Graduate Program
School Psychology
Degree Name
Specialist in School Psychology
Semester of Degree Completion
2015
Thesis Director
Lyndsay Jenkins
Abstract
Academic enablers are beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that help an individual to succeed academically. The four academic enablers identified by DiPerna and Elliott (2000) and measured by the Academic Competence Evaluation Scales (DiPerna & Elliott, 2000) include engagement, interpersonal skills, motivation, and study skills. A wealth of literature has detailed the critical importance of academic enablers to academic success, as well as identified specific ways which teachers can instruct students in development of these skills. While DiPerna and Elliott (2000) note that teachers' perceptions of the importance of these skills and related behaviors can assist in informing intervention for individual students, research has not examined the perceived importance of academic enablers at the classroom level, or how perceived importance relates to perceived feasibility of and actual practice of instruction in these skills. The current study examines how important teachers perceive academic enablers, how feasible they perceive instruction in these skills, and how often they engage in instruction in these skills in the classroom. Results from the study indicate that teachers perceive all academic enablers (and related behaviors) to be at least moderately important, and instruction in the core academic enablers to be at least moderately feasible. Participating teachers reported engaging in instruction in each of the four core enablers on average between once a month and once a week. Differences among grade clusters (e.g., K-2, 3-5, and 6-8) in average ratings of these variables were found to be miniscule, if present at all. Among the three variables, only Average Feasibility Rating and Average Instruction Frequency were found to be significantly correlated. Limitations of the current study, as well as suggestions for future research, are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Whitcomb, Amy M., "Examination of Teachers' Perceptions of the Importance of Academic Enablers, Feasibility of Academic Enabler Instruction, and Academic Enabler Instruction Practices" (2015). Masters Theses. 2391.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/2391
