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Date of Graduation
Summer 2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
Deborah Kipps-Vaughan
Tammy Gilligan
Patricia Warner
Abstract
Many students in alternative education programs have significant academic and behavioral difficulties that cannot be reasonably accommodated in the general education setting. These students have typically experienced a considerable amount of failure throughout their lives. The impact of experiencing failure can make it difficult for students to feel positive about their potential future success and lead them on a trajectory for failure. On the contrary, research supports that people with high levels of hope are more likely to experience multiple positive life outcomes. The following study evaluates the effectiveness of a hope intervention on increasing positive outcomes in alternative education students. Specifically, a group of five students ages 16 to 18 participated in a researcher designed hope intervention. Pre and post data were analyzed in a case study design to investigate changes in hope, externalizing behavior, academic participation, and goal setting following the implementation of the hope intervention. At the conclusion of the hope intervention, positive outcomes were observed on a case-by-case basis.
Recommended Citation
Wayland, Ginger, "Fostering hope in alternative education students through goal setting" (2017). Educational Specialist, 2009-2019. 119.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/edspec201019/119
