes can be at increased risk for identity crises and deviant behaviors once their sporting careers end.  This paper describes risk factors, protective factors and practical implications to deter transitional difficulties out of sport, including transitional program development to prepare at-risk student athletes prior to career termination.

Power Analysis for Multilevel Mediation Effects

Presenter/researcher:

Zuchao Shen, doctoral student, educational studies, CECH

Summary:

In educational studies, it is often more practical to assign treatment conditions to intact clusters (e.g., schools) rather than to individuals. In the design of such multilevel studies, an important consideration is the statistical power with which a design can detect an effect if it exists. Although literature has developed closed-form equations to detect main effects, literature concerning power analyses for multilevel mediation effects has been sparse. In this study, we developed closed-form expressions to estimate the power to detect mediation in multilevel settings and investigated their efficacy under a broad range of conditions through a Monte Carlo simulation to substantiate. In particular, we examined the extent to which our derivations provide valid estimates of power when adopting a) multiple inferential tests, b) multiple levels of nesting, c) mediators at different levels, d) nonrandomly assigned treatments, and e) differing group sample sizes.

Sociolinguistic Challenges Faced by Iraqi Graduate Students at U.S. Universities

Presenter/researcher:

Ahmed Fahad, doctoral student, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESL), CECH

Summary:

The ELS Language Center, located on UC’s campus, provides intensive English training and admits students every four weeks. The center attracts students from a variety of academic backgrounds and geographic regions, allowing students of all abilities to learn English quickly while being part of an active city and campus. This multi-case study explores challenges met by Iraqi graduate students when starting their intensive English program at ELS, including how Iraqi graduate students perceive their challenges in a new setting, with English as the language of instruction; and what social, psychological and linguistic factors are behind such challenges. The research also is examining how to support this student population as they adjust to a new language and culture in the United States. The project is supported by a grant from the UC School of Education.

Developing a Short Version of the Reading Aloud Profile-Together (RAPT) using Item Response Theory

Researcher/presenter:

Shanshan Wang, doctoral student, quantitative research methodology, CECH

Summary:

The Reading Aloud Profile-Together (RAPT) is an observation instrument for educators to examine the behaviors of parents and their children as they share a reading activity. The study is exploring the dimensionality of the RAPT that captures 32 parent and 23 child behaviors during the shared reading experiences. This paper also outlines a shorter version of the RAPT comprising items that discriminate individual reading behaviors relating to the major domains of early literacy.

Perceived School Safety and Violent Victimization Among Youth: Implications for School Health Professionals

Researcher/presenter:

Kenneth Woodson, doctoral student in health promotion and education, CECH

Summary:

Research suggests that perceived school safety is an important factor when examining bullying among youth. Using data from the PRIDE National survey, this study examines whether there is an association between violent victimization and perceived school safety. The PRIDE National survey was completed by 54,938 students in a large Midwestern city and assesses youth involvement in substance use, violence and other risky behaviors. The study found that a sizeable percentage of youth, 62.9 percent, had experienced school-related violent victimization within the past year. Students with a low perceived safety score were more likely than students with a high perceived safety score to experience violent victimization. Logistic regression analyses also found significant differences in violent victimization based on sex, grade level and race. Such findings have important implications for school health professionals interested in protecting youth from risky behaviors and increasing perceived school safety.

Online Video Presentations

Investigating the Role of Communities of Practice in the Induction Process for Novice Science Teachers

Researcher/presenter:

Timothy Surrette, doctoral student, curriculum and instruction (CECH)

Summary:

The induction and retention of new teachers is an ongoing challenge in the field of education. The purpose of this review of literature was to investigate the ability of communities of practice (CoP) to develop and support novice science teachers. The topic of CoP and their ability to support novice science teachers during the induction phase of their career is an emerging area of research and therefore, limited empirical studies have been conducted. A synthesis of the findings revealed that CoP are able to provide novice science teachers opportunities to: (a) share ideas and collaborate with their colleagues as they improve their pedagogical skills and (b) engage in authentic and relevant learning activities that improve their craft knowledge.  

UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services has been dedicated to excellence in teaching for more than a century. With more than 32,000 alumni, 5,300 undergraduate and graduate students and 150 faculty and staff, the college prepares students to work in diverse communities, provides continual professional development and fosters education leadership at the local, state, national and international levels.