Date of Award
1-1-1992
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Child and Youth Care Administration
Advisor
Polly Peterson
Keywords
Self-Esteem, Self-Concept, Self-Image, Self-Respect, Cross-Age Tutors, Peer Tutors, Learning Disabilities, Special Educational, Exceptional Children, Gifted and Talented Education, Attention Deficit Disorder, Emotionally Disturbed, Elementary Education, Kindergarten Education.
Abstract
This practicum was originally designed to provide teachers with a means of enhancing the self-esteem of learning disabled (LD) students by using them as cross-age tutors in a Kindergarten class. It was assumed that, by engaging them to help younger students, LD tutors would experience a feeling of accomplishment and self-worth, and therefore develop a sense of being capable, useful, and appreciated. It was further assumed that this more positive self-esteem would lead to a healthier social, emotional and intellectual self-perception and behavior. As the project developed, other students (regular and gifted, including whole 5th and 6th grade classes) asked and were allowed to join the program which was then expanded to include the whole school (K-8). The results were as follows: (1) The level of self-perception exhibited by LD students at the beginning and at the end of the program (as determined by self-evaluation questionnaire) did not show any substantial improvement. However, these LD students related to teachers and parents how much they were liked by their tutees; participated more in their own classwork and projects; cooperated more willingly with teachers and classmates. (2) The tutees showed an overall improvement in academics. They also developed friendships with their tutors, spent time together outside school hours, and exchanged books, letters, pictures and poems. (3) Teachers and parents became more aware of the positive ways by which self-esteem can be strengthened. (4) Regular and gifted and talented (GATE) students became more confident in the subjects or skills they tutored. The two classes that participated as a whole in the program developed a genuine sense of class self-esteem, unity and pride. The fact that the tutors and teachers involved in the program asked to continue the project indefinitely indicated its success and effectiveness.