Paper Instructions:

Many educational innovations claim to be “research-based”. Probably the most important skill for a consumer of research or being an intelligent consumer is to look at those claims and either validate them. The following website makes that kind of claim: http://consciousdiscipline.com/

Hypothetically, you or your superintendent/principal is considering adopting Conscious Discipline for the district/school, but you/he/she want(s) to make sure that the effectiveness of Conscious Discipline claimed on the website is supported by credible and reliable research. You are to investigate this for the district/school.

The following question is posed:

• Are the conclusions listed at http://consciousdiscipline.com/about/statistical_data.asp backed by valid and reliable studies that apply directly to the claim?

Use the following link, you can locate the research reports related to the eight conclusions: https://consciousdiscipline.com/research/statistical_data.asp Click on “Research” at the bottom of the web page, you will find the “Articles about Research”.

Select the last two of the eight conclusions that you are required to evaluate and draft a report of your own (single-spaced, the entire assignment should be 1-2 pages) to me that answers the concern stated above.

You will need to locate, read and evaluate the two articles posted in “Articles about Research”:

• https://consciousdiscipline.com/conscious-disciplines-impact-on-aggression-in-young-children-independent-studies/ “Reducing Aggressive Acts of Young Children in Childcare”
• https://consciousdiscipline.com/training-teachers-in-classroom-management-evidence-of-positive-effects-on-the-behavior-of-difficult-children/ “Training Teachers in Classroom Management: Evidence of Positive Effects on the Behavior of Difficult Children” that provide the research evidence for or lead to the last two conclusions selected for evaluation.

Specifically, when you read and evaluate the selected two articles, ask yourself some questions on critically consuming research products. Here are some examples (but not limited to) of questions that you can possibly use to frame your evaluation and writing on analyzing Conclusion 7 and Conclusion 8:

1. Who conducted and/or sponsored the research? Does it possibly influence or bias the results?
2. Is it a valid and reliable research design such as on participants, instrumentation, data collection, specific design (experimental and non-experimental) and data analysis that can possibly impact the results leading to the conclusion?
3. Are the results presented accurately and credibly? Are the conclusions made logically?
4. Are there any research biases or limitations that can affect the generaliz­ability of the conclusion to the context or settings of your district/school?

Note that these are ONLY some examples of the questions for your reference in writing your evaluation report. You can create your own questions and do not need to strictly follow these questions.

Do NOT include the questions in your writing to be submitted. I expect you to apply the appropriate research knowledge and skills that you learned from this class and the textbook to critically and succinctly evaluate and validate the research reports that were used to support the TWO selected conclusions.

I will be looking for an understanding of good research and the kind of skeptical analysis that we have been working towards.

The eight conclusions are (Conscious Discipline):

1. Improves the social and emotional skills of students
2. Improves the social and emotional skills of teachers
3. Increases student academic readiness
4. Increases student academic achievement
5. Improves the quality of student-teacher interactions
6. Improves school climate
7. Decreases aggression in preschool children (Article to be evaluated: https://consciousdiscipline.com/conscious-disciplines-impact-on-aggression-in-young-children-independent-studies/ (Reducing Aggressive Acts of Young Children in Childcare)
8. Decreases impulsivity and hyperactivity in “difficult” students (Article to be evaluated: https://consciousdiscipline.com/training-teachers-in-classroom-management-evidence-of-positive-effects-on-the-behavior-of-difficult-children/ (Evidence of Positive Effects on the Behavior of Difficult Children)